cito
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This is my long-winded story about going from a 2011 GT (non-Brembo) to a 2013 Mustang V6 with the performance package.
When the 2011's came out, I initially became very excited about the V6 model. In fact, I had sold my RX8 and waited for months to find a good deal on the V6 with a performance package. At one point, I was one phone call away from closing a deal on a black 2011 V6 PP, but the salesperson dropped the ball. By the time I had caught up with him, I found a 2011 Mustang GT for sale. It was December, and I got a smoking deal on the GT. The V6 was cheaper, but I couldn't turn down the GT's power. The GT was a completely base car, had less than 8k miles on it, and was purchased for less than 25k. I like autocrossing, and I knew this was the "wrong" car, but I decided it would be fun to try it in STU. I am not Sam Strano or anything (i.e., there are not any national championships hanging in the balance that would require me to have a GT with the Brembo package). In 2011, I started the year by simply buying some 19x10 inch rims and 285 RE-11's for the GT. I went all ebay except for the RE-11's, and eventually put on the wheels, tires, Ford Racing 1.5 inch lowering springs, FRPP sway bars front and back, adjustable panhard bar, Tokico struts in the front, and Koni shocks in the back all for less than 2000 bucks. The tires were the biggest chunk of that. Yes I know, it was a ghetto set up, but the parts were all never used and the resulting car was really fun to drive.
I ran the GT in SCCA autocrosses and a local time trial series at a go-kart track. At the SCCA events, I generally ranked in the top third in terms of PAX, but that was with the STU PAX number that killed me. STU is packed with Stievo's that are well prepped. My half-baked GT wouldn't have a chance in that company. Running in the go-kart track series, I did better partly because I did not have to worry about the PAX modifier but also because I know the track very well. I stink at slaloms, and there are no slaloms on the go-kart track. The go-kart track allows for some relative consistency in terms of expectations for performance. It is a fun little track, and it gave me a chance to see how it would do relative to other Mustangs, some subies, and a corvette or two. With the GT, I was running close in terms of times to a buddy of mine who has a 2012 Boss 302. The Boss was essentially stock, and the tires on it are certainly weaker than the RE-11's that were on my GT. My car was also lower in ride height and had better though mismatched shocks/struts. My car was more prepped than the Boss. The driver of the Boss is a better driver than me. He is a great guy, and he has consistently beaten me over the years. I believe I have beaten him twice in about 40 some odd events. The bottom line is that I was really happy with the way the Mustang GT was running overall.
This year, I came across a chance to purchase a 2012 V6 PP on clearance. I had come to the realization that the GT was going to require a lot of changes in order to be competitive in SCCA events. I could have gone ESP, but I have done that before (with a 2003 cobra) and I feared it would make the car less fun to run on the street. That is not to mention the fact that it would cost me a great deal of money to make it competitive in ESP. I had begun thinking it might be more fun to try a DS V6 mustang. So, I made a call on the clearance 2012, and essentially had to make the decision to buy it within a 2 hour window. For various reasons, that did not happen. I did the first Go-Kart track event this year in the GT (link here, I am number 23: http://www.nqsperformance.com/Pages/Autocross1Results.aspx). Soon after, I received a call from the dealership on a new 2013 PP V6 base with Recaro seats. They essentially offered me a deal that I could not turn down. I got more than I paid for the GT in trade, 1750 some odd bucks in rebates, and a price about 500 over invoice. This has made the car much more affordable than even the relatively cheap GT had been. As a plus, they let me keep all of the parts from the GT as they wanted it back to stock. Fair enough. That means I would have my struts, shocks, tires (albethey ill-fitting), and maybe swaybar already in hand.
My first event in the car was with my SCCA region at a rural but relatively large airfield. I ran the car dead stock except for the K&N filter. Here are the results: http://iowaregionscca.org/results/2012/2012-06-03_Oskaloosa_pax.html. Note that our region does not have a roadtire pax modifier. So, I am being paxed based on the DS number, which assumes I am running DOT race compound tires.
Soon after, I went to my first Go-Kart track event with the car. I wanted to run it completely stock, but I had a problem with one of the stock tires at the last minute, and I ended up running the 19x10 wheels with the 285 RE-11's.
Here are those results: http://www.nqsperformance.com/Pages/Autocross2Results.aspx
The time was fairly strong right out of the box considering I was down 107 horsepower and had no suspension mods whatsoever.
A few weeks later, I ran with my SCCA region at a larger event. Again, my car was bone stock besides the filter. I went back to the stock wheels and tires.
http://iowaregionscca.org/results/2012/2012-06-24_Hawkeye_Tech_pax.html
Before the next gokart track event, I was able to switch out the struts and shocks. I have the crash bolts to adjust camber, but I still have not installed those. This time, I ran the stock wheels and tires with the Tokico/Koni ghetto dampers set up.
http://www.nqsperformance.com/Pages/Autocross3Results.aspx
As you can see, I slowed down a bit. Obviously, a complaint about all of my numbers is that there is no way to know how reliable they are. So, they might lead to spurious conclusions. What I can say from driving is that I had to work a lot harder to get the low time with those stock Pirelli P-zero's. My admiration for my friend with the Boss 302 grew. He was running really well considering the handicap of those tires.
Before the next gokart track event, I decided to get the RE-11's mounted on my stock rims. I know people are going to say they are way to wide for the 8.5 inch rim, and they probably are. But, the price for switching to the RE-11's was about 80 bucks for mounting and dismounting versus the 1500 bucks it might cost me to get Neova's or similar tires for it. I tend to run slow speed events as well. Thus, I decided to change the tires.
http://www.nqsperformance.com/Pages/Autocross4Results.aspx
I ran the car only 2 runs, and the times were exactly the same both times (though I took it conservative the first time and aggressive the second--go figure). The tires were clearly better than the P-zeros had been.
The very next day, I went to an event with the Iowa region SCCA
http://iowaregionscca.org/results/2012/2012-08-19_Hawkeye_Tech_pax.html
Again, there is no roadtire modifier, so the PAX time is assuming I was on Hoosiers or the like. I was fairly happy with my performance. The car was much better than me, but really all I have changed is the dampers, filter, and tires. The cars ahead of me are better prepped, and I can say that the drivers are better too. You might notice I beat the 2013 GT500 that was there that day. My friend joked that I needed to put this all over the internet, so I am. In fairness, the GT500 was very new to the owner, was completely stock (as far as I know), and I think it was driven by a person with less experience. Obviously, my car is not better than a GT500. The GT500 might have been hampered by the tight quality of the course as well.
This past weekend, I did my most recent event. I had planned to get the swaybar and camber bolts installed, but it has not happened yet. The results are not on the website yet. I can tell you that I ran a 1:20.96, which was my fastest time in the V6 all year. Not too shabby really. I believe that getting more negative camber is going to help the car. I am less sure about the sway bars. If I can get my hands on some Koni's for the front, I will probably do that.
When comparing my 2013 V6 with my 2011 GT, the pros for the GT have everything to do with the 5.0 engine. That thing is an amazing engine. It did well for me on the highway too where I averaged about 26mpg and saw as high as 28. Around town, the V8 was pretty thirsty, but I have to take some blame for that. The 0-60 in the GT is something to behold. I had a 2003 cobra with similar if not more horsepower, and there was something much smoother about the 5.0 versus the cobra engine.
The pros for my V6 include the improvements in the interior. It seems petty, but I hated the steering wheel in my base GT. My V6's steering wheel is so much nicer to have. The Recaro's are really nice. Initially, they cut into my 250 pound body, but the seats have succombed to my girth with time. They really do help in driving situations. Psychologically, they help because they make the V6 seem sportier. I think the Recaro's are worth it. The MPG with the V6 are clearly better around town (probably four to five mpg better). It is less impressive on the interstate where I get in the 27 to 28 range at 74, 28 to 29 range at 70. On back roads at 60 mph, the thing makes 32 mpg, which is cool. The gas mileage is not as great as I had hoped, but it is fine. Both mustangs are much better than my RX8 which had a tough time getting 20 mpg even on the highway. (The RX8 is a fabulous car, and I would count the gas mileage as the only real big issue I had with it besides the fact that I am generally a Mustang guy).
Well, that's it. Not sure anyone is going to care about this, but thought it might be of some interest. I am going to slot the struts and install the camber bolts. Not sure about doing the swaybar yet, but I will probably stick it on at the same time.
When the 2011's came out, I initially became very excited about the V6 model. In fact, I had sold my RX8 and waited for months to find a good deal on the V6 with a performance package. At one point, I was one phone call away from closing a deal on a black 2011 V6 PP, but the salesperson dropped the ball. By the time I had caught up with him, I found a 2011 Mustang GT for sale. It was December, and I got a smoking deal on the GT. The V6 was cheaper, but I couldn't turn down the GT's power. The GT was a completely base car, had less than 8k miles on it, and was purchased for less than 25k. I like autocrossing, and I knew this was the "wrong" car, but I decided it would be fun to try it in STU. I am not Sam Strano or anything (i.e., there are not any national championships hanging in the balance that would require me to have a GT with the Brembo package). In 2011, I started the year by simply buying some 19x10 inch rims and 285 RE-11's for the GT. I went all ebay except for the RE-11's, and eventually put on the wheels, tires, Ford Racing 1.5 inch lowering springs, FRPP sway bars front and back, adjustable panhard bar, Tokico struts in the front, and Koni shocks in the back all for less than 2000 bucks. The tires were the biggest chunk of that. Yes I know, it was a ghetto set up, but the parts were all never used and the resulting car was really fun to drive.
I ran the GT in SCCA autocrosses and a local time trial series at a go-kart track. At the SCCA events, I generally ranked in the top third in terms of PAX, but that was with the STU PAX number that killed me. STU is packed with Stievo's that are well prepped. My half-baked GT wouldn't have a chance in that company. Running in the go-kart track series, I did better partly because I did not have to worry about the PAX modifier but also because I know the track very well. I stink at slaloms, and there are no slaloms on the go-kart track. The go-kart track allows for some relative consistency in terms of expectations for performance. It is a fun little track, and it gave me a chance to see how it would do relative to other Mustangs, some subies, and a corvette or two. With the GT, I was running close in terms of times to a buddy of mine who has a 2012 Boss 302. The Boss was essentially stock, and the tires on it are certainly weaker than the RE-11's that were on my GT. My car was also lower in ride height and had better though mismatched shocks/struts. My car was more prepped than the Boss. The driver of the Boss is a better driver than me. He is a great guy, and he has consistently beaten me over the years. I believe I have beaten him twice in about 40 some odd events. The bottom line is that I was really happy with the way the Mustang GT was running overall.
This year, I came across a chance to purchase a 2012 V6 PP on clearance. I had come to the realization that the GT was going to require a lot of changes in order to be competitive in SCCA events. I could have gone ESP, but I have done that before (with a 2003 cobra) and I feared it would make the car less fun to run on the street. That is not to mention the fact that it would cost me a great deal of money to make it competitive in ESP. I had begun thinking it might be more fun to try a DS V6 mustang. So, I made a call on the clearance 2012, and essentially had to make the decision to buy it within a 2 hour window. For various reasons, that did not happen. I did the first Go-Kart track event this year in the GT (link here, I am number 23: http://www.nqsperformance.com/Pages/Autocross1Results.aspx). Soon after, I received a call from the dealership on a new 2013 PP V6 base with Recaro seats. They essentially offered me a deal that I could not turn down. I got more than I paid for the GT in trade, 1750 some odd bucks in rebates, and a price about 500 over invoice. This has made the car much more affordable than even the relatively cheap GT had been. As a plus, they let me keep all of the parts from the GT as they wanted it back to stock. Fair enough. That means I would have my struts, shocks, tires (albethey ill-fitting), and maybe swaybar already in hand.
My first event in the car was with my SCCA region at a rural but relatively large airfield. I ran the car dead stock except for the K&N filter. Here are the results: http://iowaregionscca.org/results/2012/2012-06-03_Oskaloosa_pax.html. Note that our region does not have a roadtire pax modifier. So, I am being paxed based on the DS number, which assumes I am running DOT race compound tires.
Soon after, I went to my first Go-Kart track event with the car. I wanted to run it completely stock, but I had a problem with one of the stock tires at the last minute, and I ended up running the 19x10 wheels with the 285 RE-11's.
Here are those results: http://www.nqsperformance.com/Pages/Autocross2Results.aspx
The time was fairly strong right out of the box considering I was down 107 horsepower and had no suspension mods whatsoever.
A few weeks later, I ran with my SCCA region at a larger event. Again, my car was bone stock besides the filter. I went back to the stock wheels and tires.
http://iowaregionscca.org/results/2012/2012-06-24_Hawkeye_Tech_pax.html
Before the next gokart track event, I was able to switch out the struts and shocks. I have the crash bolts to adjust camber, but I still have not installed those. This time, I ran the stock wheels and tires with the Tokico/Koni ghetto dampers set up.
http://www.nqsperformance.com/Pages/Autocross3Results.aspx
As you can see, I slowed down a bit. Obviously, a complaint about all of my numbers is that there is no way to know how reliable they are. So, they might lead to spurious conclusions. What I can say from driving is that I had to work a lot harder to get the low time with those stock Pirelli P-zero's. My admiration for my friend with the Boss 302 grew. He was running really well considering the handicap of those tires.
Before the next gokart track event, I decided to get the RE-11's mounted on my stock rims. I know people are going to say they are way to wide for the 8.5 inch rim, and they probably are. But, the price for switching to the RE-11's was about 80 bucks for mounting and dismounting versus the 1500 bucks it might cost me to get Neova's or similar tires for it. I tend to run slow speed events as well. Thus, I decided to change the tires.
http://www.nqsperformance.com/Pages/Autocross4Results.aspx
I ran the car only 2 runs, and the times were exactly the same both times (though I took it conservative the first time and aggressive the second--go figure). The tires were clearly better than the P-zeros had been.
The very next day, I went to an event with the Iowa region SCCA
http://iowaregionscca.org/results/2012/2012-08-19_Hawkeye_Tech_pax.html
Again, there is no roadtire modifier, so the PAX time is assuming I was on Hoosiers or the like. I was fairly happy with my performance. The car was much better than me, but really all I have changed is the dampers, filter, and tires. The cars ahead of me are better prepped, and I can say that the drivers are better too. You might notice I beat the 2013 GT500 that was there that day. My friend joked that I needed to put this all over the internet, so I am. In fairness, the GT500 was very new to the owner, was completely stock (as far as I know), and I think it was driven by a person with less experience. Obviously, my car is not better than a GT500. The GT500 might have been hampered by the tight quality of the course as well.
This past weekend, I did my most recent event. I had planned to get the swaybar and camber bolts installed, but it has not happened yet. The results are not on the website yet. I can tell you that I ran a 1:20.96, which was my fastest time in the V6 all year. Not too shabby really. I believe that getting more negative camber is going to help the car. I am less sure about the sway bars. If I can get my hands on some Koni's for the front, I will probably do that.
When comparing my 2013 V6 with my 2011 GT, the pros for the GT have everything to do with the 5.0 engine. That thing is an amazing engine. It did well for me on the highway too where I averaged about 26mpg and saw as high as 28. Around town, the V8 was pretty thirsty, but I have to take some blame for that. The 0-60 in the GT is something to behold. I had a 2003 cobra with similar if not more horsepower, and there was something much smoother about the 5.0 versus the cobra engine.
The pros for my V6 include the improvements in the interior. It seems petty, but I hated the steering wheel in my base GT. My V6's steering wheel is so much nicer to have. The Recaro's are really nice. Initially, they cut into my 250 pound body, but the seats have succombed to my girth with time. They really do help in driving situations. Psychologically, they help because they make the V6 seem sportier. I think the Recaro's are worth it. The MPG with the V6 are clearly better around town (probably four to five mpg better). It is less impressive on the interstate where I get in the 27 to 28 range at 74, 28 to 29 range at 70. On back roads at 60 mph, the thing makes 32 mpg, which is cool. The gas mileage is not as great as I had hoped, but it is fine. Both mustangs are much better than my RX8 which had a tough time getting 20 mpg even on the highway. (The RX8 is a fabulous car, and I would count the gas mileage as the only real big issue I had with it besides the fact that I am generally a Mustang guy).
Well, that's it. Not sure anyone is going to care about this, but thought it might be of some interest. I am going to slot the struts and install the camber bolts. Not sure about doing the swaybar yet, but I will probably stick it on at the same time.
Congrats on the new car though! Have you given any thought to where you plan on going with it in terms of mods and class? I don't think I could leave a Mustang stock now after modding mine! 
