The idea of a nimble sedan that performs like a sports car has held great appeal for enthusiasts for many decades. Relatively trim and compact, with plenty of room for passengers and luggage, a sports sedan should be capable of threading the needle in performance driving situations, and covering many miles at a quick pace. Over the past four decades, small sedans from Italy and Germany have defined the genre.

At the heart of the sports sedan concept is an ability to make smooth transitions—transitions from braking to cornering, and from cornering to accelerating. Ideally, a sports sedan should perform as fluidly as any sports car, yet still serve as a practical everyday driver without the compromises that sports cars often impose.

The upper intake manifold (plenum and intake runners) is polished internally by extrude honing.

If the character of a sports sedan is one of smooth transitions, then a free-revving and powerful engine is an essential part of the equation. Aggressive driving in a sports sedan should also be a visceral experience, with rich sounds coming from the engine bay and exhaust. But the engine must not only deliver easily exploitable power when you’re unravelling a favorite back road, but also perform like a faithful servant when carrying children to school, or slogging through rush-hour traffic.

A sports sedan’s chassis and suspension must exhibit a similar dual personality: athletic abilities to match any two-lane, and a practical nature that readily shoulders the burdens of daily life. The suspension needed for these twin tasks must be supple so it’s not a torment to live with, yet responsive when the road home is long and winding. In the end, the suspension must blend the seemingly contradictory qualities of comfort with exceptional grip and handling poise.

For 1998, the Ford Special Vehicle Team has brought its driver’s-car philosophy to an already excellent sedan, the Contour, heightening its performance attributes and refining it into a crisp and nimble sports sedan to be appreciated by the automotive enthusiast.

Engine Architecture

If the primary strength of a sports sedan is the ability to make smooth transitions, then a free-revving and powerful engine is an essential part of the equation. For its 1998 Contour, Ford SVT has enhanced the already exceptional character and performance of the Ford Duratec twin-cam V6. The story of the SVT Contour engine is in great part the story of the Ford Duratec.

Series Zero Prototype Engine

In the first stage of the Duratec V6’s development, Ford Powertrain engineers established the basic architecture and character of the engine, including the vee angle, bore spacing, head configuration, and the extensive use of extremely light but strong aluminum-alloy and forged components. The resulting prototype engine (Ford engineers call it a "Series Zero" engine) was a compact 60-degree V6 with four valves per cylinder, chain-driven double overhead cams, aluminum-alloy block and heads, sinter-forged connecting rods, and a forged steel crankshaft. In short, all the ingredients of a classic sports sedan powerplant.

Cosworth Casting Technology

In the early 1990s, Cosworth, the British company so integral to Ford Formula One, Indy car, Touring Car, and WRC rally efforts, developed a pressurized casting process for Ford alloy-block racing engines. This process creates such dense and solid components that engineers can design parts that are slimmer and therefore lighter without sacrificing strength or durability. After proving its merits in Ford racing engines, this pressurized casting technology was applied in mass production to the Duratec V6.

To endow the engine’s bottom end with greater rigidity and strength, a bedplate with four-bolt nodular iron main bearing caps is used. The bearing inserts are made of aluminum alloy.

Forged Steel Crankshaft

The Duratec features a forged steel crankshaft. To create the SVT Contour crankshaft, a steel billet is heated to 1,260 degrees Celsius. It is then forged under 6,000 metric tons of pressure in a series of dies and trimming stations. After the crankshaft is forged, machined, and balanced, its bearing journals are induction hardened, a process that super-hardens the steel to a depth of 1.5-2.0mm. As proven in the Duratec and other Ford engines that employ induction-hardening technology, wear in the journals of these engines after years of use can be virtually imperceptible.

Two counterweights are placed opposite every throw of the crankshaft, contributing to the engine’s exceptionally smooth revving characteristics from idle to redline. To enable this engine to gather revs especially quickly, the SVT Contour employs a nodular iron flywheel that is lightened by 2.0 lbs. compared to that of the Contour SE.

Forged Rods, Aluminum-Alloy Pistons

The connecting rods are sinter-forged alloy components. They are made from powdered metal that is compacted into the rough shape of a connecting rod and then "hot-struck" at 1,024 degrees Celsius in a 600-ton press. After forging, the rod big ends are mechanically fracture-split to create the bearing caps. Due to the irregular, interlocking surfaces along the fracture line, a Duratec bearing cap and rod can be reassembled only one way, ensuring an exact fit and making the entire bearing cap assembly especially strong.

The SVT Contour V6’s specially designed aluminum-alloy pistons deliver a compression ratio of 10.0:1. The piston pins are fully floating, reducing friction. Like the main bearing inserts, the rod bearing inserts are aluminum alloy.

Twin-Cam Head Design

The SVT Duratec heads follow design principles favored by many thoroughbred V6s. One silent chain per cylinder bank rises from the front of the crankshaft and wraps over the intake and exhaust camshafts. Both cam chains have hydraulic tensioners to minimize slack and lash.

The SVT Duratec features specially designed intake and exhaust camshafts. These hollow camshafts run in line-bored journals in the aluminum head casting and are secured from above with aluminum caps. The cam lobes—made with a high chromium content to virtually eliminate wear under normal-use conditions—act upon roller-finger followers, with hydraulic valve-lash adjustment, a feature which reduces the amount of maintenance the valvetrain requires. The roller-finger followers press on the valve tips. Ovate-wire valve springs control valve movement.

Extrude Honing

The upper intake manifold (plenum and intake runners) as well as the cylinder head’s secondary intake ports have been enhanced through application of an aerospace technology that first gained favor in the automotive world among high-performance tuners: extrude honing. A putty-like material that contains a fine grit is squeezed through a port or runner that will channel air. The grit polishes the surface to a high degree, allowing air to move more quickly and efficiently.

The SVT Contour Powertrain

For the SVT Contour, Ford Powertrain engineers built upon the already outstanding characteristics of the Duratec V6, focusing on enhancing the engine’s breathing capabilities to produce additional horsepower while preserving the Duratec V6’s commendable low- and mid-range torque

SVT Induction System

The SVT Contour begins the process of making horsepower with a specially designed large-capacity conical air cleaner, which sits ahead of a 70mm mass-air sensor. This sensor measures the density of the air and feeds this information to the electronic engine control computer, called EEC-V. The air then moves further downstream to the specially designed 60mm-bore throttle body, which meters the air delivered to the upper intake manifold.

One runner feeds each intake valve: a long runner for the primary intake valve to ensure torque, and a short runner for the secondary valve to provide large volumes of air at higher rpm. Only the primary intake valves are fed at all times. Placed above each secondary valve is a 34mm butterfly port throttle. At lower rpm, the port throttles are closed, thus blocking airflow to the secondary intake valves. With only one valve feeding each combustion chamber at low rpm, airflow velocities are higher, which improves low-end torque as well as exhaust emissions.

Secondary Intake

How aggressively the driver is using the throttle is read by the engine’s EEC-V computer. Under light-throttle conditions, like those used in around-town driving, the secondaries open at 3,900rpm, to ensure ample low-end torque. With the throttle wide open, as when accelerating to merge with traffic, the secondaries open at 3,400rpm. In either mode, from the time the secondaries open until the redline of 6,750rpm is reached, this design delivers exceptional air flow through the secondary intake valves.

The specially calibrated EEC-V engine electronics computer system monitors engine functions—airflow, rpm, crankshaft position, camshaft position—and can make millions of adjustments per second to deliver the spark and air-fuel mixture at the optimum time. The SVT Contour, like all Ford passenger vehicles, has a highly sophisticated on-board engine diagnostics system that meets Federal OBD II emissions regulations.

The SVT Contour has a tubular steel exhaust manifold system that feeds exhaust gases into a 2.25-inch stainless steel exhaust which maximizes efficiency and reduces back-pressure. The system is accented with polished stainless-steel exhaust tips, which neatly integrate with the rear valance panel.

An Autobahn-Inspired Cooling System

The engine cooling system for the SVT Contour has been adapted from the system used on the European-market Mondeo. With a radiator core that is 14mm deeper than that of the Contour SE, this system can maintain normal-range coolant temperatures under autobahn conditions.

The oil cooling system of the SVT Contour—developed for use not only on the autobahn, but also in the extreme heat of the Gulf States market of the Middle East—is extremely effective in controlling engine-oil temperatures. The water-to-oil cooler mounts directly to the left side of the block, with the oil filter mounted on its end. Water returning from the radiator to the engine block first runs through the cooler, significantly reducing oil temperatures.

Like all 1998 Contour models, the SVT Contour features a new shift-linkage design that offers smooth and accurate shifting. The SVT Contour V6 delivers power to a short-throw five-speed manual transaxle through a specially designed high-performance clutch. All transaxle gears and shafts run in needle bearings to reduce drivetrain friction. Finally, the engine’s aluminum-alloy oil pan also serves as a structural member, providing a larger mating surface for the transaxle.

Performance Figures

The SVT Contour accelerates from a standstill to 60 mph in 7.9 seconds. The quarter-mile is covered in 15.7 seconds with a speed of 88 mph. In closed-course testing, the SVT Contour achieves a top speed of 143 mph.

Chassis & Suspension

The other half of the "transitions" equation of a great sports sedan is a supple yet responsive suspension. Unlike many four-door sedans, which are often skewed towards a plush ride, a true sports sedan possesses crisp reflexes. Like any SVT suspension, the SVT Contour suspension is tuned to blend the seemingly contradictory qualities of long-distance comfort with exceptional grip and handling poise.

Suspension Design

The front suspension is a modified MacPherson-type design, with an A-arm, strut, and specially designed 19mm stabilizer bar. Steering is accomplished with a power-assisted rack and pinion system. The rear suspension is comprised of one lower trailing arm, two transverse links, a strut, and a coil spring. The rear stabilizer bar measures 18mm. A small measure of passive rear-wheel steer is designed into the rear suspension. The 16.0 x 6.5 in. painted cast alloy wheels are shod with 205/55ZR-16 Goodyear GS-C radials.

The SVT Contour's 16.0 x 6.5 inch five-spoke alloy wheels are wrapped with 205/55ZR-16 Goodyear GS-C radials. The Goodyear GS-C wet-weather technology is directly derived from Goodyear experience with Formula One and Indy car rain tires.

Braking system

The SVT Contour has 10.94-inch vented front discs and 9.88-inch rear discs that were first tried and proven as performance equipment on the Ford Mondeo, the highly acclaimed European cousin of the Contour. The iron rotors feature internal vanes that allow for effective and rapid dissipation of the heat that builds up under hard braking. The four-wheel vented disc brakes on the SVT Contour are capable of smooth and effective deceleration—corner after corner, on test track or back road—without significant fade.

The SVT Contour brakes are monitored and controlled by a four-channel, four-sensor ABS system that can modulate and adjust each of the four calipers every 10 milliseconds. The system gives the SVT Contour short braking distances (60-0 mph in 130 feet) with excellent pedal modulation and limited pedal kickback under ABS braking—without wheel lock-up.

Visual Distinctions, Amenities, Production Plants

To complement the powertrain and chassis development, the 1998 SVT Contour is visually distinguished by numerous other refinements. As with all 1998 Contour models, the tail lamps, hood, and head lamps are new for 1998. The front fascia with round fog lamps is unique to SVT, as are the rear valance panel, rocker sill extensions, grille texture, and stainless steel exhaust tips. The front fascia includes ducting to improve the cooling system’s performance. The SVT Contour is available in Black Clearcoat, Silver Frost Clearcoat Metallic, and Toreador Red Clearcoat Metallic.

Inside, the SVT Contour features perforated leather on all seating surfaces. The steering wheel, and shifter boot and knob, are also leather-wrapped. The driver’s seat features ten-way power adjustment, including power lumbar. The front seat’s lateral bolstering is accentuated on both the seat bottom and the seatback, and the rear seat bottom has been given greater bolstering to more firmly hold the two rear passengers. The white-faced gauges, an SVT design signature since 1993, provide excellent legibility.

Driver amenities include an air filtration system that removes over 90 percent of particles larger than three microns in size. A feature once available only on expensive luxury cars, this filtration system will be especially appreciated by those who suffer with hay fever and asthma. The SVT Contour also comes with standard power door locks and windows, speed control, a tilt steering wheel and column, air conditioning, dual air bags to supplement the safety belts, remote keyless entry, power antenna, and an AM/FM stereo cassette with Premium Sound. The only optional equipment is a CD player, and a power moonroof with sliding sunshade.

The SVT Contour Duratec powerplant is produced at the Ford Cleveland Engine Plant, and the car is built at the Ford Kansas City Assembly Plant. Upon completion, every SVT Contour is inspected by a specially trained technician who follows an SVT checklist.

Anti-Theft System

To protect your 1998 SVT Contour, Ford has included a Passive Anti-Theft System (PATS). Each Contour key carries a radio transponder that contains a unique code selected from a potential of 72 million billion combinations. An antenna located in the steering column "interrogates" the key, then the key code is transmitted to a control module, where it is compared to the codes stored in the control module. If the key’s code matches, a signal is sent to the EEC-V system to "enable" the engine to run. If the key code does not match or if no encoded key is detected, the EEC-V system will not allow the engine to run. Up to 16 additional keys can be programmed by a dealer to operate the vehicle provided an original key is available at the same time. The effectiveness of this system was proven in 1996, as the theft rate for PATS-equipped 1996 Mustang GT and SVT Cobra models dropped by 77 percent compared to rates for non-PATS-equipped 1995 Mustang GT and SVT Cobra models.

Taken from a Contour SVT brochure printed in 97.