It seems to me (and possibly others) that you are saying you think the R isn't any better than a standard GT350, essentially that Ford sold us a Bill of Goods. I think you need to do more research on the cars. Ford didn't just throw a bunch of parts and packages together just to give drivers the feels. The standard GT350 and the R are wind tunnel tested cars. If the R's aero didn't do anything, it wouldn't be on the car. Those carbon fiber wheels aren't just for lightness. The lightness provides for better steering feedback while the stiffer structure makes for sharper turn-in. Now add in the dampers, springs, sway bars, tuning, etc. Yes, it does make a huge difference in how the car "feels", but it's also actual performance gains.
Speaking of "the feels", that is a quantifiable and measurable quotient. Driver confidence might be the biggest improvement you can make to see big gains in lap times. I reject your theory that it's a placebo affect or, what you're really trying to say, purchase validation. Go read my initial review thread about my R, and tell me that's coming from somebody who's all doe-eyed and in love or even slightly biased. I was looking at the R with a critical eye the very instant Ford said it's as fast as a 991.1 GT3 around a track. I'll believe it when I see it.
