Motor Trend BDC GT350R Commentary (Update: 2nd Place)

[Variance]

Yep. Why dance around the edges? Just come right out with what you want to say. The differences between the non-R and R versions of the GT350 are primarily in the wheels/tires. Of course, just saying it does not make it so.

I'm sorry, but you are overestimating the effects of the minor suspension differences and underestimating the effects of the tires.

Putting the R's wheels and tires will not fully close the performance gap between the Track Pack GT350 and the R (and I doubt anybody is seriously saying that), but it would for damn sure make said gap a hell of a lot narrower.

Additionally, as an engineer myself, I would be willing to bet that one of the primary design considerations behind the higher spring rates and modified damping is simply the fact that the wheels are so much lighter on the R. The lighter wheels have less inertia, so they require stiffer springs and stronger damping to, put simply, "hold them in place".

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[Aurelius]

man, that is the ultimate insult!

Ha. I didn't think it was that bad and only meant it to get a laugh. I ultimately enjoy their videos so it wasn't meant in the sense they should stop. I think they are funny. But the comparison to Rutlidge is too strong to ignore. It's like a mini very well scripted version of top gear where Jason Cammisa can jest but also drive and Tanner Foust happens to played by Randy and fills that slot in nicely. I'll give credit where credit is due since I'd rather chain watch ignition and head 2 head episodes rather than sit through one top gear us. Really hoping Amazons new show pans out for Clarkson, May, and Hammond.

 

[torque124]

I'm sorry, but you are overestimating the effects of the minor suspension differences and underestimating the effects of the tires.

Putting the R's wheels and tires will not fully close the performance gap between the Track Pack GT350 and the R (and I doubt anybody is seriously saying that), but it would for damn sure make said gap a hell of a lot narrower.

Additionally, as an engineer myself, I would be willing to bet that one of the primary design considerations behind the higher spring rates and modified damping is simply the fact that the wheels are so much lighter on the R. The lighter wheels have less inertia, so they require stiffer springs and stronger damping to, put simply, "hold them in place".

+1 . If you look at the changes, they are all done on the R to work in unison, so the car as a whole is a track weapon . They HAD to change springs, suspension dampers and software to take into account much lighter wheels...

 

[Bossing]

MOTOR TREND Names McLaren 570S the Best Driver’s Car of 2016

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160922005289/en/MOTOR-TREND-Names-McLaren-570S-Driver’s-Car

September 22, 2016 08:40 AM Eastern Daylight Time
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--TEN: The Enthusiast Network announced today that MOTOR TREND has selected the 2017 McLaren 570S as the winner of the 2016 Best Driver’s Car Award, presented by Mothers®.

MOTOR TREND.com features exclusive videos and on-site reviews of the 12 competitors throughout MOTOR TREND’s Best Driver’s Car Week, and this award announcement serves as the centerpiece of the five-day online event.

“I am delighted that MOTOR TREND has recognized the McLaren 570S as their Best Driver’s Car. From the moment the McLaren 570S was conceived, that’s exactly what it was intended to be – the best possible driver’s car on the road or the track”

“The McLaren 570S stands out in this year’s crowd of high-horsepower overachievers because it provides a preternatural connection between driver and machine,” says MOTOR TREND Editor-in-Chief Ed Loh. “With massive thrust in a lightweight, mid-engine chassis that can be guided by the fingertips, the 570S is immensely addictive—and the perfect homage to McLaren’s Grand Prix pedigree.”

Twelve automakers volunteered their best sports cars, supercars, and ponycars for a week of vigorous testing that included MOTOR TREND’s standard battery of instrumented tests, a closed-course hillclimb on one of California’s best mountain roads, as well as hot lapping at the legendary Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, with championship-winning race car driver Randy Pobst behind the wheel.

“The McLaren 570S makes 100 mph feel like a drive-thru; it sets your heart racing but never makes your palms sweaty, because no matter how fast you’re going, you can always count on the brakes to slow you for the next corner and the car to easily take it at double the recommended speed,” says MOTOR TREND Associate Editor Scott Evans.

“I am delighted that MOTOR TREND has recognized the McLaren 570S as their Best Driver’s Car. From the moment the McLaren 570S was conceived, that’s exactly what it was intended to be – the best possible driver’s car on the road or the track,” said Mike Flewitt, CEO of McLaren Automotive. “Using the core DNA of McLaren- a 3.8-liter twin turbocharged engine paired with a lightweight carbon fibre Monocell chassis- the 570S was tuned to offer the most amount of fun, and as such we wanted the 570S to be focused on being a real driver’s car. Since the reveal in New York last year, the 570S Coupe has redefined the perception of a sports car, and the Motor Trend Best Driver’s Car award is a very welcome validation of our ambitions.”

Since 2009, the MOTOR TREND staff and Randy Pobst have come out for MOTOR TREND’s Best Driver’s Car Week to thoroughly test, review, and film the year’s top sports sedans, coupes, hatchbacks, and roadsters. In addition to the 2017 McLaren 570S, the field of the 2016 Best Driver’s Car included:

2017 Acura NSX
2017 Aston Martin V12 Vantage S
2017 Audi R8 V10 (Plus)
2016 BMW M4 GTS
2017 Chevrolet Camaro SS (1LE)
2016 Dodge Viper ACR
2016 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R
2017 Jaguar F-Type SVR
2016 McLaren 570S
2016 Mercedes-AMG GT S
2017 Nissan GT-R
2017 Porsche 911 Carrera S​

[ame]

 

[Aurelius]

http://www.motortrend.com/cars/mclaren/570/2016/2016-motor-trend-best-drivers-car/

Hurry up and read that link so we can discuss... Shocked the 1LE did that well but I guess I'm biased... Not trying to spoil it for anyone.

 

[Bossing]

2nd Place.....

2ND PLACE: 2016 FORD MUSTANG SHELBY GT350R

8,250 REASONS TO CELEBRATE

Ford should’ve named this Shelby GT350R after its engine. The Voodoo 5.2-liter V-8 dominates the driving experience and all subsequent conversations. Reaching for its 8,250-rpm redline fills you with disbelief. You stare at the tachometer and ask it incredulously, “Really? Really?!”

All the cars here feel special, but some only do at their limits. The GT350R’s character is ever-present because of that engine, inspiring socially irresponsible behavior at all speeds. At 8,250 rpm, its redline is the third highest in this group. Its 526 horsepower is the most of any naturally aspirated Ford engine ever. And its 429-lb-ft torque peak at 4,750 rpm is strong enough to make you short shift by mistake.

Ford dealers are selling these for $25,000 over sticker. Feels like a bargain.

Like a Ferrari V-8, the engine employs a flat-plane crank where the connecting rods attach at 180-degree intervals. Unlike typical flat-plane crank V-8s, this one has a larger displacement and a unique crank design and firing order to accommodate the packaging limits imposed on the intake manifold and exhaust. The resulting sound is neither the grumble you’d expect of Detroit nor the howl from Maranello. “Sounds like a chainsaw with a Flowmaster,” Evans said. Add a megaphone, too; with the variable exhaust set to Sport, the GT350R is the loudest car here.

The engine overshadows everything else, and that’s crazy when you’re talking about a car with carbon-fiber wheels. Those wheels reduce rotational inertia, which sharpens acceleration, braking, and steering. Combined with sticky Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, they create a front with a seemingly endless capacity for entry speed. The MagneRide dampers provide excellent control on the track and compliance for street driving. They also allow a drag race mode that softens the rear to aid squat during launch. Drag racers will also appreciate a factory line lock.

Unlike some others here, the GT350R doesn’t have track-car kit such as a low-hanging splitter or a massive wing, nor does it punish its occupants with a harsh ride and road and tire noise. Yet it delivers on enjoyment and performance. Its best lap was 1:36.11. In 2010, a Ferrari 458 ran 1:36.22. More important, that lap wasn’t hard work. “It was putting a smile on my face even though I’m dead serious about trying to turn a good lap time,” Pobst said. “That almost never happens.”

What held the GT350R from first? The steering. We expected tramlining—the front tires are the widest here—but MacKenzie called it “by far the worst experienced in any modern high-performance car.” Further, the wheel itself would go numb and occasionally bind when countersteering. This made the rear hard to catch during power oversteer off a corner, turning small slides into large ones. Criticizing the drifting capabilities for many cars here seems silly, but the GT350R encourages such behavior.

Still, many in this group have more power and more complex technology and command vastly higher prices. And many of them are almost as fast as a Mustang. — Carlos Lago​

Lug torque: 150 lb-ft
Doorpost cold pressures (f/r): 32/32 psi NOTE: For drag strip, use 28/28 psi cold; will heat up
MRLS hot pressures (f/r): 38/38 psi

Acceleration settings/procedure:
- Select Drag Strip setting
- ESC off
- Rev to 3,500 rpm
- Dump clutch and modulate wheelspin with throttle

Figure-eight settings/procedure: Track mode, ESC off
MRLS settings: Track mode, ESC off

 

[Zitrosounds]

http://www.motortrend.com/cars/mclaren/570/2016/2016-motor-trend-best-drivers-car/

Hurry up and read that link so we can discuss... Shocked the 1LE did that well but I guess I'm biased... Not trying to spoil it for anyone.

What is there to discuss? This is a great placement. I think we can all agree that the steering feel could be better. The fact that is shares the same rack as the GT is a compromise that kept the car in many's budget. Great job FP! I love my car! Nnow just wish I could drive it out the shop : (

 

[MCarsFan]

Kudos to Ford.

What an embarrassment for BMW.... They have lost their way, 11th for their flagship GTS? What a disgusting exhaust sound.

If they dont change their way, I think they wont be invited to this event in upcoming years.

 

[stanglife]

Still, many in this group have more power and more complex technology and command vastly higher prices. And many of them are almost as fast as a Mustang. — Carlos Lago

This car is a bargain, for sure.

 

[nastang87xx]

Further, the wheel itself would go numb and occasionally bind when countersteering. This made the rear hard to catch during power oversteer off a corner, turning small slides into large ones. Criticizing the drifting capabilities for many cars here seems silly, but the GT350R encourages such behavior.

That's an interesting observation because I've never felt a car (my Track Pack car anyway) more forgiving when you kick the tail out. Not an S2000, not a Pontiac GTO, not a Corvette, not a Zeta Camaro, not an E92 M3 not ANYTHING except for maybe an NC Miata and nothing about that car is difficult. It is SO easy and I know exactly where to put the wheel for however much oversteer I'm getting and I'm by far most certainly not the best driver ever.

 

[5.0 435]

Can't wait to see what the track key will do. Oh wait there's no key. FP said that ecu flash is coming.

 

[J_Maher_AMG]

Can't wait to see what the track key will do. Oh wait there's no key. FP said that ecu flash is coming.

Any more info?? First I've heard of a Factory ECU flash if that is what you are implying?? Be very interested if this is true!

 

[J_Maher_AMG]

On a side note, broken-hearted it didn't get first :(

I think they have a valid point regarding the steering input, as it definitely is the weakest point of the driving experience. And I may be a little biased, but I don't think the steering is bad enough that it makes the otherwise phenomenal driving experience better than that of the 570S that in Randy's own words "you have to be careful in it. I don't like having to be careful in a car." To me personally, if you have to be thinking about what your'e doing and consciously thinking about being careful as to not upset the car, to me that is a bigger deal and more of an experience buzz-kill than electric steering.

Still fantastic placement, but the engine and transmission, suspension and braking, oh and did I forget to mention the engine, along with 8250 rpms IMO just deserves to win in that comparo. No matter how much better the McLarens steering was, I can't believe it was that good to overcome the amazing characteristics that the R has to offer.

 

[5.0 435]

This used 2016 650 S for a cool $269K.....it's got 650 hp should be even better.

 

[Aurelius]

On a side note, broken-hearted it didn't get first :(

I think they have a valid point regarding the steering input, as it definitely is the weakest point of the driving experience. And I may be a little biased, but I don't think the steering is bad enough that it makes the otherwise phenomenal driving experience better than that of the 570S that in Randy's own words "you have to be careful in it. I don't like having to be careful in a car." To me personally, if you have to be thinking about what your'e doing and consciously thinking about being careful as to not upset the car, to me that is a bigger deal and more of an experience buzz-kill than electric steering.

Still fantastic placement, but the engine and transmission, suspension and braking, oh and did I forget to mention the engine, along with 8250 rpms IMO just deserves to win in that comparo. No matter how much better the McLarens steering was, I can't believe it was that good to overcome the amazing characteristics that the R has to offer.

Agreed, I'm glad it placed 2nd and I'm really shocked that the Camaro was that good of an experience to be up there as well. Beating out the Viper and GT-R was a bit shocking to me but I guess it's understandable when you think Driver's Car and not speed demon track car. This is also not me hating on the GT350, I love my car as well, just saying I'm amazed that it beat out the cars that it did.

I don't see how the Camaro 1LE is that much of an all that experience. The refresh to the interior was much needed, it looks good... on the inside.

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