Originally Posted by
RWD_cossie_wil
Makes me laugh people slating Cossie handling, 95% of cars have had 400Bhp thrown into a shagged old 20+ year chassis, on original bushes & cheap after market suspension! Put some time into the chassis & they are fine handling cars, very very balanced. Even back in the late 80's the humble Sierra was kicking the E30 M3's arse!
Granted the rear beam isn't great, but with a few mods they are superb. Clones comparing them to Evo 7/8 etc need to remember the years of development between them!
One of the major plus points that cossies have going for them other apart from the engine is that is that the come in the correct flavour of driven wheels being rwd and 4wd, but you are ultimately fighting against a rather weak and wobbly shell, the term jelly mold unfortunately is quite apt in more ways than one.
I don't see anyone hear slating per say just being realistic in typical PassionFord banter, are they great fun to drive, darn right they are, but not all the creaks and rattles are due to old age which just adds to the charm
to put it into perspective the escort cosworth shell which is a stiffer than the sierra has a torsional stiffness of around 6000 nm/deg a mk2 focus cabriolet with the roof down is just under 12000 nm/deg and over 20000 nm/deg with the roof up. So even when you put all the correct bits on its not just your arms twisting when your giving it the beans on a corner.