**CAR OF THE WEEK! Friday 19/10/12**

[McClarenDesign]

Announcing the 37th installment of the Car of the Week series.

A chance for everyone on GTPlanet to get behind the wheel of the same car and give it a thorough going over. The aim is to get people driving what they wouldn't usually drive, or cars that may have been overlooked. They may be great, they may be terrible, but as part of GT5 they deserve discussion right here.

People can show off their amazing photos, trade tuning tips, race one another and review that weeks nominated car. Lap times can be posted, top speeds and acceleration times compared and tips on handling discussed.

We are starting to develop a brilliant bunch of regular contributors but I very much encourage everyone to get involved and have their say. Every week (almost!) a poster will be picked for their contribution in that weeks thread to pick the star car for the following week. Ask anyone that has so far been chosen to pick and I am sure they will tell you what an honor it is! So get involved and it could be you!

Car of the Week - What do YOU think of the car?

So, without further ado, this weeks star car of the week...

In a few hours I'll be heading to Denver. Along with the podcast, I haven't been able to participate as much as I'd like, including reading some of these posts. My apologies.

That being said, it's also been awhile since I've gotten to choose a car, so for this week, we'll go with one of my all-time favorites...

Image Source​

2000 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R

There's nothing quite like a race car for the street...

 

[MustangManiac]

Did somebody say...MUSTANG! 👍

 

[McClarenDesign]

Did somebody say...MUSTANG! 👍

I f'n love this car. Saw one at a local Mustang meet and quickly needed new pants.

 

[Ryk]

Nice looking car - Shame it only comes in one colour, SO I painted a second one in Subaru Blue (WR Blue Mica, maybe) - Has personality, but I've not driven it in some time, and it will make a break from my 20k budget car testing sessions.

Looking forward to improving this blue oval star

 

[jedikeeper]

I had a MUSTANG

 

[wizzards581]

The only mustang I haven't seen in real life.

 

[Baron Blitz Red]

Nice pick McClaren! I was lucky enough to pick mine up very quickly in the game (2010/11/27), but it seems I've ignored her for way too long. Time for that to change...

Have a good one

 

[MustangManiac]

2000 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra-R​

She was rated 345hp/467pp before and 362hp/474pp after the oil change. With my mild tune she came to 456hp/505pp.

Her numbers at the test track:

.............stock / tuned

1/4 mi...13.477 / 12.160
1.0 mi...33.241 / 30.316
0 - 60...04.887 / 03.778
- 100....11.519 / 08.667
max G....00.770 / 01.030
max spd..177.50 / 177.30

My best of ten laps at Grand Valley speedway:
stock: 2:12.764
tuned: 2:01.066

Looking for some competition I chose the 500pp FR challenge, a 5 lap event at the High Speed Ring. The stock car found little challenge finishing in P1 with a best lap of 1:17.123

Finding little competition there I didn't bother taking the tuned ride out and decided to look elsewhere.

I cut the power to 95.8%, an even 500pp, and took to the A-Spec challenge #3, 3 laps at Nurburgring GP/D. It was an easy win with a best lap of 1:39.461.

I am still looking for a place to challenge this car, what a great ride!

 

[XS]

Forgot I had this sitting around. I think this was the first picture I used the GT camera for.

 

[MustangManiac]

Still looking for some competition for the Cobra...

I chose the Stars & Strpes, American cars to 600pp challenge...

the first race was a five lap event at Cape Ring outside

I finished P1 with a best lap of 1:45.498

the next race was a five lap event at Laguna Seca

I finished in P1 again with a best lap of 1:34.801

almost lost it here

guess I will have to keep looking 👍

 

[Woodski_427]

200 Mustang SVT Cobra R

Just a quick drive in this one as I'm catching up. A quick read tells me this comes out of Ford's Special Vehicles pretty much as a road legal race car: stripped down, no luxuries and track grade setup. An intriguing prospect.

There's one in my garage (never used), and after rebuilds shows 381 BHP, 1628 Kg, 482 pp. Similar specs to the Lotus Carlton of the previous week, so something to compare with. At Trial Mountain I'm struck by the distinctly non-muscle car handling. This is tight for a heavy car and tackles the the high and low speed corners of Trial Mountain without drama. There is a bit of understeer of course but nothing that will frustrate. Accelelaration comes via the wide torque range and it doesn't pay push the red line - time will be lost here.

Trial Mountain on SH comes in at 1:43.556, convincingly beating the Carlton. There's not too much power oversteer with the Mustang, unless you want to play hooligan that is, where as I seemed to be constantly feathering the Carlton's throttle. I didn't check in the setup screens, but I suspect there is a some useful downforce at work too.

I took this to the same 500pp FR seasonal at Mt Aso. The Cobra was right at home on the twisty mountainous track and I came in second only about 5 seconds behind the Supercharged Shelby: I think the Mustang could win this race in stock form with a bit more concentration and clean passing.

A very good drive this one: fast, great handling in stock form and I expect just punting the power to make it 500pp would be enough to make it very competitive at this level without too much need for fettling setups.

 

[Corvetterider69]

i got a cobra for trade only 14k on it and looning for a new owner thanks