GT500 Track Performance

[mmm635]

^^^ I take very good care of the guy who does my tires on my CF wheels. He is conscientious and takes his time with them. I also have him do my forged aluminum wheels too. The old saying, you've got to pay to play.... sometimes these things happen. I will bet anyone here that Ford will not be offering the road hazard warranty for the new 500 wheels. On top of that, the caliper clearance is atrocious, similar to that of 6GR wheels. I will be buying a set of forged aluminum wheels for my CFTP.

By the way, good to see you back here, its been a while.

Thanks. Haha...a steak dinner is in order for your tire guy! I am more excited about the GT500 than I was for the GT350R...the wait is a true test of patience.

I did not get the CFTP, so I will be ordering some Forgelines or whatever works best.

I also have to deal with lack of knowledge for Porsche centerlocks around here. They require special cones for mounting and balancing that most shops have never heard of or seen.

Here is a shot of a CF wheel on my vertical mount tire changer...

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[FastCarFanBoy]

Am I the only one who wants to ask Billy if the Ford GT he set the short lived VIR track record with had more left in it?

 

[Tomster]

Am I the only one who wants to ask Billy if the Ford GT he set the short lived VIR track record with had more left in it?

That would be like walking up to a celebrity and asking for his autograph. It probably gets old. I don't want to pester the guy, because I would like him to stick around.

 

[likeaboss]

That's great to hear! It's truly a shame to see GT350R owners shelve their carbon wheels, because they are a SIGNIFICANT part of the equation that makes the GT350R a world-class car, and quite special. They improve lap times by ~1 second over and equivalent weight Al wheel, and improve that turn-in feel, communication through the steering, and overall make the car perform better and feel lighter than it is, in ways that aluminum wheels cannot.

Sure you can put an equivalent weight (or a couple lbs heavier) aluminum wheel on the car, but it will be much softer (camber-loss from cornering), worse turn-in precision, and require more static camber to have the same grip when cornering (which hurts brake performance) and it will have more gyroscopic effect (despite being the same weight on the scale), and just cannot compare to the overall benefits of carbon fiber wheels.

The GT500 Track's carbon fiber wheels deliver similar improvements - making the car feel lighter, improving steering feel, communication through the wheel, cornering performance, etc... Vaughn Gitten Jr. just drove the GT500 for the first time at Goodwood Festival of Speed and he was blown away by how the car handles and said it felt like it weighted the same as the GT350. I think that's quite the compliment given the car has a supercharger, much heavier DCT transmission, larger radiator, intercooler, larger trans and oil cooler, larger wheels, MUCH larger brakes, etc... Weight numbers are TBA, but like the GT350, the Ford Performance team has worked magic on the GT500 to make it feel much lighter than it is, and perform in ways that just shouldn't be possible.


Exactly. However it's often the people who have never felt it for themselves are the ones who say there is no difference. I stand by my comments that anyone (who likes driving) who drove 2 identical cars (or the same car) back to back on the same size/brand tires with the only difference an Al vs CF wheel, would be able to feel the difference.


Thanks for the feedback. Unless you have tried it, you just won't believe it. I even said this in my MotoIQ article. You truly can feel it in a parking lot. I agree the tire is likely damaged and a forged wheel would be destroyed. I would also urge him to check out his suspension arms and bushings based off the impact it would take to damage the CF wheel to that level.

Those scuffs are easily and inexpensively repaired by Spyder. Carbon Rev ground the rim lip into a curb over and over, the video is impressive and I told them they need to post it, and there's nothing structurally wrong with the wheel and Spyder was able to repair it no problem. If you eventually care to fix it, hit them up.


Thanks. Unfortunately this thread is an example why those 'in the know' don't come on here, and why I probably shouldn't either. However I feel it's important to convey the benefits of CF wheels because they are such a new technology that people have unjust fears about, and because they are just so amazing and truly are the way of the future. Heck, Ford adopted CF wheels before Ferrari and Porsche, and they are sold on the benefits and are working them into more vehicles because they are outright better. That's how cutting edge Ford is, which is pretty awesome to see.

Carbon Fiber wheels are a industry-leading, world-class technology that came out on the (relatively) affordable GT350R. They are a key component that makes the GT350R truly incredible, the Ford GT amazing (over the Al wheels), and the GT500 Track car insanely capable. That's not to say anything negative about the base GT350, GT, GT500 -they are all fantastic cars in their own right, but when equipped with CF wheels, those cars perform (from a quantifiable standpoint to an intangible 'feel' standpoint) at another level that makes them truly special.

Replacing the CF wheels on the GT350R is like taking the wing off the car because you don't like the looks, or replacing the tires with worse performing track tires (or wider Cup 2's that actually perform worse because they are not as sticky or designed for the GT350R like the bespoke originals) -but I see many people do that too. Now Mustangs are the most modified car ever produced and people should do what they want with their cars, and what makes them happy, but GT350R owner's as a whole seem to not realize how special the wheels are, how much of a benefit they deliver, and how amazing their car is with those wheels on it. The wheels are repairable, and the juice is definitely worth the squeeze.

Any chance you can share some driving impressions of the "base" GT500 compared to other cars you've driven given that's the car most of us are going to be able to obtain? If you can't yet that's cool just let us know either way. I greatly appreciate the work you've done to help with the development of the GT500.

 

[FastCarFanBoy]

That would be like walking up to a celebrity and asking for his autograph. It probably gets old. I don't want to pester the guy, because I would like him to stick around.

Not exactly, were on a car forum discussing cars and he is the only one person on earth that can answer the question. He's not out at dinner with his family and given the conversation he just endured with epiphany I figure he'd welcome the change of subject.

 

[obspsd]

Any chance you can share some driving impressions of the "base" GT500 compared to other cars you've driven given that's the car most of us are going to be able to obtain? If you can't yet that's cool just let us know either way. I greatly appreciate the work you've done to help with the development of the GT500.

What he said!

 

[BillyJRacing]

I'll be on @TeamLethal 's live Instagram answering questions at 5pm EST.

 

[Epiphany]

It's futile to have a cordial conversation with someone who constantly takes things out of context in attempt to discredit them. I think you did the same on corner carvers and yes, that was a far more immature and disrespectful forum. You're probably right, that I shouldn't waste my time on them, not because your condescending reasoning, but because it's a waste of time to try to help others when some people are just out there to show their own dominance.

I hope anyone who is genuinely interested in the topic of carbon fiber wheels would give the article an honest read. They are the future and are far superior to aluminum wheels on almost every front. The main negative being cost, but that has already come down drastically and will continue to do so as Carbon

Oy.

There's no attempt to discredit but if that's how you see it so be it. When you make all inclusive statements you open pandora's box. I'd be more careful of that as well as to avoid ambiguity where possible.

As to corner-carvers, no, I never posted in any of your threads. I watched as the sharks circled and that was it. That forum could be very disrespectful, I agree. Interestingly, some of the sharpest engineers in the industry posted there and likely in your own threads.

This never ends with you. Condescending reasoning? Dude, accuse someone of being nefarious and then tell me I'm condescending for refuting open ended claims you've made? That is jackassery at its finest. And this isn't about "dominance" but rather a deeper understanding. Avoid the personal comments and stick to the tech and you'll reach a much broader audience.

 

[Tomster]

Well, I hope we see Billy again. I was kind looking forward to hearing more from him.

Who's up next, Dean Martin?

 

[Epiphany]

Dean's a good man. And he's not afraid of a challenge from anybody.

 

[svttim]

http://www.dexcraft.com/articles/ca...nium-vs-carbon-fiber-comparison-of-materials/

 

[MaskedRacerX]

Well, I hope we see Billy again. I was kind looking forward to hearing more from him.

Who's up next, Dean Martin?

... or Sammy or Frank?

 

[FastCarFanBoy]

http://www.dexcraft.com/articles/ca...nium-vs-carbon-fiber-comparison-of-materials/

Very informative.

 

[1mic]

Word on the street from those in the know is the GT500 with the CFTP is faster than the Ford GT on track.

I dont believe this one bit, maybe on an oval track. Or maybe if the driver of the GT500 is a pro, and the Ford GT is a rookie (not even amateur).

The ford GT is so slick and much lighter, oh yea and active rear wing for downforce. The answer is no, the GT500 is not faster than a GT on the track. Also there is an MKII Ford GT coming out with more power, basically a hardcore track version.

 

[cosmo]

I dont believe this one bit, maybe on an oval track. Or maybe if the driver of the GT500 is a pro, and the Ford GT is a rookie (not even amateur).

The ford GT is so slick and much lighter, oh yea and active rear wing for downforce. The answer is no, the GT500 is not faster than a GT on the track. Also there is an MKII Ford GT coming out with more power, basically a hardcore track version.

I've heard the same. Performance comes in just under/right around a ZR1 in the carbon fiber variant.

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