New Shelby American GT350

[Bikeman315]

I own a voodoo and being honest, other than the sound, it was an overall failure. It was the worst of both designs, the heavy counterweights of a cross plane without the inherent balancing which created significant vibrations (and no advantages for rotational limits). It's as if someone said "give me the drawbacks of the CPC and the drawbacks of the FPC and let's combine them together." The voodoo was magnificent in it's leap forward for the heads and other robust timing components. The plastic pan was meh, okay.

But being honest, other than the unique sound, (which is glorious) there's really zero advantages to an equivalently provisioned coyote, and has some serious drawbacks. Most people don't realize the rev limit on the voodoo had nothing to do with the FPC crank.

Now, I personally think when Ford changed the firing order from the modulars to the coyote it sounds like ass. I guess the perfect motor to me would be the coyote cpc with the old 4.6 firing order, 5.2 liter with GT350 heads, predator block.

You could ditch the voodoo and the S550 GT350 is still a special car.

Thank you for your honesty. Ownership of a S550 GT350 is not for the faint of heart. But it is a unique animal. And yes, that sound is glorious.

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[IPOGT]

fair point, i guess that is insult added to injury on an already overpriced car.

I think a GT350, though, is whatever shelby american says it is because they have the rights to that name. the "no voodoo no 350" is weird because the novelty of the voodoo experiment, as cool as it was, probably won't happen again for a long while.

The original GT350 didn’t have a Voodoo either. Not sure what the big deal is about. That’s what makes the S550 version special.

 

[ecoboost321]

I own a voodoo and being honest, other than the sound, it was an overall failure. It was the worst of both designs, the heavy counterweights of a cross plane without the inherent balancing which created significant vibrations (and no advantages for rotational limits). It's as if someone said "give me the drawbacks of the CPC and the drawbacks of the FPC and let's combine them together." The voodoo was magnificent in it's leap forward for the heads and other robust timing components. The plastic pan was meh, okay.

But being honest, other than the unique sound, (which is glorious) there's really zero advantages to an equivalently provisioned coyote, and has some serious drawbacks. Most people don't realize the rev limit on the voodoo had nothing to do with the FPC crank.

Now, I personally think when Ford changed the firing order from the modulars to the coyote it sounds like ass. I guess the perfect motor to me would be the coyote cpc with the old 4.6 firing order, 5.2 liter with GT350 heads, predator block.

You could ditch the voodoo and the S550 GT350 is still a special car.

As a fellow GT350 owner, all of this is heresy !!! …. But I reluctantly agree with you

I briefly owned a 2020 GT500 at same time as my GT350R, and I drove both on track/street, and the GT500 felt inherently smoother and eager to rev. And the power ! . But end of day, there’s nothing like rowing thru the gears (for me)

 

[PP0001]

I own a voodoo and being honest, other than the sound, it was an overall failure. It was the worst of both designs, the heavy counterweights of a cross plane without the inherent balancing which created significant vibrations (and no advantages for rotational limits). It's as if someone said "give me the drawbacks of the CPC and the drawbacks of the FPC and let's combine them together." The voodoo was magnificent in it's leap forward for the heads and other robust timing components. The plastic pan was meh, okay.

But being honest, other than the unique sound, (which is glorious) there's really zero advantages to an equivalently provisioned coyote, and has some serious drawbacks. Most people don't realize the rev limit on the voodoo had nothing to do with the FPC crank.

Now, I personally think when Ford changed the firing order from the modulars to the coyote it sounds like ass. I guess the perfect motor to me would be the coyote cpc with the old 4.6 firing order, 5.2 liter with GT350 heads, predator block.

You could ditch the voodoo and the S550 GT350 is still a special car.

Interesting perspective to say the least and sorry to hear that your experience with the most recent Shelby GT350/R generation was a failure.

Loved every one of my GT/350R models after a lot of seat time on pretty much all of the GT350/R model years which includes test driving various 2016 pre-production models at Sebring in October 2015, your comments are certainly not the norm.

The last vehicle that I sold was a 2015 GT350 and drove that vehicle hard and regularly shifted that unit at the 8,250 RPM redline with the odometer reading ~14,000 miles.

I still interact with many GT350/R fellow car buddies/friends and they also can't say enough about the overall driving engagement and ownership of the GT350/R models.

 

[CallinBatonRouge]

Not worried. ~600 boomer investors or the odd influencer will buy these and mainly keep them in climate-controlled storage, won't even see them in the wild . More interested in what Ford is cooking up.

 

[BlkMach10510]

Not worried. ~600 boomer investors or the odd influencer will buy these and mainly keep them in climate-controlled storage, won't even see them in the wild . More interested in what Ford is cooking up.

Mustang Raptor

 

[Oakley]

I own a voodoo and being honest, other than the sound, it was an overall failure. It was the worst of both designs, the heavy counterweights of a cross plane without the inherent balancing which created significant vibrations (and no advantages for rotational limits). It's as if someone said "give me the drawbacks of the CPC and the drawbacks of the FPC and let's combine them together." The voodoo was magnificent in it's leap forward for the heads and other robust timing components. The plastic pan was meh, okay.

But being honest, other than the unique sound, (which is glorious) there's really zero advantages to an equivalently provisioned coyote, and has some serious drawbacks. Most people don't realize the rev limit on the voodoo had nothing to do with the FPC crank.

Now, I personally think when Ford changed the firing order from the modulars to the coyote it sounds like ass. I guess the perfect motor to me would be the coyote cpc with the old 4.6 firing order, 5.2 liter with GT350 heads, predator block.

You could ditch the voodoo and the S550 GT350 is still a special car.

I agree 1 million percent. I love everything about the GT350 except for the facts you have stated here. I don't even care about the firing order, just a CPC 5.2 coyote with voodoo heads would be perfect in my mind. if i had a GT350 and the motor went i'd be super tempted to throw in one of those aluminater engines and put the voodoo on the shelf in case i ever wanted to go back.

 

[CallinBatonRouge]

Mustang Raptor

Pass. Early renders are absolutely hideous but subjective w/e

 

[robvas]

More interested in what Ford is cooking up.

Ford-produced RTR EcoBoost :(

 

[JAJ]

Well they all started out as “nornal” Mustangs. That includes the S550 GT350. & GT500. Just regular, ordinary, mass produced Ford’s.

Well, no, that's not how the S550 GT350 was built. Just to explain how different that car was from a regular Mustang GT, here's an article from back in 2015 explaining the differences:

https://www.hotrod.com/reviews/18-t...out-the-2015-shelby-mustang-gt350-and-gt350r/

In terms of track performance, the Mach 1 that's held up as the "just like a GT350" is about 26 seconds slower around the Nürburgring at 7:58 vs 7:32 for the GT350R. Nobody has published a lap time for the Dark Horse yet, as far as I can tell. It'll probably be slower than the GT350R and faster than the Mach 1. As for the GTD, it's posted a 6:58 lap, a full minute faster than the Mach 1 and 34 seconds ahead of the GT350R.

The debate on the FPC vs CPC engine design is also a bit odd. FPC engines produce more power. Period. Ferrari uses them, BMW put a FPC version of the E92 M3 V8 into the BMW E92 M3 race cars, and Chev put one in the C8 Z06. The effect on sound is nice, but the power is what it's all about. Even now, the latest 500HP Coyote is still not producing the same HP per liter as the 526HP Voodoo, although after ten years of refinement, its (finally) getting close.

 

[Bikeman315]

Well, no, that's not how the S550 GT350 was built. Just to explain how different that car was from a regular Mustang GT, here's an article from back in 2015 explaining the differences:

https://www.hotrod.com/reviews/18-t...out-the-2015-shelby-mustang-gt350-and-gt350r/

I read that article 10 years ago. I know the different parts that were used to create the GT350 and how special they are. But, at the end of the day, it started its life as just another Mustang. I'm not knocking it, of course, it's an amazing car. But in the overall automotive world, its just another Ford.

 

[BlkMach10510]

I read that article 10 years ago. I know the different parts that were used to create the GT350 and how special they are. But, at the end of the day, it started its life as just another Mustang. I'm not knocking it, of course, it's an amazing car. But in the overall automotive world, its just another Ford.

Don't all of our cars regardless of model come down the same assembly line? From Ecoboost to GT500?

 

[Bikeman315]

Don't all of our cars regardless of model come down the assembly line? From Ecoboost to GT500?

Exactly. Which is why I do not understand the contempt for the SA GT350. It’s a Mustang. It’s a nice car even if is a wee bit overpriced . But that’s for the buyer to decide. I say the more the merrier. If this doesn’t light your fire maybe the next Roush, RTR, or Steeda will be. At least we still have a Shelby.

 

[btown93]

I read that article 10 years ago. I know the different parts that were used to create the GT350 and how special they are. But, at the end of the day, it started its life as just another Mustang. I'm not knocking it, of course, it's an amazing car. But in the overall automotive world, its just another Ford.

By that logic, then the GTD is also just another Ford.

 

[BlkMach10510]

By that logic, then the GTD is also just another Ford.

It is.

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