Austinj427
Well-Known Member
I agree with this.@Demonic , that is truth. It is absolutely visceral. It goes beyond technicalities and specs. I bought my '18 R in November 2018. I test drove a several 2018 GT 5.0's as well as a ZL1 1LE. I could have bought any of those cars. I knew the specs, the 0-60's, all that stuff. But when I drove a used 2017 Grabber Blue GT350, that was it. Yes it had power, it handled like it was on rails, it had the rumble. But man, just driving that thing, I knew what I had to do. I ended up with an R, even without having test driven one.
Also the point about respect, that is true also. Apart from the thumbs ups we all get, I was at a wrap/paint correction shop locally here in so-Cal, maybe one of the premiere shops in this area. I was getting my vinyl stripes re-applied on the hood, and the cars and clientele there are "high end" folks: La Ferrari, 720s, GT3RS, 911 Turbo S, Tesla X, etc. My R was by far the least expensive car there. There was one guy, a client, who pulled up in his Porsche Panamera in that amazing chalk gray. Ends up he has 10 Porsches, including a GT2RS, 2 GT3RS, MacLaren 720s and a brand new Senna, etc. But he was a cool dude. And the point? He kept gushing about how he would totally buy an R. He gushed about its looks, how aggressive it is, how unique the Voodoo is, a true car enthusiast. I would think he would look down on me, but he just kept raving about the GT350 and how Ford got it right. He spoke about the respect the 350 has amongst his Porsche pals and on Rennlist. Seriously a filthy rich young man (the shop owner told me he owns a clothing company and also designs spoilers for cars) but one who appreciates the 350.
So yes, everything you say about this car's admiration and attention is true. Even those with exotics and supercars love the GT350/R. It's no 5.0.
It's the cheapest car that gets you into the "elite" club.
I happened to be driving my car when I went by our local high end car vault. There was a new Ford GT and a 570S sitting out front with 911s and Aston's littered around. I parked my car near them and walked up to check out the rest. People were checking out and talking out my car as it sat with cars worth 3x as much. It's interesting that it "belongs" around automotive royalty.
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