Well 2 factors really. The trick intake and adjustable cam timing cause problem in modding the SVT. That and the Zetec has a much bigger and more in depth aftermarket support.

 

in a straight line the getrag really makes the svt seem slower than it is. its not a drag racing tranny.

since they are the same platform, either one can own up on the other all day with the right mods. not too much of a difference in what you can do with them.

 

if ne of you have bought the latest focus fanatics magazine it shows how lame the gains are with after market parts with the svt...like intake and tb and udp, and sparkplugs stuff liek that...with simple mods the zetec can outrun the svt, seems the svt is overrated a bit.

 

Ummmm........ No! The SVT is definitely not overrated.

 

Euro got it right, the main reason you see the modded zx3s whooping up on svt's is because of the transmission. the svt is NOT geared for straight line acclereation. put that same modded zx3 against the svt in an autox, the zx3 will have his a** handed to him. it's all in the gearing. the dual stage manifold on the svt and the variable cam timing offer more potential for naturally aspirated applications than the zx3 parts, but due to the higher compression of the svt, you can't run a lot of boost on pump gas, which is why the zx3 typically sees more power with FI. but put some low compression pistons in an svt, put in a better manifold for FI (use a standard mani), slap a turbo on there, and tune the hell out of it, and it'll show much better numbers than the zx3 due to the VCT and higher redline.

 

What, specifically, would be the simple mods necessary for an otherwise stock ZX3 to "outrun" an SVT? In what kind of race?

It seems to me that a lot of the benefit to owning an SVTF is in the fact that it is, more or less, a factory tuner car.

IMO, the SVTF is cool because it comes from the factory with all the mods it needs to be a fun and reasonably quick car already done, along with a leather interior, six speed, some cosmetic doo-dads, bigger wheels, and so forth. The SVTF has a lot of the "custom" touches that you or I might do to our normal Foci already done, and covered by a warranty. It's like a turn-key tuner car, that you can drive without praying to the god of Ford that your header won't crack or that your CAI won't hydrolock your engine going through that puddle.

I take pride in my car, because I did all the modifications with my two hands, a wrench, and some WD40, but if you're just going to pay someone to do the mods, or don't care who does them, the SVTF is an attractive option.

My 2 cents on the subject. []

 

An SVT has just about everything anybody would need for racing. It could use some more power, but it has the looks, handles great, and stops in a much shorter distance (no brake fade too) than a non-SVT.

There is much more to outperforming the SVT than straight line acceleration...

 

And therein lies the challenge....to the vast majority of people who are passionate about the performance of their Focus, there is no more important factor than straight line acceleration...especially if there happens to be another vehicle in the vicinity with whom the acceleration can be compared.

I'm in agreement with the majority of responders in this thread....there ultimately is more potential in the more modern and complex setup used in the SVT Focus, however because of limited numbers the aftermarket will never produce parts to take special advantage.

There is much more to outperforming the SVT than straight line acceleration...

 

cool guys, good responses...i think i got a better handle on things now