Did you buy a Shelby and now wish you bought a Mustang GT ?

[Kep4]

I read somewhere in a thread here that the GT-350R was for the Connoisseur. Do they come with a jar of Grey Poupon? Asking for a friend.

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[oldbmwfan]

I read somewhere in a thread here that the GT-350R was for the Connoisseur. Do they come with a jar of Grey Poupon? Asking for a friend.

No, but they come with steering feel and responsiveness and chassis balance. I don't think it's a coincidence that a significant share of GT350/R owners are first-time Ford buyers who came to the car from Porsches and BMWs, which have generally been known to corner better than they go.

My GT350R was not my first Ford, but only because I first bought another limited-edition Ford that is "euro-like" in many ways, the Fiesta ST. Some people see that "euro like" characteristic as a bad thing, especially in the GT350. They pan the lack of low-end grunt and the inability to out-drag other cars with similar power numbers. I get it. I giggled like a little kid when I drove a '13 GT500; that low-end torque and neck-snapping launch is totally addictive. But get on a road course and I honestly don't care if something else is a little bit faster; the fun is in the feel and the balance and the ability to steer the car with your foot or the wheel. Some cars are more than the sum of their parts. The first 3 generations of the BMW M3 were like that. The Porsche Cayman is like that. The Mk1 and Mk2 VW GTI are like that. The Fiesta ST and the GT350R are definitely like that.

I did notice and like the S550 platform before the GT350, but I didn't consider buying one until the Shelby came out. Then I drove an early model thanks to a friend, and I was totally hooked. I drove the GT on track at Day 2 of the Track Attack, and it was fun chasing down the R-comp-shod Boss 302s in my GT with street tires, but even with the FP mods the GT didn't come alive in my hands the way the Shelby does. It is capable but not quite as fun.

 

[oneheadlite]

No.

But I wish I had kept my '15 Camaro SS.............

 

[Shift]

I can appreciate the GT350's engine. 520hp+, naturally aspirated, 8200+RPM, flat plane crank, Tremec 6speed manual, and handles great from the factory. For someone, that may not mean much to them at all. For me, it means Everything. Which is why I never considered ANY Mustang before the GT350, or after it unless they have exactly what I listed, and improved on it(This I highly doubt, which means I will keep the GT350 forever). In any case, when I see a clean Mustang on the street, you'll see a thumbs up from me. Doesn't matter if it's a V6, or a GT. If your car is clean, you love and take care of your car the same way I love and take care of my GT350, and that makes us one and the same.

 

[cosmic charlie]

I can appreciate the GT350's engine. 520hp+, naturally aspirated, 8200+RPM, flat plane crank, Tremec 6speed manual, and handles great from the factory. For someone, that may not mean much to them at all. For me, it means Everything. Which is why I never considered ANY Mustang before the GT350, or after it unless they have exactly what I listed, and improved on it(This I highly doubt, which means I will keep the GT350 forever). In any case, when I see a clean Mustang on the street, you'll see a thumbs up from me. Doesn't matter if it's a V6, or a GT. If your car is clean, you love and take care of your car the same way I love and take care of my GT350, and that makes us one and the same.

Amen brother!

 

[Kurac]

GT was never on the radar. I’d be in a ZL1 or C7Z if it wasn’t for the 350.

 

[ModularKid21]

Yeah it was the same with the Termi guys when I had a Mach1. Lots of them down right refused to believe that a Mach1 with 4.30 and tune was nipping on their heels at the drag strip even when people posted time slips, then it turned into "well they are generally an updated older Cobra motor" as if that was an excuse that helped their egos instead of just being like "Yup, nice cars, respond well to mods.". That didn't die down till teh GT500 came out and the Termi wasn't top dog anymore.

That attitude is part of what turned me off about SVTP.

PREACH. I had an ‘04 Mach 1 a while back and loved it. Never got an ounce of love from the Terminator crowd though.

The first time I drove a gt350, it felt underwhelming. But I also am fully aware that I didn’t get to experience that car in the manner it needs to be experienced in since I was just test driving one from a dealer. Now and then when I’m laying in bed and my mind drifts off into deep thought about whatever, I think to myself, “you should’ve just saved your money until you had enough to put down on a gt350”. I don’t know if maybe I played it up in my mind for the 350 to be completely different in every aspect than my gt, but it felt almost identical. My car is modified but there were still obvious differences, the slightly stiffer ride, the seats that were squeezing my thighs and love handles, the transmission. But when I got back in my car to head home, I didn’t feel the least bit of regret about buying my car and the additional money spent the modify it. Kinda one of those “you shouldn’t meet your hero’s” sort of deals. If given the opportunity to purchase one eventually, I’d probably go for it. I’d want a chance at ownership and to try and put that car through it’s paces before I could make a true comparison

I guess my post is backwards as far as what this thread was created for, but I just thought I’d share

 

[ihc95]

I try not to bench race but doesn't the GT350 have a slower 1320 but a higher trap speed than an A10 GT Performance Pack car?

Incorrect sir. A10 GTPP's are usually high 11s low 12s at 118-120. GT350's are mid 12s at 117-118.

Bench racing at its finest lol

 

[64Chevy]

I just watched the 30+ minute video on the thumb drive that comes in the box of treats that is sent to every new Shelby purchaser. The number of changes between the Shelby and the standard GT are remarkable. Even if you discount those things that matter little in daily 35 mph driving (aero things, for example) there are still many changes (suspension geometry, engine, brakes) that can be felt EVERY SINGLE TIME you drive the car. Whether those changes impact how you feel about the driving experience is another thing. While I care about what Carroll Shelby did in the 60's, it matters not at all to me regarding my current car. I am not a "badge" guy, and I am much more about function over form. You can look at the sidebar to see what cars I currently drive, and I have instructed high performance driving schools for 15 years. For me (and only for me) I was sold on the Shelby after driving it for just a few minutes--whereas the various iterations of GT's I tried didn't do it for me. I'm not saying the standard GT is not a great car--but for example I've driven every M3 variant since the E36 M3 (and briefly owned an E46) yet, to me, the E36 is the best. Ditto the Ferrari 360 vs 430--the 430 was arguably a better car, but I much preferred the 360. And even with that somewhat broad experience in nice cars, I still think the Shelby is something very special.

 

[2015Etrac]

I have a GT. I wish I could have bought/afforded a GT350. On the other hand, I daily my car and don't have a garage, so I'm not sure I would want to have a GT350 sitting outside all the time, it's bad enough having my GT sit outside in the snow and rain. If I could afford a GT350 and had a garage, there's no question, I would have bought one.

 

[Kep4]

Quite the effective, successful trolling with this thread! Hilarious and cringe worthy, but it sure got a lot of people going. Anyway:

 

[96cobra]

Put me in the group of people that would have never considered the GT.

When I sold my 1996 Cobra back in 2006, I felt I'd never own another mustang again unless it was a 1965/66. That '96 Cobra was my 7th Mustang, and from there I moved on and into cars that could handle and provided more of a drivers experience. Since that time I have owned Corvettes (Z06')s, BMW M's (M3/M4 and M550i) and a few others. It's not that I looked down on Mustang owners, it just wasn't the driver's experience I wanted. I don't feel like I'm alone in that thought either, I've met a good number of car enthusiasts who started out with Mustang GT's and moved on as they got older/could afford a more expensive car.

The discovery of the GT350 for me was by accident- I had broken the taillight on my Raptor and was in the Ford dealer buying a new one when I saw a white with blue stripes GT350 on the showroom floor. It instantly had me hooked on looks alone and I had always wanted a Shelby (figured I'd get an old one some day). The car struck me so much that I started doing research on it, and once I found out how special it was (flat plane crank, track capabilities, Shelby heritage, etc) I knew I needed to try one . A friend/acquaintance of mine had an R, and he took me for a ride in his and I became obsessed. I had to have one. The rest is history.

The only possible regret I have is that I just didn't just buy an R first, because once I had my GT350 (Mustang #8) I loved it so much that I had to have the R version (Mustang #9).

 

[Spacebird]

I suspect that the GT is a better street car than the GT350 in every way. I bet it’s a vastly better daily driver than the GT350, and especially the GT350R.

I would not own a Mustang if not for the GT350R. It serves a different purpose for me than the GT ever could.

 

[ComeIngotIt]

The opposite for me. Went with a brand new GT instead of spending a bit more on a used 350 and I regret it all the time. Still not a bad choice though, the GT has met my expectations for sure.

 

[PTM5.0]

I'm into acceleration and top speed so after driving a few GT350's coworkers owned, it wasn't a consideration. Nothing against the car but I'm not into road course racing. A Gen5 Viper GTC was at the top of my list but the engine issues scared me away.

There is one GT350 I'd buy just because of its rarity being a truly one-of-a-kind for the entire GT350 production run. I don't think John Savona is interested in selling it though.

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