GT500 vs ZLE

[thill444]

If you making a decision to buy a car based on a Youtube comparison using imperfect conditions on a track then you are doing it wrong.

This video is way more about entertainment value than anything else, and from that perspective, was pretty fun to watch. I think we all agree it would have been better to have fresh OEM tires on all the cars, but they didn't. Everyone is so focused on the track test but nobody is talking about the vast majority of the video where you have to drive these cars on the street and live with them everyday. Where 90%+ of the buyers of these cars will actually spend their time and where 3 of the 4 picked the GT500 over the other options.

Not all of us are professional drivers who track our cars 90% of the time.

Sponsored

 

[gmd2003]

Exactly. Randy's comment at the end about the 10mph advantage in the 'straights' would be null and void if BillyJ's suggested install of front wicker and increased angle of attack in the rear materializes. More aggressive aero means - more drag. That would hurt the GT500 in the straightline speed.

The other important thing to note is that the GT500 CFTP is $20k+ more (before ADM) than the ZL1 1LE. It has to get all the fancy goodies and let go of rear seats to get close to or beat the ZL1 1LE's performance.

All this banter about track alignment setting and tires cannot justify that price point.

This only matters because Ford markets the CFTP GT500 as a fire breathing track day special.....just like a ZL1 1LE's intended use.

We already know that penalty from the VIR test . Base 500 hit 168 mph on the straight vs the CFTP hitting 166.x mph . It’s an efficient wing vs the spoiler on the handling package base car so lots more downforce with a smaller increase in drag than a big spoiler .

 

[Droopy1592]

Drag and downforce may be related but they aren’t the same thing.

 

[shogun32]

There are a few here that think Randy is very biased towards GM and allegedly continually "sandbags" it in whatever Ford he is in.

(ed. not aimed at you Minn19)

I mean really...

He would be *fired* from every organization if that was even the smallest whiff of evidence. Now maybe despite his many years of racing he's just not able to read Fords as well as he does GM or Porsche cars. That *is* a thing, you know. But to attack the integrity of a seasoned track tester who puts down remarkably consistent lap times at a variety of tracks on a slew of different cars is beyond the pale and rooted in nothing but vengeful spite at Ford's seeming inability to produce a GM-beating car at each level. If you want a different test driver to cross-check his numbers then pony up (ha) the fee to hire an alternate. If every other test driver who can put down lap times in the same bracket comes back with Ford beating GM consistently on their back-to-back tests THEN you might have some justification to cry shenanigans.

 

[TnWHTMARE]

There are a few here that think Randy is very biased towards GM and allegedly continually "sandbags" it in whatever Ford he is in.

While Randy clearly likes the Alpha platform alot, I dont think he is sandbagging...but I guess if one wishes to question his motives they are free to do that. I think there is plenty enough data out there to support the track prowess of the ZLE. As we all know, he made it clear that if the GT500 would have had new tires it would have beat the ZLE. I dont exactly see bias in that statement. But to each their own.

 

[kilobravo]

Drag and downforce may be related but they aren’t the same thing.

Quite so, Damien. There are many types of aerodynamic drag and in this case, parasite drag (or form drag,) applies to both vehicles and since both have rear wings, for simplicity we'll assume the parasite drag from them are equal.

The portion of drag that would be generated by downforce would simply add to the overall drag coefficient. If the wing on the 500 was set in the "road" position, it would exhibit less overall drag but, lose traction on high speed curves. OTOH, if the wing were set for track use, the overall drag would be greater but, traction would improve. So, me thinks we're splitting hairs and the condition of the tires was probably the biggest factor.

 

[Droopy1592]

While Randy clearly likes the Alpha platform alot, I dont think he is sandbagging...but I guess if one wishes to question his motives they are free to do that. I think there is plenty enough data out there to support the track prowess of the ZLE. As we all know, he made it clear that if the GT500 would have had new tires it would have beat the ZLE. I dont exactly see bias in that statement. But to each their own.

you can watch his side by side lap videos and at least once in each video, he appears to be sandbagging or doing something off in a Ford. I noticed this before I even bought a GT350, back when I was a German car fanboy. Go watch the older vs videos, he was ahead in the GT500 for 3/4th of the lap and then had a series of screwups in the last quarter vs the GT3RS, and in the GT350R vs Z28 and ZL1, there’s definitely something fishy going on in those laps. I’m at work and can’t watch again at the moment to analyze, but I definitely remember one instance of him going in turn one and two a fair bit slower in the Ford IIRC. He appears to be slightly lazier in the GT350R.

I love Randy BTW and have met him in person a few times.

 

[TnWHTMARE]

you can watch his side by side lap videos and at least once in each video, he appears to be sandbagging or doing something off in a Ford. I noticed this before I even bought a GT350, back when I was a German car fanboy. Go watch the older vs videos, he was ahead in the GT500 for 3/4th of the lap and then had a series of screwups in the last quarter vs the GT3RS, and in the GT350R vs Z28 and ZL1, there’s definitely something fishy going on in those laps. I’m at work and can’t watch again at the moment to analyze, but I definitely remember one instance of him going in turn one and two a fair bit slower in the Ford IIRC. He appears to be slightly lazier in the GT350R.

I love Randy BTW and have met him in person a few times.

Well, I could be wrong but I try to give someone the benefit of the doubt until shown otherwise. I think these results are close to what we saw with the Edmunds review also. Different day/different track, I get it, but it doesn't seem like the results are that far off from what very little tests we have back at this point. Anywho, the facts still remain: GT500 CFTP best all around and ZLE awesome bang for the buck.

 

[MaskedRacerX]

Now maybe despite his many years of racing he's just not able to read Fords as well as he does GM or Porsche cars. That *is* a thing, you know.

While Randy clearly likes the Alpha platform alot, I dont think he is sandbagging...

Personally, I don't think it's sandbagging, as in, "actively sabotaging" a test/review/comparo run, I think it's a bit of the two ideas above.

I'd say maybe a touch less enthusiasm in some makes - and not even consciously - it's like anything in life, you might tap into a little more mojo because of __tiny__ smidge of favoritism.

You might be able to get to 105% because of some subjective trait of the product that clicks with your subconscious, and/or how you perceive the differences.




It might also be alien interference of some sort ... __they_walk_among_us__.

 

[TnWHTMARE]

Personally, I don't think it's sandbagging, as in, "actively sabotaging" a test/review/comparo run, I think it's a bit of the two ideas above.

I'd say maybe a touch less enthusiasm in some makes - and not even consciously - it's like anything in life, you might tap into a little more mojo because of __tiny__ smidge of favoritism.

You might be able to get to 105% because of some subjective trait of the product that clicks with your subconscious, and/or how you perceive the differences.




It might also be alien interference of some sort ... __they_walk_among_us__.

Alien Interference

 

[TnWHTMARE]

Time will tell I guess as more results come in.

 

[MaskedRacerX]

Alien Interference

That seems like how they would respond ...

Clearly, this board has been infiltrated. Where's my foil hat ... ?

 

[MaskedRacerX]

Whew, OK, that's better ... you alien sons-a-bitches stay out of my head!

 

[martinjlm]

Whew, OK, that's better ... you alien sons-a-bitches stay out of my head!

You do know that they go in through the nostrils, right.

 

[shogun32]

You do know that they go in through the nostrils, right.

hasn't the recurring pandemics taught you nothing? Eyes it's always the eyes.

Sponsored