http://www.contour.org/ubbthreads/sh...=3#Post1114389

I know there's someone out there that can do it and if they do, please let it be the 6.1L, ah the joys of torque!

 

The Solstice is an even better looking car in person (IMO), and now that I've seen a few on the street, I'm even getting used to the front end.
At around $40K, could the "Mallett" be the AC Cobra for the new Millennium?
I wonder how much the extra weight would effect the handling?
Man what a "sleeper" that little bugger would be!
Keep your 11 sec. Z06, imagine the fun you could have with one of these! (and the trouble you could get yourself into.)

 

Startech has a 6.1L V8 conversion for the Crossfire. They also make kits to punch displacement up to 3.8L on the stock V6 (from 3.2L). Since Startech is owned by Brabus, you can bet that all of the stuff they sell (from styling tweaks to powertrain upgrades) will be hideously expensive.

http://www.startech.de/p13e.htm

 

very good point. the solstice is already about 3-400 lbs overweight, and i'm sure an LS7 doesn't help that fact. now not only is it overweight, its super-duper nose heavy! a real nice conversion nonetheless --

 

One of the things that makes a good handling car is 50/50 weight distribution. Consider that the baddest muscle cars were nearly undriveable in anything but a straight line (including old big-block Vettes), but smaller engined versions of the same cars did quite well for their day. Also consider that great pains are often taken to maintain a good fore/aft weight balance in modern sports cars (rear transaxles in the Porsche 928/944/964 as an example). Dropping in a heavier engine will detract from your Crossfire's handling.

Then again, who says the HEMI (5.7L or 6.1L) is heavier? It is hard to judge an engine's weight solely on displacement. Consider that a Porsche 911 engine (one of the old air cooled types) weighed more than a Chevrolet 350 V8. I know that's probably not the best example, as air-cooled motors obviously weigh more than water-cooled ones (any sports bike fanatic knows this). However, looking at that 3.2L V6 in our engine bay, that's a lot of metal. OHC engines require additional cams, larger heads to accommodate them, etc. A pushrod engine can be quite compact, as there is just one cam nestled deep in the block, the heads can be smaller, etc. It would be interesting to see a weight comparison between a modern HEMI and this benz motor.

 

Thinks don't always work or not work like expected.

Ford have just released a Focus ST with 225 hp five cylinder turbo duratec engine. Car reviewers are all impressed by it, seems to handle well, flies around the track.

Front wheel drive, 200+ hp, front engine and it works?

 

They just released it where?!

 

We never get the hottest Focus here. We didn't when the original RS came out, and we don't now.

But, in the UK, they do. In fact, they can buy a brand new totally redone Focus. Here in the US, we get a face lifted version of the old car. Ford probably believes that Americans still equate "small car" with "cheap car". Never mind the success of the WRX, EVO, or even DC's SRT-4.

 

I bet Ford is thinking that a $30K Focus RS wouldn't sell here, even if its AWD, turbo'd w/ over 250 hp, but why not give it a shot!

 

I'm waiting on the '07 Solstice Coupe' w/ 240 hp... Pontiac reps have told me they will support the car for SCCA and Grand Am Racing with LOTS of performance parts and aftermarket racing upgrades!!! Release date is sometime during the summer of '06...


Pricing is going to be in the S2000, MX8 range...

 

Sorry I am a little OT but anyway.
As juddz said UK, and a suppose rest of Europe have the Focus ST. I don't know how the Ford models worked US to UK but in the 1970's and 80's we have the RS Cosworth's Escorts, Siera's with rally support etc. The Focus ST joins the Mondeo ST24 and ST220 and as the follow on to the Cosworth cars.

Focus ST links
http://www.carpages.co.uk/ford/ford-...echo=968975882
http://www.tuningnews.net/news/050216/ford-focus-st.php

The competition is the VW Golf GTI (Used to be the Rabbit - shows how seriously VW thought the US was going to take a hot hatch) and the new Vauxhall Astra VXR.
http://www.carkeys.co.uk/road_test/vauxhall/7395.asp

 

Hey at least Ford tried to bring over the Mondeo over here, too bad it was "watered down" and not given the perf "shot in the arm" it could've w/ the Contour and Contour SVT. I say this because I had one and just sold it about 7 months ago. They had access to the 3.0L but didn't pull the trigger, they had a Quaife LSD but didn't do it, they had turbo tech but didn't use it, WTF! I will say this, at least Ford tries to do something.