GT350 vs. Z/28

[1320']

500lbs lighter!!! Man, that is too aggressive to be real... 3200lbs 2 door coupe with a 107 inch wheelbase is nearly impossible.

That was my feeling too. I think 3,200 lbs is a bit impossible while maintaining street car comfort.

However, I think a 3,450lb GT350R is entirely possible, if not closer to likely.

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[thePill]

I can't see Ford Racing making that 500lbs light typo and not correcting it. All other info is the same...

This will be a $70,000 car and will be seconds faster than a z28 everywhere. It could get competitive with some 2 seaters too.

I got a screen capture and it has been brought to their attention about it saying "500lbs lighter than the Mustang GT". They said "Yep, thanks" and never changed it... So... I guess we are going with what Ford Racing says...

If a GT350R weighs 3205lbs (wow) and is 130lbs lighter, that means the GT350 is around 3335lbs? Isn't that too light? Unless the GT was just bait and was over contented...

There could be 200lbs of garbage in the GT... Then the structural losses in the GT350 platform... I have always said the shell looks like a 3400lbs car, but was contented to 3700lbs.

I'm still trying to accept these initial numbers, especially some of the lap times being whispered. No wonder these times seem out of reach.

I imagine there was convertible weight removed from the GT and they couldn't warrent any weight loss for just a GTPP. Especially with a $32,900 starting point.

Does anyone know what happens to HALO Camaro's now? They get locked into a head to head with lesser cars... IF they even make them...

 

[jaja6009]

Did Ford Racing school remove the 500lb comment? I went to Twitter and cant find it.

 

[thePill]

It's on Facebook, it's still there, they know... appearenly they don't care about mistakes or didn't make a mistake to begin with.

 

[Sabre]

Quote from StangTV.com with Ford's Jamal Hameedi about the GT350R:
"No word on exactly how much faster the GT350R will be over the standard GT350 performance pack yet, we asked but Hameedi’s reply was, “We know how much faster, but we’re not releasing it yet, it’s significantly faster.”

 

[thePill]

Quote from StangTV.com with Ford's Jamal Hameedi about the GT350R:
"No word on exactly how much faster the GT350R will be over the standard GT350 performance pack yet, we asked but Hameedi’s reply was, “We know how much faster, but we’re not releasing it yet, it’s significantly faster.”

Well yeah, if its as light as they say and as fast as they hint, it should be faster than the Boss 302R in OEM trim.

I was hearing the GT350 TP was used to "Dethrone" the usurper (z28) and not the GT350R. A 350TP rivaled the Boss 302R's laps at Laguna which is about a 1:36. The z28 was nearly a 1:38.

The R is faster still...

 

[thePill]

I need more people to confirm this but, I heard (as in once) that these cars are 540hp... maybe more?

How without DI?

 

[mustangletback]

Man, Ford nailed it in Detroit... still hoping for a Cobra Roadster that was also done in secret. This is already a lot to handle...

So, we can see that the GT350R lost 130lbs over the GT350. I can't assume the GT350 is lighter than the GT PP with Recaro's. However, if Ford was ultra aggressive, the GT350 may have lost some weight too. Could we be looking at a 3550lbs GT350R? 130lbs from the 3705 gets you under 3600... This is as lightweight as a 4 seater gets.

I need more people to confirm this but, I heard (as in once) that these cars are 540hp... maybe more?

How without DI?

they can do it,do you remember the BOSS sx that had a N/A 5.0 that had 500hp?with all that was done to the 5.2,i think 600hp is very possible.im not saying it will have that from the factory,but it is very possible.:ford:

 

[SuperC]

This had better be faster around the track than the z/28. I still haven't gotten my head around the outgoing 1LE beating the new GT.

Throw the budget out the window and get it done right this time.

 

[Trackaholic]

I have a real hard time believing the GT350R and the GT350 are that light. We've already been told that most of the weight reduction on the GT350 went to offsetting the added weight of more brakes, larger wheels, and more cooling, so it seems strange to have it be 300+ lbs lighter. Maybe Ford was being coy when they said it was only a bit lighter, because they didn't want the internet to run away with speculation like when the car first launched, but I doubt it.

I'm guessing it's more like 3700 lbs for the GT350 and 3600 lbs for the GT350R (I guess the 130 lbs weight difference would make the GT350R 3570 lbs).

-T

 

[Trackaholic]

I need more people to confirm this but, I heard (as in once) that these cars are 540hp... maybe more?

How without DI?

I was guessing 535, and I thought that might be a bit over. 540 would be damn impressive. Can't wait for the official numbers.

-T

 

[Grimace427]

I really like how the R is 130lbs lighter than the standard GT350, however there's no way that car is 370lbs lighter than a regular GT unless it's a fully loaded convertible which would be the lamest misrepresentation of weight reduction. I'd bet the GT350 is right about even with a base GT and the Track Pack/Tech Pack is right around a loaded GT coupe.

 

[thePill]

I can't see it losing that much weight either, I just don't know how or why Ford would of made that mistake.

I'm assuming the GT350R will be around 3550lbs, that is dead on with the M4. As far as 2 Door Coupes go, they don't get much lighter than that. 540hp would be impressive, I can't count Ford out when it comes to engines and drivetrains, they are about as good as it gets.

So, I like where Ford went with all of this. Starting with the FGT's ALMS and IMSA EB 3.5 for homologation... Some may want to argue the V6 thing but, if Ford is using these engines to compete, then the 3.5 should be the offering.

I am still interested in the changes between the GT, GTPP, GT350, GT350TP and GT350R. The GT weighed about 3640-3660lbs with the standard seats, probably lost quite a bit with the Recaro's from there. Call me crazy but, I think a Recaro Base GT will weigh about the same as the 2014 GTPP with Recaro's AND, the base GT will outperform the '14 GTPP too. In my opinion, the Base GT is a great place to start.

I want to see the weight loss in the GT350 from the GTPP, if any. The GTPP's suspension, wheels, tires and brakes already are pretty hefty, I can't see the GT350's suspension taking on too much weight unless there is something I am missing. Is the GT350 just a de-contented GT? Was the GT primarily bait? I see a few people talking the S550 up now. If we see some weight lost from the GTPP to the GT350, the 130lbs the R saved will be incredible.

 

[1320']

I really like how the R is 130lbs lighter than the standard GT350, however there's no way that car is 370lbs lighter than a regular GT unless it's a fully loaded convertible which would be the lamest misrepresentation of weight reduction. I'd bet the GT350 is right about even with a base GT and the Track Pack/Tech Pack is right around a loaded GT coupe.

Yeah which is exactly why I doubted it, I just reported what I saw. I would have screen capped it except for it was ..

A: On my phone
and..

B: We cannot access FB on our work computers. (Something about blah blah social media blah blah unsecured network blah blah)

 

[thePill]

Yeah which is exactly why I doubted it, I just reported what I saw. I would have screen capped it except for it was ..

A: On my phone
and..

B: We cannot access FB on our work computers. (Something about blah blah social media blah blah unsecured network blah blah)

I have it captured...

I have a real hard time believing the GT350R and the GT350 are that light. We've already been told that most of the weight reduction on the GT350 went to offsetting the added weight of more brakes, larger wheels, and more cooling, so it seems strange to have it be 300+ lbs lighter. Maybe Ford was being coy when they said it was only a bit lighter, because they didn't want the internet to run away with speculation like when the car first launched, but I doubt it.

I'm guessing it's more like 3700 lbs for the GT350 and 3600 lbs for the GT350R (I guess the 130 lbs weight difference would make the GT350R 3570 lbs).

-T

The US Curb Weight Standard is retarded... I hate using that word but, the system is stupid. I can't tell anyone here what the official 3705lbs consist of. We seen a GTPP w/ Recaro's weigh 3722lbs but I still can't say if Ford's official 3705lbs contain that package or not. It could be a Premium GT with Recaro's and NO PP. We know for a fact that a Fully Loaded Premium GTPP without Recaro's weigh 3814lbs so, it doesn't get heavier than that. According to Ford, it appears they DO count the flat tire kit into the GT350's Official curb weight because they admit the kit was part of the GT350R's weight reduction.

A Base GT with Recaro's should weigh around 3620lbs since the base car weighs 3650-ish... That is as light as the GT gets. It is still possible the US Curb weight of a Base GT includes a Spare Tire while the EU car doesn't...

I really like how the R is 130lbs lighter than the standard GT350, however there's no way that car is 370lbs lighter than a regular GT unless it's a fully loaded convertible which would be the lamest misrepresentation of weight reduction. I'd bet the GT350 is right about even with a base GT and the Track Pack/Tech Pack is right around a loaded GT coupe.

There could be a bit of the GT's fluff being taken out, I showed everyone here how to get 302lbs into a 3400lbs platform. Now, they just need to take some of that back out. I was wondering why Ford chose to load the GT up if weight loss was such a key interest. If the S550 would have just eliminated some of the new standard equipment, it would have been lower... BUT, it would be as impressive when comparing a GT350 to a GT either.
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