Finally got to open her up

[Finally]

Sort of a review, I guess...

I took my bone stock GT premium auto convertible to VIR this past Monday for an HPDE. Not to set any lap records, but more to see how the car behaved under stress. My goal was to check things out, not to unleash the beast at the risk of going full retard and crashing. I'm too old for that foolishness. Been there, done that, I guess. Anyway, some observations...

This is the first time I used track mode, and all I can say is OMG! I'd like to buy the engineers who designed that little feature a beer. Besides keeping the car in the middle of the power band accelerating and decelerating, it rev matched the downshifts perfectly. Yeah, I know that's not surprising to most of you, but it was my first experience driving a car with an automatic tranny that was as good as (probably better than) I was. I really expected to have to paddle shift the tranny, but the car did it for me in a very satisfactory way. I did a couple of laps by hand, and didn't notice any improvement, so I went back to letting the car do the work.

Next surprise was how darn sticky the stock Pirelli PZero Nero all season tires were. I never pushed the car even close to its limits, and I generated .9 & .86 Gs (l&r) according to the obc. Not quite as much front and back. No squeal. Not one time did the tires feel like they were going to let go. Very cool. There was more traction with higher Gs to be had, but I wimped out.

The brakes were amazing. Even when I thought I was pretty much at the limit, with just a little more pressure they clamped down even harder and the car slowed like it was on a bungee cord. So much more braking than I ever imagined, and lots more that I never used.

Since I had to keep the top up and windows open, there was a lot of stress on the rag top. I kept the speeds down on the straights most of the time to minimize potential damage, but one lap I let the car scurry along a bit faster. Somewhere between an indicated 120 and 125 the car suddenly got very light and unsettled. Felt like it would get out from under me. Major butt pucker moment. I slowed down and the car settled back down on the suspenders. But that was a pretty unexpected surprise. Another surprise is that the car was still pulling hard. No idea where it might have topped out if it had stayed on the ground.

At the end of the day, it was worth the time and expense to see what the car would do. I couldn't be happier (except maybe for the getting airborne thing). Burned so little oil that I couldn't measure the difference on the dip stick.

One last amazing thing... driving home from Danville, VA to Annapolis, the obc showed that I squeaked out 29mpg! Yeah, I babied it, and as the mpg started to go higher, I was gentler on the gas to see what I could get out of it. It became a game of nerves. I never went under the speed limit in case anybody's wondering. The following pic was taken before I got all the way home as I was getting off major roads and onto back roads. Figured I'd maximize the numbers. Took about 9 gallons of gas this morning after running a few errands, so I guess the obc is pretty close.

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[Dramad1]

29 mpg, wtf.
Mines been stuck st 16.9 and averaging 17.1.
It has not changed except worse, no matter how I drive the car. I roll about 80 freeway miles a day as well.
That's just crazy 2 me that it's that good for you. I also have the 6mt so that may have something to do with it.

 

[Finally]

29 mpg, wtf.
Mines been stuck st 16.9 and averaging 17.1.
It has not changed except worse, no matter how I drive the car. I roll about 80 freeway miles a day as well.
That's just crazy 2 me that it's that good for you. I also have the 6mt so that may have something to do with it.

Gotta say it blew me away. I usually get 24 on the road, but this trip was almost all highway with very few stops (those stops and restarts are killers). I don't ever expect to get that again. I have a 3.15 rear end and that might have an impact, too. Still, I'm amazed.

 

[MaskedRacerX]

Awesome write up, that sounds like a fun day at VIR (I ran there one time, also at Summit Point once at a Vette event). That's pretty impressive, I'm stoked to see how my GTPP convertible runs. I hadn't really thought about any events in it, but I'm close to Sebring and Roebling Road, that might be a fun weekend (I've never had a convertible on track either).


Side note: love the avatar and title I'm right there with ya.

 

[peetucket]

Good times on the track. Glad to hear your top didn't get ripped off at 120 MPH.

I have the GT convertible as well, but with a MT and the standard gears. I can easily get 27-28 MPG on the highway, even with the top down, at around 70-75MPH. Using the A/C will drop it a bit. Stop-and-go on hills, which is the more usual pattern for me, is more like 14 MPG though, so there is a big difference. Hilly terrain really lowers the mileage, perhaps due to the high weight?

 

[Finally]

Awesome write up, that sounds like a fun day at VIR (I ran there one time, also at Summit Point once at a Vette event). That's pretty impressive, I'm stoked to see how my GTPP convertible runs. I hadn't really thought about any events in it, but I'm close to Sebring and Roebling Road, that might be a fun weekend (I've never had a convertible on track either).


Side note: love the avatar and title I'm right there with ya.

Thanks! I love Summit Point, too, especially the karosel. Did my first event there back in 1979 with Bill Scott. Did it a few times since... the last time was in a MINI. OEM run flat tires, cold, in the rain. It was a 2 mile skid pad. Good experience, but lots of work. The on board stability and traction nannies got a workout that day. :lol:

A sticking point for getting this car on the track is its lack of a roll bar. The track manager had me sign a special waiver, in addition to the usual waiver, that basically said they were held harmless no matter what happened. Just like the usual, but with even more legalese. If your tracks have a problem with the roll bar thing, you might ask if they have a waiver (unless of course you have a roll bar).

 

[Todd15Fastback]

Great information. Glad you are happy!

I want to hit VIR next year with my GTPP.

 

[Finally]

Good times on the track. Glad to hear your top didn't get ripped off at 120 MPH.

I have the GT convertible as well, but with a MT and the standard gears. I can easily get 27-28 MPG on the highway, even with the top down, at around 70-75MPH. Using the A/C will drop it a bit. Stop-and-go on hills, which is the more usual pattern for me, is more like 14 MPG though, so there is a big difference. Hilly terrain really lowers the mileage, perhaps due to the high weight?

Thanks! I was really worried about the top... probably not covered by warranty if it tore off at speed.

In addition to terrain and stop and go, I think we can get improved mileage with driving style, tire pressures, etc. If I were 30 years younger, mpg wouldn't even be a consideration. Now, it's kind of a challenge just for fun. Maybe we need a thread for highest mpg on a tank of gas. Whaddya think?

 

[Finally]

Great information. Glad you are happy!

I want to hit VIR next year with my GTPP.

You'll have a ball.

FWIW, I watched every youtube video I could find of cars on that track, but nothing really prepared me for the real thing. I think most of us have to drive it before the videos help. Following the skid marks in the braking zones is a good start, except for the ones that drift off into the giggle weeds. :lol:

 

[Armen]

It's the best automatic I've ever owned. The programming is just amazing. It's like no other auto Mustang before it.

 

[jhenley17]

How congested does C / novice tend to be for you track day regulars? I used to do them occasionally on my bike at (formerly) No Problem before they built NOLA MSP, but I was a lot more careless back then, and a bike isn't a $45k car. Even if I can keep myself in check, I'd hate for someone else to come into a corner too hot and smoke me.

 

[GTP]

...
Somewhere between an indicated 120 and 125 the car suddenly got very light and unsettled. Felt like it would get out from under me. Major butt pucker moment. I slowed down and the car settled back down on the suspenders.

Yeah, the suspension vendors are convincing in how to make our cars faster in the corners, but I still wonder about aerodynamic stability at speed. Cars naturally tend towards oversteer at speed, and that is why a spoiler or wing on the back helps to balance it out again. But how MUCH spoiler/wing is the right amount?

It's the best automatic I've ever owned. The programming is just amazing. It's like no other auto Mustang before it.

The combo of drive mode with the automatic is great, huh? You can literally switch the tranny to match your needs.

 

[DoingOK]

Congrats OP......VIR is my home track. My son and I run there and we just bought a 2016 GTPP to set up for events there next year. We typically run with NASA and have a blast. This is my 16 year old at his first full course event this year:

 

[Finally]

Congrats OP......VIR is my home track. My son and I run there and we just bought a 2016 GTPP to set up for events there next year. We typically run with NASA and have a blast. This is my 16 year old at his first full course event this year:

That's awesome! Terrific way to spend father/son time, and create memories that you'll both treasure for a lifetime! Beautiful car, too! :cheers:

 

[Finally]

Yeah, the suspension vendors are convincing in how to make our cars faster in the corners, but I still wonder about aerodynamic stability at speed. Cars naturally tend towards oversteer at speed, and that is why a spoiler or wing on the back helps to balance it out again. But how MUCH spoiler/wing is the right amount? ....

Excellent points!

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