Why is it that nearly every modded SHO i've seen has a V6??
Is it that V8 SHOs don't lend themselves to accepting mods very well?
3 main things, Aftermarket, Transmissions, Cam failures.
The V-6's have a much larger aftermarket because: The engines are 100% Yamaha designed and are a superior design to the V-8's, as well as they have been around much longer *since 1989*
The V-6's are available in a 5 speed, Mazda designed manual transmission, and the V-6's are a completely Yamaha product. *the automatic ones from 93-95 come with a slightly larger 3.2 liter V-6 to compensate for the power loss through the autotradgic... They are still slower than the 3.0 liter manual models, and prone to failure.
The 96-99 V-8 SHO's have Yamaha DESIGNED heads, but everything is manufactured by ford, and there is a pretty serious flaw in the manufacturing process that ford over-looked, and is TO THIS DAY still fighting with people over (never had a recall, and they should have)
http://www.v8sho.com/SHO/CamFailureLinks.htm
The V-8's however do sound AMAZING, and if the cams have been welded, and the transmission is solid, they are fantastic cruisers, but not really the 'stop light destroyers' the V-6's have come to be.
To me, it just stands to reason that a small V8 would make more overall power than a similar displacement V6
Are V6 SHOs faster than their V8 counterparts?
The V-8 SHO's are 3.4 liter V-8's, and only make 15 more HP than the V-6, AUTOMATIC V-6's are about the same as far as speed, if not a bit slower than their V-8 counterparts, A good running manual V-6 SHO will walk away from either, especially an 89-91 model *300lbs lighter than the 92-95 trims, and only came in stick*
*Vid of my essentially stock 93 Automatic V-6 racing a 95 Manual V-6*
http://s26.photobucket.com/albums/c146/dasfinc/Videos/?action=view¤t=sypVSdasfinc.flv
So what's the deal?
[I recently heard a sweeeeet-sounding V8 '99 SHO with Borla's, and immediately fell in love...]
Good cruiser, VERY luxurious for the $ *Leather, sunroof, power everything, CD Changer, 6 speaker stereo, etc, etc*, Sounds fantastic, Can be had fairly cheaply, but limited aftermarket, and 'delicate' transmission and cam issue is a gamble you take when buying them.
*there is someone in Lombard that can weld cams for $500 (as in you drop off the car for a day and for $500 he pulls the cams, welds it ensuring they will never fail, and hands it back to you assembled/running good to go) He has never had one of his repairs fail*
On a side-note, both the V-6's and V-8's if maintained are renowned for running well over 200K+ Miles trouble free.