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Stock srt-4 vs stock svtf

5K views 43 replies 21 participants last post by  WitchCitySVT 
#1 ·
Ok here is the down low both cars are bone stock except I have cross drilled and slotted rotors with green stuff brake pads. My buddy wants to challenge me to a auto-x race.I was talking smack about his cars handeling because he kept calling me slow. it will be the first time on an auto-x track for both of us. So guys did I just stick my foot in my mouth or should I be able to take him? Will we even be put in the same class? Sometimes I just get tired of having to defend the well roundedness of my SVTF.
 
#2 ·
there's a good chance you'll lose. They handle pretty well...not as well as a SVT, but good none the less.

apples and oranges..people dont buy an srt for well roundedness, lol...they want the loud, the obvious and the straightline acceleration for a amazing price.
 
#4 ·
tec-9-7 said:
The driver is the single biggest factor in auto-cross. I will say though, that I've driven an SRT-4, and it's no slouch in the handling department in stock form.
I've driven his car and then got back in mine and though I felt like my car had no power ,the neon did not compare in handeling. He admits this too, but he say his car handels well enough with the increase of power that it will school me. He is my friend and there is no anamosity between us we just want to find out. We even considerd having a friend of ours who races in scca road events drive both cars through the course. We aren't trying to see who is the better driver we want to see who has the better auto-x car.
 
#5 ·
The SVT is a very well-balanced package overall - the SRT scores very well in that after the 1st year, they all came with a factory LSD, so they do a pretty fair job of putting the power to the ground. If you've got a mutual friend w/ some decent seat time, let him run the cars through an auto-x course 5 times each; toss the fastest and slowest times, then average the other three. That should give you a decent indication. It's worth noting tho that even if the SRT were to prove faster, your friend may well tell you that the SVT was EASIER to achieve fast times with.
 
#8 ·
if hes a good driver, he will probably win. Even though SVTF's do handle better, SRT-4's still handle very well and that combined with the obvious power difference, a good chance he will win.
 
#12 ·
i'd say they're about even, maybe he has the slight advantage, keep in mind if he sucks a a driver, then it won't matter, after all, i beat a porsche at my first auto-x, just hope you're a god driver
 
#14 ·
The only time that I have ever been beaten was by a tuned ACR (250+ whp), on slicks, with a driver that had already had 5 years under his belt when I had 1.5. Really hasn't gotten close since, and that same car is usually 2+ seconds behind me, regardless of the track design. (Now a little over 3 years)

I got kicked around by a Buick and a diesel Rabbit when I started though, so the car barely even matters without driving experience.

My experience with driving an SRT was on a test drive when they first came out. I was impressed by the power, but I was expecting that. I came upon a twisty that would hardly even give me trouble in the SVTF, but seemed to seriously confuse the SRT-4. My first thought was honestly, "This thing handles like a milk truck!" Lots of body lean, not much front-end communication. The way it floats around especially would hamper it on course with quick transitions. It simply has a much harder time getting it's balance back before being able to get into the next manouver.

I will use one particular example. Another FFer (Venom713 I believe) came out to our last couple events with an SRT-4 owning buddy who had been saying the same kind of things. 3 days after the second event he told me that same buddy was trading his tuned SRT-4 in on an SVTF. What does that tell you?

The SRT-4 is a good street car, would be a decent open-track car, and is a great car for sport compact drag racing. It simply doesn't compete at the same level as the SVTF on the AutoX course though.
 
#16 ·
Carrera26 said:
The SRT-4 is a good street car, would be a decent open-track car, and is a great car for sport compact drag racing. It simply doesn't compete at the same level as the SVTF on the AutoX course though.
i dont know the scca rules so i appologize in advance if this is a stupid question...but cant u put some coilovers, front & rear strut bars, bigger front & rear sway bars...maybe some better bushings and stiffer mounts and have the srt be a much better handling car?
 
#17 ·
old_grendel said:
i dont know the scca rules so i appologize in advance if this is a stupid question...but cant u put some coilovers, front & rear strut bars, bigger front & rear sway bars...maybe some better bushings and stiffer mounts and have the srt be a much better handling car?
Yes of course you can but if im not mistaking it will put you in a different class.
 
#20 ·
Allowable mods in stock class;

Dampers (shocks 'n struts)
Any tires
Wheels of the same dimension
Small wear items (filter elements, brake pads, battery, etc.)
Cat-back exhaust

Yes you can add all those things to an SRT-4 to make it faster, but you could say the same thing about the Focus as well...
 
#22 ·
Well my best friend Still has his SRT-4... he was giong to trade his in but the Car Dealer he was working with, well, was a huge prick and wouldnt budge off of the Price.

But... Upon my first AutoX race i ended up beating my friend by alittle over 3 seconds. I've drive'n his car alot and done alot of comparison driving... Straits, turns, twisty's and braking...

Straits. If you ever get the chance to drive a SRT-4 and try and drag it you will realize that its a very hard car to get off the line fast. First gear is VERY short, leaving you to shift at 30mph. Basicaly your roasting your tires through first. In my SVT I can get about a car and half lead on him out of first, and by the end of second he's about a wheel infront of me... you cant make up for Turbo Power...

Turns... When giving the SRT-4 throttle around a turn, MAJOR understeer... Unlike with the focus it seems more to stick... The SVT has body roll, but the SRT-4 has alot more body roll.

Twisty's... In the SVT its quite easy to take highspeed rights, and lefts... The SRT-4 its alot harder because it just has so much more body roll. also Noted, the SRT-4's Tires come standard as 205's. More power, more weight, less rubber.

Brakes... Even though Both cars have very very amazing brakes, the SVT seems to feel more solid when Brakeing hard.

Thats my 2 cents from a guy thats able to have the opertunity to drive both cars alot.
 
#23 ·
^^^Will the both of you be coming up to Waterloo on the 20th? I know that you were pretty sure, but life can throw some curves at you, just found out tht I will be able to go again after being scheduled for a work trip to LA last week...
 
#24 ·
I was going to ask what tires both of you were running, but with it being you and his first autocross, that really won't make or break the advantages. Just be smooth starting out and work on progressively becoming faster while learning the course. Overpowering the course and pushing the car will not garner you a faster time. Pay attention to what your tires are telling you. If you're screeching, try it again slower next time and slowly add more throttle while continuing through a turn.

The SVT can hands down beat the SRT-4 on almost any course. You've got the car, but you just have to slowly learn the skill.

I get my butt kicked by a fully-prepped Neon ACR (note: not SRT-4 ACR) all the time. Now that's a good challenger.
 
#25 ·
wait... so what your saying is a Neon ACR is actually better at autoX then a SRT-4? and what do you mean about fully prepped, bolt ons and sutch, or just an experienced driver?
 
#26 ·
so many freaking variables.

if the track has longer straights and some decent sweepers, you might be stroked car to car.

In my opinion, go to the first autoX event, and drive YOUR car. not against your friend, but against yourself and the track. Chances are, he'll be driving against you, and trying so hard to beat you, he'll DNF and shit. so regardless of faster car etc, you can be the faster driver. that's where the REAL bragging rights are. anyone can run themselves in debt for a fast car. this is the reason i don't personally care for the 1/4.

good luck.
 
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