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1996 Ford Mustang Kenne-Bell Cobra - 392HP - American Muscle Car - DC Sports NSX

Below is an enthusiast article written by the automotive experts at Motor Trend. A Supercharged 4.6-Liter Dohc Screamer

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IntelliChoice Value Rating

The chart above shows the purchase price versus ownership cost for each car from a specific vehicle class. The cars with better than average ownership cost/purchase price correlations are the best values, and these best value cars are represented by the dots below the curve. (i.e. the cars that have a lower ownership cost compared to its purchase price.) Those cars, which are worse than average or poor values, appear above the curve.

One way to view the graph is to draw a vertical line through any purchase price. You may see several dots that fall on this line - each of which is a car with a similar purchase price. However, notice the difference in ownership costs of each car represented by the vertical position of the dot. Two cars with the same purchase price can have thousands of dollars difference in ownership costs. This is what separates "good value" cars from "poor value" cars.

What is a good car value?

A "good car value" is one whose cost to own and operate is less than expected. The lower the cost to own and operate a car compared to what is expected, the better the value of that car.

But how do we know a car's "expected cost"?

For each car in the class, IntelliChoice plots the car's purchase price against the total five-year cost to own and operate it as determined by IntelliChoice research. Each dot on the above chart represents a specific car. Generally, we find that as the purchase price of the car increases, the cost to own and operate that car increases. This is why the dots on the graph tend to rise upward and to the right. This phenomenon also makes intuitive sense - as the purchase price rises, financing costs tend to rise, as do insurance, depreciation, taxes, and most other car ownership costs.

This is an important concept. It's normal for car ownership costs to rise as purchase price rises. Therefore, we can't just establish one "average" ownership cost number for each class, since cars in the class have different purchase prices. (This is why the "Relative" shown on each chart is different for cars in the same car class.)

Using statistical techniques, IntelliChoice "connects the dots" to form a curve that defines, for this car class, the relationship between the car's purchase price and car's ownership costs. This curve is our "expected cost" curve. The curve defines, for any car in the class, the five-year ownership cost that we would expect to see at each possible purchase price. If every car in the class were an average value, then all the dots would fall exactly on the curve. However, it's rare that any dot is exactly on the curve. Some dots are a little higher or lower, and some are a lot higher or lower. The dots that are a little lower are better than average car values, while the dots that are a lot lower are excellent car values (A dot that is a lot lower than the curve has ownership costs much lower than expected for a car of its purchase price). Conversely, a dot a little higher than the curve is a poorer than average car value, while a dot that is much higher than the curve is a poor car value.

Value is a relative term, not an absolute term. It is performing better than the logical expectation.

So is a Mercedes-Benz E320 expensive to own and operate? Certainly in an absolute sense. Most other cars cost less. But, when its cost to own and operate is plotted against cars with comparable invoice prices, the E320 costs less. So the E320 is not expensive to own and operate - it is a good car value. The Mercedes does not have low ownership costs, but it has low ownership costs for its invoice price.

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Article From Motor Trend Magazine

1996 Ford Mustang Kenne-Bell Cobra - 392HP

Article provided by: Motor Trend Magazine

For what would be considered a first-stage buildup of the 4.6-liter Cobra, the Kenne-Bell car elicited impure thoughts and encouraged mischievous behavior with alluring grace. For a modest investment, the next level of performance could be attained with the computer chip, headers, exhaust, and throttle body that are currently completing testing at Kenne-Bell's R&D facility.

Engine: 4.6-liter DOHC V-8Major engine modifications: Kenne-Bell WhipplechargerHorsepower @ rpm: 392 @ 6300 (est.)Torque, lb-ft @ rpm: 371 @ 5850 (est.)Transmission: Five-speed manualBrakes, f/r: Baer Racing Pro Race vented discs/vented discs, ABSWheels, in.: 17 x 8.0TSW Hockenheim RTires: 275/40ZR17 GS-C, GoodyearOther mods: Eibach springs, Global West camber platesModifications and labor: $10,000

DC Sports ACURA NSX - 338HPJapanese Exotic Turned Ninja WarriorAcura's performance warrior appeared to be threatened seriously by the megahorsepower monsters gathered at the Firebird Raceway for our cost-no-object performance test. Facing the likes of the venom-dripping Hennessey Viper with 2.8 times more displacement, and the megadollar supercharged Porsche, whose every spoiler and air intake screamed autobahn dominance, the Japanese exotic appeared to be the underdog from the start.

In the company of these hairy-chested competitors, the NSX shines as one of the only supercars in the world that can serve comfortably as a daily commuter by combining the finest race technology with the Accord's user-friendly nature. Thus, the DC Sports Honda/Acura tuning gurus had their work cut out for them when they began tackling the well-balanced NSX; the wrong combination of performance mods could reduce the exceptional mid-engined sports car to a mere race sled with a bone-jarring, soap-box-derby ride.

To achieve the next stage of performance evolution, the Darwinian technicians at DC Sports took a milder approach than some of the other companies at our gathering. Led by twin brothers Darrell and Darrick Contreras, DC Sports' power-hungry scientists kept the stock 3.0-liter V-6's displacement intact and didn't mutate the species with turbos or nitrous oxide. Instead, they developed an array of bolt-on components and machining techniques to aid the NSX in achieving its genetic potential. For better breathing and much-needed torque increase, DC Sports fitted stainless-steel headers to the aluminum engine, which in turn feeds into a free-flowing exhaust system finished with a pair of cavernous four-inch tips-large enough for small forest animals to call home.

By installing modified VTEC camshafts, DC Sports was able to increase the amount of time the valves remain open, increasing the flow of the air-fuel mixture and consequently increasing the power output. To make further gains, the throttle body was bored from 64 to 67 millimeters, and both the intake manifold and cylinder heads were port-matched and polished by hand, a tried-and-true hot rodder's trick to improve engine efficiency. Continuing on the intake side, the fuel injectors were modified for increased flow, as was the air box, which now houses a nonrestrictive air filter. Because this car was being built for daily driving, albeit to outrun Yakuza hitmen, the stock oil-pump gears were replaced with heavy-duty gears that increase the oil volume and improve reliability. Once the labor-intensive engine work was complete, its oil was drained and replaced with Motul synthetic racing oil. And for good measure, the stock 4.05:1 ring and pinion was replaced with a more aggressive 4.55:1 gearset guaranteed to wake this warrior like a hearty tug on a topknot.

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