Also, we wish there was a center armrest for interstate cruising. The cupholders are no good at holding drinks when driving anywhere near as quickly as the Contour SVT wants to go. There are few items that we can complain about. Watch that rev limiter though, because the Contour SVT never feels like it's ready to give up as you rip through the gears on your way to a top speed of 143 mph. The engine revs freely, accompanied by a throaty growl that pastes a big grin on the driver's face. This car filters out road imperfections without disrupting the finer points of communication between car and driver. Impact harshness is not a term one can associate with a Contour SVT. Grip is extraordinary, and the ride is sensational.
In terms of driving dynamics, the Contour SVT is one hell of a car. The braking system is still sourced from the Europe-only Ford Mondeo, and it features 10.94-inch vented front discs that help the Contour SVT slam to a stop from 60 mph in 134 feet, according to Ford testing. This translates to a somewhat unimpressive Ford-tested 0-60 time of 7.9 seconds, but the fun in running the Contour SVT to redline is in the mellifluous engine note, not sheer acceleration. The engine, a massaged 2.5-liter Duratec V6 that benefits from Extrude Hone Powerflow technology (a process that polishes the upper intake manifold plenum, intake runners and secondary intake ports with a gritty putty-like substance to improve airflow), still makes 195 horsepower at 6,625 rpm and 165 pound-feet of torque at 5,625 rpm. Headlining the SVT's list of goodies is the sweet V6 under the new hood. They can thank Ford's Special Vehicle Team for crafting the Contour SVT, which can embarrass more than a few sports coupe owners in the stop light drags or in a run through the twisties.
Ford's fast and agile SVT Contour should sate their appetite for a lively sport sedan while allowing them to buy something made in the good old U.S.A. We've got good news for driving enthusiasts that would love a German sport sedan but have two things holding them back: cost and patriotic leanings.
0 kommentar(er)
