Herrod XR8 Vs. GTS LSA

[defective]

Come on, it's a bloody conspiracy, we all know it!

[4Vman]

It's all an illusion, they're really rotarys....

[Franco Cozzo]

Horrible horrible engines, they sound like 500 whipper snippers on methamphetamines.

[dash gt]

For me it just doesn't add up.

[VZTRT]

Did they have stock cars to compare against?

[Lynton]

Yes it is very hard to compare figures without stock cars to run in the same conditions with the same drivers etc. As we all know as you get into the upper levels of performance larger amounts of money are required for smaller gains in performance. Had a stock car run .5 seconds slower in the same conditions then people would be stating that is probably a reasonable result.

[WASP]

Before commenting and in fairness to participants of this comparison I will disclose I have not read the article yet, therefore do not have all the information at hand.

Based on that comparison above the value proposition of upgraded kit on the GTS does appears marginal. At least however it still has factory warranty and its resale cost being a GTS would be only marginally impacted by the upgrade, even possibly enhanced being Walkinshaw. As for the XR8 you have now spent an additional $27k on a $52k vehicle when new. That's now $80k spent on a car without drive train warranty. Being an XR8, and the last of its breed it is potentially worth less as a future collectible than as an aftermarket modified example...unfortunately. Now if these upgrades where made as an official Ford Racing (or Ford Performance) enhancements backed by Ford then we maybe talking a VERY different story.

In relation to the XR8 being manual I don't see this as been a very valid reason to explain the times. Manuals aren't typically as fast as auto's in a straight line sprint but there not that much in it. Rather than comparing the modified XR8 to the 507, I'm concerned more with how it has performed overall as a package. I don't know what has done intercooler wise to this XR8, but what I do know is if you spin the supercharger harder (more boost) its going to get hotter faster if the intercooler system either isn't there, or not working effectively to manage intake temps. The extra heat soak created is going to prove counter productive very quickly under track conditions and this will impact terminal speed. People tend to forget FPV invested millions testing to find the optimal balance for performance consistency and durability with the package we have now.

What is not clear is why the factory 335 engine was rebuilt as part of this package upgrade. The internals of the Miami are up for a small increase in boost to achieve that power level (370 - 380rwkw). I'm even tempted to think that if they left the engine tune standard, but added a Herrod cat back exhaust, brakes, suspension and wheels the thing may have actually responded better plus the kit cost would have halved. Not to mention the factory drive-train warranty would remain in tack as an added bonus.

To be fair to both Herrod and Walkinshaw I'm sure if you drove either vehicle back to back on the street with their stock counter parts there would be a very notable difference, much more so with the XR8. The times in this comparison don't show it but the seat of your paints feeling I bet would tell a very different story. In my mind something isn't quite right to produce those results, but I don't think its just because the XR8 was a manual. The XR8 should be better, and much faster than standard in just about every situation imaginable with the possible exception of fuel consumption.

I look forward to reading the article where it may shed more light on some of the questions/concerns raised in this thread.