great video!! car is amazing
Ford Went After The Wrong Chevy with The GT350 (who cares about track?)
- Thread starter Kaneda
- Start date
They even said it's a better all around car than the C7 Z06. I couldn't believe they, of all people, actually said that. Almost spit out my apple juice.
This car is gonna be bad!
This car is gonna be bad!
Link?
Link to best sports coupe available too.
Thanks!
I've been away from the states for awhile. Did they remove all the curves from the road and replace them with straight lines only?
While I spend plenty of time on-track, the OP is not entirely wrong in his line of thinking, but not necessarily as it applies to the GT350. Because I think we'll see Ford offer a very high HP Mustang variant in the next 1-2 years.
Consider how well Ford sold 662 hp GT500's, and how Dodge can't build enough Hellcats. Neither car is really anywhere near as track capable as the GT350 is reported to be by Ford and third-party testers.
Once Ford builds a straightline brawler, there won't be much of an argument either way and all bases will be covered in the Mustang lineup.
S.
Consider how well Ford sold 662 hp GT500's, and how Dodge can't build enough Hellcats. Neither car is really anywhere near as track capable as the GT350 is reported to be by Ford and third-party testers.
Once Ford builds a straightline brawler, there won't be much of an argument either way and all bases will be covered in the Mustang lineup.
S.
Yes - and there's now a signal every 1/4 mile, and red now "counts down" to green. Tire and brake pad sales are booming, and the cops have all doubled their salaries.
You joke about the "countdown to green" but some European counties (Germany and Turkey for sure) have a yellow warning light flash right before green. I've seen a lot of people running red because of it. At busier intersections Romania has countdown timers while the Green light is on, so it's light our yellow but tells you how many seconds are left.
I think strategy wise Ford was right to make the GT350 first. Here's why (remember this is my completely made up opinion so "whatever")
Ford just intro'd the new platform and everyone, including GM and Dodge are waiting to see their Special Editions.
Ford knew that GM will follow the new mustang with a new Camaro of their own a little bit after.
GM is basically looking forward to the new Camaro and not really showing a Big HP car other than the few years old ZR1. Dodge on the other hand just crushed the HP race with the hellcat.
So ford thinks we can put together a GT500 and beat the Dodge in HP and regain the crown until GM puts out a new Big HP car. Or ford looks at the popularity of the boss and the expense of the Z28 and says we can beat that at a much better price point, put off the GT500 development a few years. And take over HP Crown after they know what everyone else is doing.
I think you nailed it with the popularity of the Boss comment.
Ford nailed it with that car. Now, for only a few thousand more you can have a substantially more powerful and even more responsive car.
That alone is awesome.
In addition there are two more steps to take. A mid to high 50s road course machine.
And finally, theres a (hopefully) z/28 beater for less money.
Ford nailed it with that car. Now, for only a few thousand more you can have a substantially more powerful and even more responsive car.
That alone is awesome.
In addition there are two more steps to take. A mid to high 50s road course machine.
And finally, theres a (hopefully) z/28 beater for less money.
The GT350 may very well be the car that gets more people TO the track.
Think about this for a second, though. The GT350R has a base price of, what, ~$63K? When/if Ford builds another GT500, do you really think they're going to build a $70K straight-line-only car? The next GT500 (if there is one) is probably going to be a GT350R with a back seat and a lot more power. I think the straight-line days at Ford are over. Look at the outgoing GT500s from '11 thru '14. They offered a Performance Pkg that was hugely popular. They have gotten (and hopefully received) the message that Mustang guys want track capable cars. It's easier to take a road course capable car and ruin it for drag strip duty than to take a straight line car and make it a corner carver.
I hope the next GT500 is a complete animal on a road course that can bump heads with a 911 Turbo S (or GT3 RS), McLaren 650S, Ferrari 488, etc.
I hope the next GT500 is a complete animal on a road course that can bump heads with a 911 Turbo S (or GT3 RS), McLaren 650S, Ferrari 488, etc.
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The next GT500 will have better handling but I would doubt it has the handling of the GT350R. When you add weight and inbalance you will lose handling. The Turbo S handles great but not as well as the GT3 or GT3 RS. There is a reason Porsche builds both the Turbo and the Track GT3's.
I can see it being another GT350 Track Pack with added 100hp and 200tq. Which in itself would be a hell of a car, but not the R handling capabilities.
I don't think that the "Mustang guys" are clamoring for a track capable car any more than they want a drag strip brawler. I haven't seen any huge influx of S550 Mustangs at the track over the last few years. In fact, I don't think I've seen one. And I've seen just as many GT500's as I have Boss 302's. I think there is more talk about the track than there is actual track days. The vast majority of the GT350's will never be on-track, same as with the Boss 302's, Z28's, etc..
Ford didn't have a problem putting a bespoke supercharged 5.8 liter Trinity in the GT500, and there's no reason they won't do the same for an S550 variant considering how well those cars sold.
S.
Ford didn't have a problem putting a bespoke supercharged 5.8 liter Trinity in the GT500, and there's no reason they won't do the same for an S550 variant considering how well those cars sold.
S.
I can see it starting at $70k; but the 350R doesn't have to cause that.
Remember the R isn't the base for the GT350.
And if it a completely different take on the platform than the 350 (drag vs track) then some overlap is ok.
A "barebones" drag car starting $57k with options over $70k just like the 2014 would complete the lineup just fine.
But if we are talking a $70k starter that doesn't have to be a drag car; here is what I'm looking for...
7+ speed auto
Dual clutch
Twin turbo (put the SC to rest)
Magride
AWD (let the fragging begin)
Crazy amounts of aluminum and carbon fiber
Remember the R isn't the base for the GT350.
And if it a completely different take on the platform than the 350 (drag vs track) then some overlap is ok.
A "barebones" drag car starting $57k with options over $70k just like the 2014 would complete the lineup just fine.
But if we are talking a $70k starter that doesn't have to be a drag car; here is what I'm looking for...
7+ speed auto
Dual clutch
Twin turbo (put the SC to rest)
Magride
AWD (let the fragging begin)
Crazy amounts of aluminum and carbon fiber
I was with you until you said you hope it does both.
Give us a 662-700 hp Mustang with a 6 sp and an auto option that handles like a 15+ Track Pack GT... price it at 60 with no options... run basement 11s and 10s.
Basically a Mustang version of the Hellcats for similar or less cash.
Give us a 662-700 hp Mustang with a 6 sp and an auto option that handles like a 15+ Track Pack GT... price it at 60 with no options... run basement 11s and 10s.
Basically a Mustang version of the Hellcats for similar or less cash.
Bingo.
Horsepower sells. Period. Look at how well the 662 hp GT500's sold. 707 hp Hellcats can't be built fast enough. Follow the '13 GT500 recipe and they will sell like hotcakes. I'd venture to say, they'll sell a car like that better than the GT350's will sell. The best part is...I think they'll be selling BOTH.
S.
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