The Complicated Calculus - Selling Your Car For The GT500

[3star2nr]

Terrance,

Thanks for the right up. One thing I noticed and that your images really exaggerate is the front wheel offset. It was mentioned during the development and launch of the GT500 that the front fenders were even wider than the already widened GT350 front fenders, yet the car uses the same wheel and tire widths up front. From your photos, especially the last two, it's pretty obvious how far inside the front wheels sit on the GT500. I was curious if you had a chance to speak with the engineers about this at all given your background and focus on perfect wheel fitment. Was this an aero based decision to? a requirement of the GT500 fender vents that got nixed during development? I've never seen anyone directly explain the reason for the even wider than wide fenders.

Interesting question man. In General from an aerodynamics standpoint narrower is better. The vehicle dynamics teams are who usually want to widen the track width for greater traction and stability during cornering.

Generally The shorter the track width the harder it is to turn the car...

I suspect the car was designed for much wider tires and possibly to accomodate wheel spacers in "race trim" and they downsized it to use a tire thats already commercially available for the GT350 to cut production costs.

More than likely they are planning to release an R version soon which may take advantage of the wider body work.

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[Frank.Herbst]

History repeating itself, 350 or 500, maybe one of each.

 

[nastang87xx]

Given my finances, I don't feel like I'm missing anything by not having a 500. I feel like it is a privilege enough to even say I owned a Shelby Mustang. I'm just not made of money, maybe some day. I feel like rebuilding my GT350 and doing what i want with the car is the best route for me right now. I thought about a C8 for a while and then the more time went on and my nerves calmed, the more I missed my 350 and it was still right in the garage. As time goes further on and the way the industry is going I feel like the 350 could be a lifer for me. I'll probably end up having a great street/track GT350 and then end up focusing more on a nice daily driver. All depends on the dollar signs though. And the future isn't set in stone.

 

[ctandc72]

Great write up. Honestly, the GT500 NOT getting a manual is a smart decision by Ford - and that's coming from someone who has had (by choice) a manual transmission daily driver for 30 years.

First as you mentioned - it opens up the potential pool of buyers. How many people over the last few years have seen a GT350 and been intrigued, researched it and realized they couldn't get an automatic transmission equipped version and that steered them away? There are a multitude of reasons why someone can't, isn't able or simply chooses to not drive a manual transmission equipped car.

Next up - which you also touched on - is the fact that it's A LOT harder to drive a high performance car to it's fullest potential when it's equipped with a manual transmission. That is true whether it's drag racing or lapping the track.

The other issue - and it's one of the factors (admitted by factory engineers) that several exclusive sports car manufacturers have pretty much stopped offering manual transmissions in their cars - driver induced error that can cause liability or warranty issues.

I can say that I'm "not buying a GT500" because it doesn't have a manual transmission - but that would be BS. I'm not buying a GT500 because I personally do not want to spend that kind of money on a factory engineered, new car - no matter who makes it. That's just how I'm wired. I'd much prefer to use that money and build something myself - something suited for me.

I just hope more people realize that we are living in a wonderful time - possibly the greatest time- to me a performance car enthusiast. Heck, basic model "economy" cars come with more HP than so called performance cars of past decades did.

I am a bit intrigued what the GT500 will do with the GT350 used market. I'm not exaggerating when I say I have entertained the idea of buying a used GT350 and it being my daily driver. These cars are made to be driven. I couldn't see having something like a GT350 or GT500 sitting in my garage and not driving it every day.

 

[1mic]

i'm just gonna kick back and wait for someone to put a GT500 engine in a 350 or 350R, or to swap the center stack to put a manual in the 500. People are already doing this with the Supra.

This engine and tranny will not be cheap, so not sure if doing an engine swap would be feasible. Just like the trinity GT500 motor, aint nobody doing those swaps.

 

[Epiphany]

I simply wanted more grunt. I loved my GT350 but missed the power from my older GT500. The transmission thing...I've had manuals since the early eighties and always liked them. I put a shifter in every manual transmissioned car I ever owned. I always like having as much control as possible over how I drive and stick cars deliver in that regard. I also had cars with high stall converters and bang-shift valve bodies that were fun to thrash.

I've never owned a DCT shifted car and I look at it this way. We're in a weird place right now. The Left has a stranglehold that has hypnotized much of the populace such that we are absolutely moving away from carbon based motivation and towards something I'm not a fan of. I see this GT500 as sort of a bridge between being the best of what we used to desire and the movement towards hybridization/electrification. We're not going back and are pretty much near the brink. So at this point, Ford made the car I didn't think they had in them anymore and decided to go all in in terms of performance numbers, manual transmission be damned. I still have a "ruggedized" Fox body that I can use to shift by hand/foot when I feel the need and that's good enough for me. Not simply throwing caution to the wind but instead I see the DCT as an opportunity to extract every bit of what cars have always been for me - internal combustion monsters. Or dinosaurs, I suppose, and we know how that played out.

 

[BoomBoy]

The GT350 is a better car anyway due to the manual transmission, weight, FPC engine (8250 red line) and fun factor so no it is not complicated. You'd be stupid to sell a GT350 for a GT500, IMO. Buy the GT500 if you have a GT350 already and can afford it for occasional track days/drag races or you're rich and for the hell of it lol. I'd never part a manual car especially a car like the GT350 for an automatic one.

 

[Epiphany]

You'd be stupid to sell a GT350 for a GT500

Good to know.

 

[mavisky]

I've said it before and I'll say it again here. We're looking at a situation with the GT350 and GT500 where we have a near equivalence to the GT3 and GT2RS that Porsche offer. Both track focused, one the fastest naturally aspirated manual transmission experience available from the manufacturer, the other a boosted dct equipped all out weapon that makes no compromises to the driver in the pursuit of ultimate measured performance.

Having options is a good thing and while many will have their preference (I always loved the higher redline naturally aspirated wail of the GT3) we shouldn't let their diffrences drive the owners of both apart. After all the development at the top of the chain results in better abilities for everyone else. Just look at the PP2 package that came out for standard GT's after the development of the GT350.

 

[Schwerin]

This engine and tranny will not be cheap, so not sure if doing an engine swap would be feasible. Just like the trinity GT500 motor, aint nobody doing those swaps.

Trinity was also only made for like 2yrs. If the GT500 is made for 5+ like the GT350 prices will be much lower for wrecked examples. There was a guy that bought a brand new BULLITT, put a wrap on it and swapped in a gt350 drivetrain already.

 

[1mic]

Trinity was also only made for like 2yrs. If the GT500 is made for 5+ like the GT350 prices will be much lower for wrecked examples. There was a guy that bought a brand new BULLITT, put a wrap on it and swapped in a gt350 drivetrain already.

That guy is retarded, should have just bought a GT350R. LOL

 

[Schwerin]

The GT350 is a better car anyway due to the manual transmission, weight, FPC engine (8250 red line) and fun factor so no it is not complicated. You'd be stupid to sell a GT350 for a GT500, IMO. Buy the GT500 if you have a GT350 already and can afford it for occasional track days/drag races or you're rich and for the hell of it lol. I'd never part a manual car especially a car like the GT350 for an automatic one.

Except for 1/4 mile, possibly laptimes, 0-60, ease of doing that as the drive doesn't need to also shift gears, power numbers.... You know except in every metric, the 350 is a much better car.

I think the word you are looking for is ENGAGING. The GT350 is a more driver engaging car. Which is the reason that I would personally prefer a 350 over a 500. The GT500 will beat it in every competition, but the 350 for me will be more engaging and fun.

 

[Schwerin]

That guy is retarded, should have just bought a GT350R. LOL

It was what he wanted, so he did it. If my 5.0 blows out of warranty I'd likely swap in a 5.2 and tremec also.

 

[svttim]

Shelby is converting the 500 to manual

i'm just gonna kick back and wait for someone to put a GT500 engine in a 350 or 350R, or to swap the center stack to put a manual in the 500. People are already doing this with the Supra.

 

[nastang87xx]

Trinity was also only made for like 2yrs. If the GT500 is made for 5+ like the GT350 prices will be much lower for wrecked examples. There was a guy that bought a brand new BULLITT, put a wrap on it and swapped in a gt350 drivetrain already.

Agreed with 1mic. So he put a powertrain from a bespoke car into a worse chassis...? I mean it's not my money but..........yeah.

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