Simple Superhero Suspension

Believe it or not, those Ford engineers knew what they were doing when they designed the SN-95s. The slight increase in wheelbase and multiple chassis improvements made these cars the best-handling Mustangs to date. When combined with a PI-headed '99-and-up 4.6-liter powerplant, the GT is a fun ride on an autocross or road course. However, Ford's desire to keep the GT economical and inoffensive to the masses leaves the car lacking in the grip department, and it could also benefit from reduced body roll.

The simplest way to increase grip in any car is to add a set of stickier and wider tires. The '99 GT in this equation was one of the unfortunate ones to receive the base 16x7-inch wheels and 225/55HR16 all-season tires. This does not provide a large contact patch, and greatly reduces the braking and cornering capabilities. To fix this problem, BFGoodrich supplied us with a set of 265/40ZR18s that were obviously a lot wider. In addition, the KD model provides a much more aggressive asymmetric tread pattern, an AA traction rating, and a 200 treadwear, so you can bet they're a lot stickier.

Of course, every great pair of shoes needs feet to put them on, and the stock 16s definitely weren't cutting it. A set of rims can make or break a car, and with stock 16s this GT was in sorry shape, easily mistaken for a V-6. But a healthy set of 18s can change all that. Meanwhile, the car's black paint presented the perfect opportunity for that "pimperish" monochromatic look. Privat Wheels (a subsidiary of Konig) came through with the perfect match, the 18x9.5-inch Profil. Its optional high-gloss black spokes, mirror machined lip, and chrome rivet retainers are as high class as it gets. It's like drinking Bud Light from a glass.

Speaking of high class, for the springs and shocks we turned to our good friends at Tokico, which kicked in a set of the brand-new D-Spec shocks and struts. These newly designed units have a much wider range of adjustment than previous models, better lending themselves to cars such as this GT that would be seeing time on the dragstrip as well as the road course and in autocross competition. Similarly, the springs would provide a substantially lower ride height and improve handling without significantly reducing ride quality.

Unfortunately, on the dragstrip we would have two strikes against us with this new combo. First, the desire for a thicker sidewall (for a softer ride) increased the overall diameter of the tire by about 1/2 inch, which would kill some of the stock 3.27 gear ratio. Secondly, no matter how light a top-quality company like Privat makes its wheels, they may still be heavier than the tiny stockers, thereby increasing unsprung weight and rotational mass. The increase in grip, how-ever, should easily offset these disadvan-tages. Even with the completely stock motor and exhaust, it didn't take much to break loose the narrow all-season tires, so it would definitely be an interesting experiment.