Ford Focus Vs. Lamborghini Gallardo - Page 3

bleh · 07-30-04, 06:36 PM

there is no doubt in my mind that the focus will handle well. from what i have read in most magazines the normal focus was set up pretty nicely and if someone had decided to through on some 600+ lb/in springs on there with a balanced sway bar set up then it would work wonders.

now for my complaints and compliments with the tranny:

1st gear tops at 44 making traction much more managable by spreading such large amounts of torque out.

2nd gear tops at 66 good for 0-60 times, another kudos

3rd...96

4th takes you to 129, which should be a little more than enough in the quarter mile.(i speculated so it could be much more than enough or hitting it right on the mark)

then the big mistake: 5th gear tops out at 204.

for anyone on who wants to pass 130mph. the shift from 4th to 5th brings you further down in rpms than the shift from 1st to 2nd.(1st-2nd=4700 while 4th-5th=4400). it really is almost like the 5th gear was completely removed...

this makes me want to see the torque curve cus now i wonder if it can even make it to the top of 5th

qramos · 07-30-04, 07:27 PM

Your numbers up until 5th seem to make sense. But if you are right about 5th, what were they thinking! THere is no way that cammer motor can push that tub against the wind hard enough to get it to 205. NO WAY!!! However, MT states that the top gear RPM @60 is 2750 RPM. According to my math, the top speed turns out to be 152.7 mph. That makes more sense considering that my engine is revving @ about 7000 at 130 mph in final gear (3rd) with a 4.10 rear end.

bleh · 07-31-04, 05:27 AM

i am FAR too lazy to calculate all that by myself. i used a gear ratio/mph calculator: http://bob123e.tripod.com/askbob/Gea...Calculator.htm

i just plugged in the numbers and if you do click it, there are a few ads and some of his scripts are kinda funny on ie, like i have to open a new window every time i want to calculate new numbers.

the numbers mt gave seem much more streetable though and make much more sense....

im starting to think you are right and that there is a torque conversion somewhere that i am totally missing, also i think that calculator is ment for integra type r's

bleh · 07-31-04, 05:54 AM

if 5th tops at 153 then that means the other gears would be significantly lower also...(sorry guys this is jared's 1am, after a long day at work math)
1st gear would be in the around the mid 30s
2nd in the low 50s(bad for the 0-60)
3rd in the low 70s
4th in the mid 90s
and 5th like you said....152.7....but that is still a very large jump.... and a very oddly made transmission....those weirdos....

LateNightCable · 07-31-04, 10:58 PM

Ford is funny in that way, the Mustang for example has a long history of 5-speeds, when it could have used a 6. A T-56 probably would have been a good thing to use, but maybe they like the old-school simplicity of one less gear, or maybe in the case of the Focus RS8, they just used what they had laying around, it is just an experimental project afterall.

qramos · 08-01-04, 06:22 AM

Weird indeed. I agree that the only logical explanation is that they really didn't plan it out. THey just used what they had laying around as LNC said. That would explain the huge jump: basically fuel economy on a stock vehicle. With gearing that low, that would be one annoying, twitchy thing to drive on the street. You'd be shifting like you were paddling the car forward with the stick.

If there is one thing I decidedly don't like about the Focus is the gearing. I know what short gearing is like. SOme think its more fun. But I don't think its much fun if you are stuck in traffic, of just taking you wife on a cruise. That is another thing I totally prefer about the Lambo; its spouse compatible. Looks good, and rides nice if you want it to, so they like it too. And also, since you are shifting at a more relaxed pace, thats one less excuse they have to tell you you are driving too fast.

I give that round to the lambo.

thepolarfoxqx · 08-06-04, 07:56 PM

The cobra uses the T-56, the reason they've stuck to T-5s, T-3550s and T-3850s on the mustangs is money. Ford has always gone all out on their one off concept cars, like the GT90.

skyline_r34v · 08-07-04, 01:19 AM

The GT90 is a work of art. Such a damn shame to have it only as a concept car and not a production vehicle. I believe i'd take it over a Ford GT anyday.

thepolarfoxqx · 08-07-04, 04:43 AM

Uh, for what it would cost to build that, you wouldn't be choosing between a GT and GT90, it would be "Do I want the enzo or the ford GT90", It was a cosworth V12 (as in the one aston uses) with 4 turbos, all aluminum space frame, it was cutting edge and totally flew.

LateNightCable · 08-07-04, 07:34 PM

It could have flown, but the GT90 was a pure concept car, there is no other word for it, because it was hardly road ready. It was rough, and because of it's touchy and experimental nature was not all that friendly to high speeds either.