DaveH
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #1
I posted this up on another forum, as people there really wanted me to compare it to some of my previous cars. I'm a true car enthusiast and don't believe in brand loyalty at all, I feel it's good to try new things and go into each one without prejudice.
To preface this, as many of you know, my past cars leading into this were a Ferrari 430 spider (manual), 991 Carrera S PDK, Mclaren MP4-12C, and an Aston Martin GT. There have been some others like GT-R's and an F-Type but those were all a couple of years back now. Naturally, these were all pretty special, and some were just pure exotica which came with their own issues and occasional regrets (losing $100k overnight on the 12C comes to mind).
I've been following the GT350 since its announcement over 12 months ago, and I remember thinking it was going to be something quite special when they decided on a flat plane crank V8. I was hoping they'd continue down the same path Ferrari have (the only other FPC engines I have experience with) and build a car around the engine, rather than as they have with the GT500's, take a stock car and throw a gargantuan motor in it. I can tell you wholeheartedly that Ford have created a masterpiece here, it's a truly special car, and that's something I didn't anticipate Ford to do.
Now, the regular 2015 Mustang is a huge leap over the previous generation, even in the base trim levels, let alone the GT, they've taken huge strides towards competing with its more obvious European rivals. I drove a regular GT before buying the GT350 (no test drives, period), and was extremely impressed with the level of specification, gearbox, interior and the motor. In essence, the GT350 is to the GT what a GT3 is to a Carrera S, it's not a simple trim swap with bigger wheels - Ford went out of their way to make this a streetable track car that, incidentally, laps almost as fast as a 911 GT3.
Now, finding one of these was all but impossible, I ended up seeing one car that wasn't already sold, with no new orders being allowed for quite a while, and only certain dealers getting allocations. The dealers know how rare these are and the dealer I purchased from wanted $30k over sticker price but I ended up getting it on New Year's Eve for $6k over. Honestly, getting yourself in front of the dealer with your trade in hand can go a long way to making the deal happen on your terms - they get a lot of time wasters/tire kickers.
So, onto the car itself - impressive.
Exterior:
It's an imposing car, with a very aggressive look to it, and the color, which may not be to everyone's taste is unique to the GT350 and IMO looks fantastic. Exterior build quality on mine has been fantastic, I really can't fault it, even the paint is pretty good with very little orange peel in it. Compared to the Aston/Mclaren, which have arguably the best paint in the business, I've not been let down. My E92 M3 had some of the worst paint I've ever seen on a car, but then that entire car was the biggest disappointment of my motoring career.
Interior:
Interior is functional, but very well screwed together. Not German in quality, but a far cry from anything previously done in a Mustang. Now I don't have many miles on it yet, but it certainly doesn't squeak or rattle, even with the added vibration from the FPC engine. The seats are amazingly comfortable, though I do have the tech package so ended up losing the standard bucket seats in lieu of navigation, magnetic dampers, heated/cooled seats and a few other things. I'd have to liked to have seen fully electric seats, since the back is manually adjustable, but I can't say that really bothers me all that much. Seat memory would've also been nice, but again, not a deal breaker. Now, I had low expectations coming from the Aston Martin, which if you're not familiar, is entirely leather/metal/alacantara. Even the door jambs are covered in leather, so it's an incredibly nice, luxurious place to be. Given where I came from, I'm pleasantly surprised, as the GT350 is a lovely place to be.
Seating position is good, though visibility over the long hood is challenging. I can't say this is a major issue for me as many of my previous cars have been far worse. Rear visibility is fine, as are the quarters and sides. It's a roomy interior, and the car feels quite large compared to the AM, but probably not significantly different to the M4.
Engine/Gearbox
What is there to say, except for sensational. This is the heart of the car, and it delivers character in spades. 5.2L flat plane crank, 526hp,429lbft, with an extremely notable kick beyond 3.5k makes for a fun engine. The flat plane crank allows it to rev freely, though not as blippy as the Ferrari was, it retains a lot of the same characteristics. Firing it up in the morning causes my entire house to shake, just like my F430 did, which is always fun, and it really barks upon hitting that start button. With the exhaust valves open, it's louder than my F-Type V8S was, with ridiculous amounts of crackles and bangs on the overrun. At low revs, you can hear the FPC sound, but it's a little more muscle car esque, it's when you push beyond 5k, up to the 8250rpm red line it takes on a real hard edge, with incredible similarities to the Ferrari.
It's a seriously quick car, especially once you pass the 3.5k rpm area, it pulls rapidly to the redline, with no let off in torque or hp until the 8250rpm cut off. Naturally, with 100hp advantage it's significantly faster than the Aston Martin it replaced, and I have to say, I prefer the engine and exhaust note of the GT350 too - this surprised me because I've always been a huge lover of Aston's and the way they sound.
I'd prefer it if they removed the rev-hold on the GT350, as I find it a little annoying for rapid up shifts, but I can always have that tuned out if necessary. Pedals are spaced well enough for heel and toe, and thanks to the FPC engine, rev-matching is immensely easy on the way down the box. Speaking of the gearbox, it's a lovely movement, short throw but with a little bit more flexibility than the Aston Martin. Not as notchy as the AM, and definitely easier to get into gear than the Ferrari, but I'm afraid nothing will ever compare to the gated 6MT in my F430, that was a work of art, and a real experience to use.
Handling
My car is equipped with the magnetic ride dampers, which I've experienced in other cars before. Now, there's nothing on the planet that can compete with the MP4-12C here or anything else McLaren makes for that matter. Their suspension system is stunning, and no, the GT350 doesn't come close to the levels of comfort that provides. However, the GT350 isn't crashy compared to the Aston, and rides perhaps a little softer than the 911 too. It doesn't feel like you're on a cloud like in the MP4, but it's good, especially for a track car. What's incredible however, and something I will compare to the MP4 is the ability to control body roll. The GT350 feels big and heavy when you first sit in it, yet the second you turn the wheel, all that weight seems to just disappear, as the car darts inwards with almost zero body roll. The same goes for front end rise and dip during acceleration and braking, the magnetic dampers adjust so rapidly that the car remains almost entirely flat at all times.
The car comes equipped with Michelin PSS from the factory, and this has always been a favorite tire of mine, and one I've had on just about every car I've owned since they came out. They grip phenomenally, and at this point, I've found them to be immensely predictable. I've not had the chance to really push the limits of under steer yet but as it stands, I'm impressed with the sure footedness of the car, ease of turn in and excellent road manners.
Brakes have always been a sticking point (no pun intended) on Shelby's, and having driven the 662hp GT500 around the track, I found the brakes on that downright dangerous as they faded within a couple of moderately paced laps. It seems Ford have finally listened (or the lawyers got fed up of cars in walls) and put some extremely good brakes on the GT350. 6 pot Brembo's up front, 4 in the rear , with cross drilled rotors. They don't squeal (unlike the Aston) but they generate a decent amount of dust (Aston made even more). Stopping power is excellent, easily some of the best brakes I've experienced on a car of this size, with more importantly, a really good pedal feel.
The steering is electric, and it shows. Ford haven't had the time or money to invest into making it closer to feeling like a hydraulic system, and it definitely feels a little numb. I'd liken it to newer Mercedes steering or to the power steering + in the 991 at low speeds, where there's very little feel. In track/sport mode, the steering stiffens up nicely, but there's definitely an isolated feeling from the front end, with only fairly significant undulations and bumps being transferred to your hands. Now, perhaps I'm spoiled as the Aston GT has arguably the best hydraulic steering feel of any car currently available, but it's definitely not as communicative as a 991 without PS+.
That said, the steering being a little numb doesn't detract from its ability to corner or handle well. Turn in is immediate, with excellent precision from the wheel.
Summary
Overall, I've been rather impressed by the GT350, and I think I shall be keeping it for a long time to come. It has real character, is extremely exciting to drive, and gets more attention at car shows than any of the exotics I've previously had. Sometimes it's nice to have something that you're not afraid to put miles on, that you can leave just about anywhere, yet still has the character of an exotic car. Regarding that last point, Ford have definitely given this car an exotic edge, and given the competition it has had to face from my past cars, I'm actually rather surprised that I hold it in as high regard as the Ferrari and Aston.
Would I change anything? Audio system (I know I've harped on about this in the past) as it's absolutely abysmal. and make the steering a little more communicative. Other than that, there's not much I'd change at all. My hat goes off to Ford on this one, they've knocked it out of the park IMO with a well rounded track capable car, that's perfectly usable as a daily driver on the street.
To preface this, as many of you know, my past cars leading into this were a Ferrari 430 spider (manual), 991 Carrera S PDK, Mclaren MP4-12C, and an Aston Martin GT. There have been some others like GT-R's and an F-Type but those were all a couple of years back now. Naturally, these were all pretty special, and some were just pure exotica which came with their own issues and occasional regrets (losing $100k overnight on the 12C comes to mind).
I've been following the GT350 since its announcement over 12 months ago, and I remember thinking it was going to be something quite special when they decided on a flat plane crank V8. I was hoping they'd continue down the same path Ferrari have (the only other FPC engines I have experience with) and build a car around the engine, rather than as they have with the GT500's, take a stock car and throw a gargantuan motor in it. I can tell you wholeheartedly that Ford have created a masterpiece here, it's a truly special car, and that's something I didn't anticipate Ford to do.
Now, the regular 2015 Mustang is a huge leap over the previous generation, even in the base trim levels, let alone the GT, they've taken huge strides towards competing with its more obvious European rivals. I drove a regular GT before buying the GT350 (no test drives, period), and was extremely impressed with the level of specification, gearbox, interior and the motor. In essence, the GT350 is to the GT what a GT3 is to a Carrera S, it's not a simple trim swap with bigger wheels - Ford went out of their way to make this a streetable track car that, incidentally, laps almost as fast as a 911 GT3.
Now, finding one of these was all but impossible, I ended up seeing one car that wasn't already sold, with no new orders being allowed for quite a while, and only certain dealers getting allocations. The dealers know how rare these are and the dealer I purchased from wanted $30k over sticker price but I ended up getting it on New Year's Eve for $6k over. Honestly, getting yourself in front of the dealer with your trade in hand can go a long way to making the deal happen on your terms - they get a lot of time wasters/tire kickers.
So, onto the car itself - impressive.
Exterior:
It's an imposing car, with a very aggressive look to it, and the color, which may not be to everyone's taste is unique to the GT350 and IMO looks fantastic. Exterior build quality on mine has been fantastic, I really can't fault it, even the paint is pretty good with very little orange peel in it. Compared to the Aston/Mclaren, which have arguably the best paint in the business, I've not been let down. My E92 M3 had some of the worst paint I've ever seen on a car, but then that entire car was the biggest disappointment of my motoring career.
Interior:
Interior is functional, but very well screwed together. Not German in quality, but a far cry from anything previously done in a Mustang. Now I don't have many miles on it yet, but it certainly doesn't squeak or rattle, even with the added vibration from the FPC engine. The seats are amazingly comfortable, though I do have the tech package so ended up losing the standard bucket seats in lieu of navigation, magnetic dampers, heated/cooled seats and a few other things. I'd have to liked to have seen fully electric seats, since the back is manually adjustable, but I can't say that really bothers me all that much. Seat memory would've also been nice, but again, not a deal breaker. Now, I had low expectations coming from the Aston Martin, which if you're not familiar, is entirely leather/metal/alacantara. Even the door jambs are covered in leather, so it's an incredibly nice, luxurious place to be. Given where I came from, I'm pleasantly surprised, as the GT350 is a lovely place to be.
Seating position is good, though visibility over the long hood is challenging. I can't say this is a major issue for me as many of my previous cars have been far worse. Rear visibility is fine, as are the quarters and sides. It's a roomy interior, and the car feels quite large compared to the AM, but probably not significantly different to the M4.
Engine/Gearbox
What is there to say, except for sensational. This is the heart of the car, and it delivers character in spades. 5.2L flat plane crank, 526hp,429lbft, with an extremely notable kick beyond 3.5k makes for a fun engine. The flat plane crank allows it to rev freely, though not as blippy as the Ferrari was, it retains a lot of the same characteristics. Firing it up in the morning causes my entire house to shake, just like my F430 did, which is always fun, and it really barks upon hitting that start button. With the exhaust valves open, it's louder than my F-Type V8S was, with ridiculous amounts of crackles and bangs on the overrun. At low revs, you can hear the FPC sound, but it's a little more muscle car esque, it's when you push beyond 5k, up to the 8250rpm red line it takes on a real hard edge, with incredible similarities to the Ferrari.
It's a seriously quick car, especially once you pass the 3.5k rpm area, it pulls rapidly to the redline, with no let off in torque or hp until the 8250rpm cut off. Naturally, with 100hp advantage it's significantly faster than the Aston Martin it replaced, and I have to say, I prefer the engine and exhaust note of the GT350 too - this surprised me because I've always been a huge lover of Aston's and the way they sound.
I'd prefer it if they removed the rev-hold on the GT350, as I find it a little annoying for rapid up shifts, but I can always have that tuned out if necessary. Pedals are spaced well enough for heel and toe, and thanks to the FPC engine, rev-matching is immensely easy on the way down the box. Speaking of the gearbox, it's a lovely movement, short throw but with a little bit more flexibility than the Aston Martin. Not as notchy as the AM, and definitely easier to get into gear than the Ferrari, but I'm afraid nothing will ever compare to the gated 6MT in my F430, that was a work of art, and a real experience to use.
Handling
My car is equipped with the magnetic ride dampers, which I've experienced in other cars before. Now, there's nothing on the planet that can compete with the MP4-12C here or anything else McLaren makes for that matter. Their suspension system is stunning, and no, the GT350 doesn't come close to the levels of comfort that provides. However, the GT350 isn't crashy compared to the Aston, and rides perhaps a little softer than the 911 too. It doesn't feel like you're on a cloud like in the MP4, but it's good, especially for a track car. What's incredible however, and something I will compare to the MP4 is the ability to control body roll. The GT350 feels big and heavy when you first sit in it, yet the second you turn the wheel, all that weight seems to just disappear, as the car darts inwards with almost zero body roll. The same goes for front end rise and dip during acceleration and braking, the magnetic dampers adjust so rapidly that the car remains almost entirely flat at all times.
The car comes equipped with Michelin PSS from the factory, and this has always been a favorite tire of mine, and one I've had on just about every car I've owned since they came out. They grip phenomenally, and at this point, I've found them to be immensely predictable. I've not had the chance to really push the limits of under steer yet but as it stands, I'm impressed with the sure footedness of the car, ease of turn in and excellent road manners.
Brakes have always been a sticking point (no pun intended) on Shelby's, and having driven the 662hp GT500 around the track, I found the brakes on that downright dangerous as they faded within a couple of moderately paced laps. It seems Ford have finally listened (or the lawyers got fed up of cars in walls) and put some extremely good brakes on the GT350. 6 pot Brembo's up front, 4 in the rear , with cross drilled rotors. They don't squeal (unlike the Aston) but they generate a decent amount of dust (Aston made even more). Stopping power is excellent, easily some of the best brakes I've experienced on a car of this size, with more importantly, a really good pedal feel.
The steering is electric, and it shows. Ford haven't had the time or money to invest into making it closer to feeling like a hydraulic system, and it definitely feels a little numb. I'd liken it to newer Mercedes steering or to the power steering + in the 991 at low speeds, where there's very little feel. In track/sport mode, the steering stiffens up nicely, but there's definitely an isolated feeling from the front end, with only fairly significant undulations and bumps being transferred to your hands. Now, perhaps I'm spoiled as the Aston GT has arguably the best hydraulic steering feel of any car currently available, but it's definitely not as communicative as a 991 without PS+.
That said, the steering being a little numb doesn't detract from its ability to corner or handle well. Turn in is immediate, with excellent precision from the wheel.
Summary
Overall, I've been rather impressed by the GT350, and I think I shall be keeping it for a long time to come. It has real character, is extremely exciting to drive, and gets more attention at car shows than any of the exotics I've previously had. Sometimes it's nice to have something that you're not afraid to put miles on, that you can leave just about anywhere, yet still has the character of an exotic car. Regarding that last point, Ford have definitely given this car an exotic edge, and given the competition it has had to face from my past cars, I'm actually rather surprised that I hold it in as high regard as the Ferrari and Aston.
Would I change anything? Audio system (I know I've harped on about this in the past) as it's absolutely abysmal. and make the steering a little more communicative. Other than that, there's not much I'd change at all. My hat goes off to Ford on this one, they've knocked it out of the park IMO with a well rounded track capable car, that's perfectly usable as a daily driver on the street.
Sponsored
