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-500+ HP - Check
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I'd like to compare them all on the same day but since the GT350R is ~as fast as a GT3, it should be faster than the 911R. So I wonder how a GT350 TP would stack up against the 911R. Might be VERY close if the 350 has the same MPSC2's as the R.
0.02
I'm kind of missing the logic here.
GT350R ~ as fast as a GT3
911R will clearly be faster than a base GT3, yet somehow the GT350R will be faster than the 911R? I don't see how a 3700 lb behemoth will compete with sub-3000 lb in any contest other than a straight line.
911R will clearly be faster than a base GT3, yet somehow the GT350R will be faster than the 911R? I don't see how a 3700 lb behemoth will compete with sub-3000 lb in any contest other than a straight line.
Sorry for the vagueness. I implied (on a road course) since the GT3 and GT350R are special edition cars built for handling and being driven at the track.
With less downforce, less grip, and a slower transmission, the 911R will be slower than the GT3 -and thus slower than the GT350R on a road course.
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
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
MRLS settings: Track mode, ESC off
High praise for the car, nice to read.
I'm curious if they could have gotten a better lap time with the softer damper setting as well as lower hot MPSC2 pressures. Those seem pretty hot for that tire. 32-33 hot was what I found to be ideal on the GT3 for that tire. I'm sure the compounds are a tad different but still seems on the high side.
Very cool that they post all their testing specs and parameters. Adds an element of authenticity.
I'm curious if they could have gotten a better lap time with the softer damper setting as well as lower hot MPSC2 pressures. Those seem pretty hot for that tire. 32-33 hot was what I found to be ideal on the GT3 for that tire. I'm sure the compounds are a tad different but still seems on the high side.
I'm curious if they could have gotten a better lap time with the softer damper setting as well as lower hot MPSC2 pressures. Those seem pretty hot for that tire. 32-33 hot was what I found to be ideal on the GT3 for that tire. I'm sure the compounds are a tad different but still seems on the high side.
Very cool that they post all their testing specs and parameters. Adds an element of authenticity.
The track setting isn't that stiff and you lose a tiny bit of platform control in sport damper mode. I don't think they would have gone any faster in Sport mode. 36-38psi hot is pretty much ideal for the GT350R. I agree that the article was pretty well written and awesome to include what test procedures, driving modes, and hot pressures they ran. SOOO much better than Lightning Lap.
Originally Posted by hf1
Heavier car requires higher pressure.
Yup. Although the AMG GT S ran pretty low pressure for its weight and tire size -relatively lower than the 350R.
Went to look at a GT350 yesterday in Avalanche Gray... Was prepared to pull the trigger, but the panel fit and gaps was absolutely terrible :-(
As others have pointed out, apparently it's an issue on some of these cars. I'm a blue oval guy and own 2 Raptors, neither has this type of issue. Once the wife and I were done inspecting, the hood was misaligned, one door was toed in so much at the bottom that it had damaged the paint on the door sill. Front left fender off, rear trunk lid twisted and the rear bumper fascia was cocked to the point that there was no gap between it and the rear driver fender and had rubbed paint off at the panel 'gap.
That would be unreal. I'm not sure if the suspension/wheels are capable of handling true slicks. Also, 325's would really stick out on the rear end. As it is the 315's already sit proud to the body work.
09-21-2016, 01:44 PM
