![]() ![]() When I was 16, I test-drove a Contour Sport model with the Duratec V6 and a stick. Mileage is low at 88,000 and the seller notes this is a California vehicle, so rust isn’t an issue and the underside is clean. The seller notes no major issues inside the car, only describing some cosmetic weaknesses in the exterior finish as its biggest faults. The leather bucket seats are in good condition, and even the SVT-branded floormats are still in place. This example looks quite nice and pleasingly stock. The engine was a marvel, with a variety of techniques levied by the SVT team to improve internal airflow. Other enhancements included a factory body kit, five-spoke alloy wheels, unique SVT bucket seats, along with bigger brakes, performance tires, and a true dual exhaust. The SVT Contour provided drivers with an enhanced version of the company’s 2.5L Duratec V6, good for 195 b.h.p. A bit of a sleeper with some subtle visual cues as to the added performance within, this example here on eBay is listed with a reasonable $4,500 Buy-It-Now in stock condition – but the listing ends tonight. In between those extremes is the less frequently seen and discussed Ford Contour SVT. The Contour SVT may not be the ultimate in performance, but it does offer exceptional value.Ford’s Special Vehicle Teams (SVT) group is responsible for some of the company’s most impressive road cars, from the Lightning pickup to the hot-hatch SVT Focus. For about $3,500 more than a fully loaded Contour SE, you can scoot around in a far sportier car that has all the same creature comforts. Like the Cobra before it, the Contour SVT offers big bangs for small bucks. The only optional equipment are a single disc CD player and a power moonroof. The SVT package includes a full complement of power accessories, an AM/FM premium stereo cassette audio system and air conditioning. The tester’s midnight blue leather interior is quite attractive the 10-way power driver’s seat is comfortable and supportive for sporty driving. Through tight corners they cling to the pavement like a lawyer to a settlement payout, yet the Contour’s highway ride is hardly affected by their lower profile.Interior-wise, the SVT is pretty much top-of-the-line Contour. SVT credits the most significant handling improvement to Goodyear’s extra-sticky 205/55ZR16 gumballs. According to the SVT team, any loss in outright grip is more than made up for in more balanced steering. In fact, the front stabilizer bar is less stiff. They also provided much more feedback and were easier to modulate in full-blitz mode.Surprisingly, the suspension is little modified. Its larger front discs refused to fade whereas the standard Contour’s brakes were cooked after only five laps. Racetrack testing also showed the SVT’s improved braking. In testing both cars back-to-back, the SVT was dramatically quicker, especially when passing on the highway. Most of the power gains are above 4,500 rpm, but the SVT retains the base car’s wide powerband so the gearbox doesn’t have to be rowed for maximum performance. Then it seems to grow two extra cylinders and climb to its 6,750 rpm redline with ardor. Except for a slightly more enthusiastic exhaust note, the Contour SVT feels as domesticated as the garden-variety version. ![]() More importantly, the engine is a model of civility. Thanks to higher compression, some wilder cams and a new process called Extrude-hone, the end result is 195 horsepower more horsepower per litre than Audi’s A4 2.8 or BMW’s 328. Article contentįresh off its successful transformation of the Mustang into the rampaging Cobra, SVT wanted to build some excitement into a car that would reach a wider audience.The first task at hand was pumping more horsepower into the Contour’s 24-valve, 2.5 litre V-6. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. ![]()
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