Hey Guys,
Had the dinner with the PVO boys last night, and I have some disappointing news. I didn't get most of the answers to your questions, as I presumed. They were pretty strict about not divulging any information that was press sensitive. It seems that the press will get the car soon, and then there will be a steady flow of information. Interestingly, John Coletti was there as well, and the look on his face during some of the conversations was a tell tale sign he has some work to do.
Having said that, here's some information that I did get, and my impression (sorry if this is old news):
There were a few goals and objectives of the SRT10:
0-100-0 equal to or better than the original 427 Shelby Cobra (13.2 seconds I believe), 0-60 in under 4.0 (goal for GEN I was 4.5)
60 - 0 in 100ft or less
1.0G continuous lateral acceleration
Lower weight (100lbs or 1 class)
Improved interior comfort (Better top that doesn't leak (they made quite a few jokes about the current soft top); Functional A/C (current one is full hot or full cold); Better Audio; dead pedal.
Better brakes
Make money doing it (emphasized by Wolfgang)
They said this list was derived from interviews with the VCA and various enthusiasts, so if you disagree, you didn't speak loud enough I guess.
To accomplish the above, here's what they did (in no particular order):
Extensive use of magnesium. The SRT has the largest 1-piece stamped mg panel in production. The dash support panel and part of the rear bulkhead I believe is mg. Also the top support and some misc. chassis pieces. There are also some carbon fiber panels in the engine compartment. Total weight save over GEN II is 100lbs, with a larger vehicle and more content.
The door glass is a smart glass system. It will travel down 1/8" approx when the door is opened and closed to support the 'U' channel top sealing strategy (like the XK8 convertible).
There is a built in Battery life extender for people who enjoy Garage Queens
Both driving lights (high and low) are true HID
6 disc in dash CD with 7 channel amp (8 speakers total)
Fully adjustable pedals with adjustable dead pedal
Flat blade wipers (looked hi-tec)
SRT is 2" wider and 2.5" longer than the GEN II. The biggest reason for the length is the convertible top. It makes the top more functional and stable.
Extensive CAE and FEA done on the chassis which resulted in a 31% increase in torsional stiffness without adding any weight.
7% reduced drag
200MPH rated run flat tires (19" rear, 18" front)
20% larger front calipers and rotors. Larger rear calipers and rotors as well (don't know how much exactly)
Enhanced ABS with an electronic proportioning valve
Aluminum 2 row (52mm) radiator with a 2.5kw Hydraulic cooling fan! Radiator top water temp reduced by 10 degrees. Fan motor supported by power steering pump.
Exhaust was wild. Biscuits in front (after collector) and mufflers/cats in the very rear (in the valence). Though it has side exhaust, the pipes actually run to the rear of the car, with a crossover or balance tube, and then back to the side. Might make for an expensive aftermarket cat-back.
Cracked Steel rods in the engine
Road race type oil pan
Injection molded gaskets
Roller rockers
1999 spec cam (better HP with the new heads)
Single, dual bore throttle body (improved velocity for better drivability and 'torque smoothing')
Torque range is 1600 rpm to 5600 rpm
Actual HP and Torque couldn't be revealed, but I did see a graph with out detailed axis number. However, from eyeballing it HP looks like it is at about 505 or so, and torque at about 510 to 515 at least.
Same tremec 6 speed trans
Heat treated gear set with a single piece counter shaft
Dana 44 Spread bearing diff
Heavy Duty CV joints
A few more comments:
When asked about the GTS, the reply was "we are building 25 competition coupes for race purposes"
The engine will be built at CAAP along side the car.
DCX has employed a technique called 'Panel net build strategy' to assemble the car. From what I understand, they basically use body and chassis parts to align the next operation instead of using fixtures. They said 'no more shimming' and 'much improved fit and finish'
No comment on colors, sorry
PVO said they thought they hit a home run with everyone but the VCA. The claimed that the VCA simply loved the GEN I and II cars so much, no change in looks would have been well received. They felt that the styling would grow on us, especially after we get a chance to drive the car and witness it's performance.
DISCLAIMER: This is all from memory, so I'm hoping I have it all correct. If not, I apologize.
My impression:
From a styling perspective, I didn't like the car. Too refined. Funky panel lines, rear was best described by another engineer as "camaro-ish", exposed top looked odd, sill panel looked out of place, especially with the vents at the hood marriage. Hood was dreadful compared to GEN II. You can tell that the car is longer and wider. Wheel wells are much better filled, and the some of the interior and exterior trim pieces look odd (grille over A/C air intake). Rear diffuser looked cool, but not good enough to improve the overall look from behind. Tach is larger and centered, and the speaker arrangement was intriguing. Stainless bezels around the radio and A/C head would have looked cool. The bezels around the gages are 100% metal with real Allen screws (for the price, they should be).
My Conclusion: From an engineering perspective, this is one hell of a car; from a Sports Car performance perspective, this is one HELL OF A CAR. The question then becomes can you get past the 'mature' looks (mature was used by PVO in describing the styling change, the better A/C etc). For 10G more than the 2002 (rumor, not a quote from PVO), you must decide for yourself.
Cheers.
