The Sn197 Chassis is MUCH improved from the old SN95 chassis. The dynamics of the driving are really really good, and i do believe on a road course that it would handle on par with a Stock SVT contour.
In the hands of a skilled driver on a track, I agree. Every day driving by an every day enthusiast, I disagree. This goes for a lot of cars. To me, good handling isn't just what the car can do in the hands of a professional at its limits, but also feedback, mannerisms, the feel of the car when it's pushed to it's limits, the ease of that handling, the level of focus required, and so on. The Contour has always been regarded as being top of class because it does these little things so well in addition to putting down stong skidpad numbers and handling well on the track.
But please let me confess that I'm talking out of my ass to a large degree. I've never driven in a Cobra or a new GT. I will die not having driven most cars. I'm basing my opinions on what I've read which is a lot, but not nearly the same as real experience.
However, I feel comfortable in my opinion that a car that can handle well is not the same as a car that handles well. Many people more credible than I regard the Mustang as an average handling car, yet are aware of its potential in the hands of a pro that can overcome its weaknesses.
But different strokes for different folks, right? My arguement in this thread isn't that Contours are the greatest cars ever and everyone should love them. But they're very good sports sedans that are fun to drive and handle exceptionally well. They certainly deserve the SVT badge.
Guess I'm just going to get a big huge garage.