65 Roadster Mark 3 Performance

65 Roadster Mark 3 / Type 65 Coupe / Challenge Series Racer/ GTM Supercar/ Spyder GT

Performance

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Let’s examine the actual tested performance numbers for some of the world’s fastest cars and compare them to three sample Factory Five cars. First let’s accurately describe the FFR cars that were tested.

FFR Mk3 Roadster, Street

This car belongs to FFR engineer Dave Riha. The car was tested with a 348 hp (dyno’d 298 at rear wheels) 302 cu in V-8 donor Mustang motor that was hot-rodded with alum heads, cam, intake, etc. The car runs a 3-link rear suspension with 3.55 rear gears and stock Mustang brakes. Dave built his own car and spent $32,109 on all parts, paint etc. The car was tested on street tires (B.F. Goodrich G-Force T/A’s) by Car & Driver magazine in July 2004 issue.

FFR Type 65 Coupe

This car was built by the engineers at FFR and was assembled for cost of $33,500 (at retail cost, parts and labor est. $40,000). The car was powered by a 392 cu in stroked 351 windsor Ford V8 that produced approximately 445 hp (390 hp at rear wheel). The car runs an IRS w/3.27 gears. The Coupe had a standard body and was tested with race tires in the November 2000 issue of Car & Driver magazine.

FFR Spec Racer (Challenge Series Car)

This car was built according to the strict racing rules and specifications that govern the FFR-NASA Challenge Series races. The car runs a 1992 Mustang engine rated at 225 hp that drives the stock t-5 transmission and 2.73 gears. The car was tested on Hoosier R3S03 DOT legal tires by Car & Driver magazine in its November 2000 issue.

People find it difficult to believe the actual performance numbers that we produce every day. In the world of bench racers and big talkers, our cars have laid down verified times at track events and during magazine tests. We’ve proven and refined our designs with countless hours at the racetrack and on the street. The real world performance of our cars boils down to some very simple facts. A rigid chassis, low vehicle weight, good balance, and modest horsepower all combine to deliver world class speed and handling that equals or exceeds the world’s finest Supercars.

The following chart includes data from Road and Track, Car & Driver and Motor Trend magazines. With so many performance criteria we simply listed the cars below based on 0-60 mph times. Here’s how the car you build will stack up to the best in the world…

*Vehicle*	*Tested Price*	Hp	*0-60 mph*	*1/4 mile*	*1/4 @ mph*	*Lat G's*	*Magazine/Source*
2004 Ferrari Enzo	659,430	650	3.3	11.2	133	1.05	Car & Driver 07/04
Factory Five Roadster Street	32,109	348	3.6	12.3	113	1.00	Car & Driver 07/04
Factory Five Type 65 Coupe	40,000	445	3.6	11.9	119	1.04	Car & Driver 11/00
2004 Porsche Carrera GT	440,000	605	3.6	11.3	131	0.99	Road & Track 7/04
2004 Ford GT	150,525	500	3.8	12.2	119	0.99	Road & Track 7/04
2003 Dodge Viper SRT-10	85,109	500	3.9	12.1	119	1.00	Car & Driver 07/04
2004 Porsche 911 Turbo	118,365	415	4.0	12.4	115	0.96	Road & Track 7/04
2004 Ferrari Modena 360	169,600	395	4.3	12.8	112	0.98	Road & Track 7/04
2001 Chevrolet C5 Corvette	54,239	350	4.5	13.1	103	0.92	Car & Driver 07/04
2004 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra	34,750	325	4.6	12.9	106	0.85	Car & Driver 07/04
Factory Five Challenge Series	23,500	225	4.8	13.6	99	1.01	Car & Driver 11/00
2003 BMW M3 Coupe	50,270	335	4.8	13.6	99	0.91	Car & Driver 07/04
2004 Porsche 911 Carrera	78,805	320	4.9	13.4	105	0.91	Road & Track 7/04
2004 Acura NSX	89,000	290	5.0	13.4	105	0.86	Road & Track 7/04

Observations, 0-60 mph and ¼ mile

Zero to sixty mph is a contest of rear traction and horsepower to weight ratio. All three FFR cars are exceptional. A simple 300 rear wheel horsepower in a 2,100 lb FFR means that you will run 0-60 as fast or faster than any car on the planet. The numbers show why FFR cars rule at any stoplight. Both the street car of Dave Riha’s and the Coupe will flat out smoke any sports car on the street. It’ll take the $650,000 Enzo Ferrari to beat you, and that’s by a mere three tenths of a second!

The FFR roadster and Coupe simply spank a Dodge Viper, a 911 turbo, and a Ferrari Modena in this contest. Even the mighty Ford GT is running a few clicks behind! When it comes to the rest of the cars, from Corvettes to BMW’s it’s not even close. Even our stock Mustang 5.0 powered 225 hp spec racer (Challenge Series) is lightning quick. The Challenge car runs ahead of a 911 Porsche Carrera and a BMW M3!

The quarter mile starts to tell the horsepower story. Cars that we beat-up on 0-60 start to build up a head of steam and pull closer (but not ahead). The Coupe is bested only by the Enzo and the Porsche GT through the timing lights. The roadster gets nipped by those two and runs almost dead even with the 500 hp Viper and Ford GT.

With a power to weight ratio that can be as low as 3.5 lbs. per horsepower, the FFR cars are all capable of sub ten second ¼ mile passes. Fastest FFR ET’s to date have included a 10.380 sec effort by Greg “the wheelie man” LaPoint, at the 1998 Run and Gun Replica Nationals. The all-time champion so far has been Kansas City’s own Don Gibson who put his FFR roadster through the traps at an amazing 9.96 seconds!

We’ve done several things to make our cars the all-time fastest 0-60 mph machines. The combination of an extremely rigid chassis, a rearward positioned engine, and the utilization of the tough Traction LOKÔ Ford 8.8” rear end with anti-squat is unbeatable. The bottom line is that for many of us, driving a car like this means that no matter what lines up next to you, you’re faster. The kit is capable of unbelievable acceleration. With this foundation to build on, your 0-60 numbers will really be a direct function of the horsepower, torque, gearing, driver and tires (traction).

Road Holding/Lateral G’s

This part of the story is rarely told and one of the most significant measurements of a cars’ handling and performance. The FFR cars tested ALL ran at 1.0G or more! Read back through the last 25 years of Car & Driver and you won’t find but a handful of cars that can do this on street tires. The FFR roadster owned by Dave Riha turned an unbelievable 1.0 G with stock street tires! The only cars on the planet that can do this are cars like the Ferrari Enzo, The Porsche GT and the Ford GT. The Saleen S-7 posted a similar impressive number. The Coupe blows everyone away with a 1.05G number (race tires) and the Spec Racer comes in with a clean 1.01 on DOT tires!

What does this mean? It means that all three FFR cars turn faster than they falls thru the air! It means that on a track or a twisty section of road you will hold a line that others in lesser cars like a Porsche 911 (0.91G) will not be able to hold. These numbers are borne out and proven by the staggering number of autocross wins FFR customers have racked up over the years, besting high-end production cars on a regular basis.

60-0 mph Braking

The drivers of FFR Challenge Series cars (mandated to use stock Mustang brakes with rear discs) all report the ability to out-brake almost any car on the track (for sure any production cars). The magazine tests of braking were done in different distances for different magazines (Car and Driver 70-0, Road and Track 60-0, etc). In a recent Car & Driver review the braking for the roadster was on par only with that of a Mustang SVT Cobra. We chalked that up to magazine tester simply not warming up the racing pads on the brakes since we’ve routinely accomplished 60-0 distances of about 120 feet.

The car weighs about 2,000 lbs. so you can imagine that braking is impressive. We measured 60-0 foot distances of 121 feet to haul the Mustang brake equipped roadster to a stop. The roadster and spec cars had the same brakes (disc brake conversion kit in back). Optional brake packages are readily available from the aftermarket. Ford sells huge “Cobra-R” brakes that work well and are available for about $1500 for a set of four.

Handling/Ride Quality

A common misconception about FFR cars are that they ride too hard. The comfort of your ride is a direct relation to the parts you use. Rock-hard race car suspensions are not the best on the street. The 4-link and the IRS have the softest rides and the 3-link is a bit stiffer. Any of these suspensions can be made either softer or more harsh by changing/upgrading spring rates.

With almost ten years of experience building more than 4500 chassis kits, we can help make sure your car delivers the ride and performance that you want.