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C7 Grand Sport vs GT350R...Ford making it hard not to look
MSRP for the GT350R is going to be 64k, Grand Sport reported to be 65k.
Head to head, these cars are really treading on some similar water. The GT350R is certainly track focused. It appears the "track pack", in order to obtain the appropriate coolers will add 7k to msrp, while the GS will come standard with the Z51's track capable equipment.
So, consider possibly equivalent cars at 71k for the Mustang, and 65k for the GS. The GT350R comes with the incredibly awesome flat plane 5.2 liter 526hp and 429ft/lb, plus OEM carbon wheels and cup2's. Now, that comes with a curb weight of 3760, so slightly plumper than the C7 GS.
I have to admit...it's damn hard not to think about it. I personally am hoping this Grand Sport can pull off some magic with the LT1 because Fords guys are really putting all the cards on the table. Other brands are seeing validity with doing track day machines, and Corvette is holding back just slightly. That's certainly a demographics issue...no question.
The greedy ford dealers will kill the comparison with their dealership 10-20K adder just for selling the car. And there is no guarantee Ford will warrant the Mustangs any better than GM does/does not.
I'm sure that when you focus narrowly on a few tech specs you can "compare" the two vehicles and they come out close, but at the end of the day the Mustang is a two-door sedan with a back seat and the Corvette is THE iconic American sports car. They aren't in the same league at all.
Yeah, it will go fast, but no matter how much you beef up the Mustang, it's still a Mustang. Just like when you put lipstick on a pig, it's still a pig.
From a completely unbiased, un-nuthugger standpoint, I think the GT350R is one hell of an accomplishment and Ford is bringing the Mustang platform closer and closer to that of the likes of ***** out sports cars like the Corvette, despite it's "cruiser/muscle car" past status. Mustang is closing the gap, and Corvette is moving away slower than is needed.
I also like the look, the flat plane is a game changer, and I would love to have one of these in my stable.
The things holding me back:
1. Corvette is still a Corvette and looks better from all angles, all day long. This would NOT be true if we were still talking about the C6.
2. Although the GT350R may par with the Z51 or GS on the track, the larger than life fact remains that one its main ways of accomplishing this is the carbon fiber wheels and Cup 2's. Add equal weight carbon wheels on the Z51/GS, and Cup 2's, and the either the Z51 or GS will beat it all day every day anywhere on any track.
3. The low end sucks on that 5.2 and you have to soar to the top of the tach to hit the money spot, which seems endless between gears.
Last edited by \Boost Monkey/; 04-07-2016 at 02:05 PM.
Seems all the comments are more status oriented and "label" related than the objective comparison of machine to machine.
From a true performance and experience perspective...badges aside, the GT350R makes a push.
True to the point above though, dealer gouging could really change the game. Even at 70k, you're pushing a lot for a Mustang, but the same can be said for a Camaro. End of day, they are all just mass production cars and the Corvette is no different.
I'm really curious what the Grand Sport can bring to the table in terms of real world track performance IF we see any true validation. Frankly, one of my biggest disappointments with C7 is GM"s real lack of validation from a marketing perspective. The push to really make the cars mark didn't happen versus what we saw with C6. Even efforts to make the Z28's presence known seemed a bit more bold.
I'm anxiously awaiting this Grand Sport. I hate that I have to mod the drivetrain a bit from the outset, burning my warranty but, you can't have it all I suppose.
From a completely unbiased, un-nuthugger standpoint, I think the GT350R is one hell of an accomplishment and Ford is bringing the Mustang platform closer and closer to that of the likes of ***** out sports cars like the Corvette, despite it's "cruiser/muscle car" past status. Mustang is closing the gap, and Corvette is moving away slower than is needed.
I also like the look, the flat plane is a game changer, and I would love to have one of these in my stable.
The things holding me back:
1. Corvette is still a Corvette and looks better from all angles, all day long. This would NOT be true if we were still talking about the C6.
2. Although the GT350R may par with the Z51 or GS on the track, the larger than life fact remains that one its main ways of accomplishing this is the carbon fiber wheels and Cup 2's. Add equal weight carbon wheels on the Z51/GS, and Cup 2's, and the either the Z51 or GS will beat it all day every day anywhere on any track.
3. The low end sucks on that 5.2 and you have to soar to the top of the tach to hit the money spot, which seems endless between gears.
Thank god someone came in to restore my faith here...
On point 1, the GT350R...it's a pretty mean looking machine, but I agree, I give the edge to the Grand Sport. Point 2...ehhh...that's like the Viper guys saying "put a supercharger on a Viper and see what happens"...one could do that for days. I think the objective is what you get out of the box, for the dollar. Point 3...I come from a genre with less torque and 9k rpm redlines, you work a bit harder, but when you make them sing and keep them in the range (on a track) the fun factory is huge. I'd have to drive one to decide.
I think at the end, it's really that engine that's attracting me. A great power number, naturally aspirated and very analog in a regulated era where manufacturers are really struggling to put cars like that on the lot. Somehow Ford is figuring out how to keep NA alive and GM seems to be missing some pieces on how to do the same, given their fleet averages, budgetary constraints, lineup, etc.
I'm sure that when you focus narrowly on a few tech specs you can "compare" the two vehicles and they come out close, but at the end of the day the Mustang is a two-door sedan with a back seat and the Corvette is THE iconic American sports car. They aren't in the same league at all.
Yeah, it will go fast, but no matter how much you beef up the Mustang, it's still a Mustang. Just like when you put lipstick on a pig, it's still a pig.
Congrats for making sure that the "sure-to-come ignorant statement" of this thread made the first page. How do you feel when a Porsche owner says, with much disdain, "a Corvette is still a Chevy?" Or that "a Corvette is not in the same league with a Porsche?" Instead of looking down your nose at a Mustang, why not take the approach that Vettes and Stangs are both fine cars, and different stroke for different folks is a good thing? Or am I asking too much?
Thank god someone came in to restore my faith here...
On point 1, the GT350R...it's a pretty mean looking machine, but I agree, I give the edge to the Grand Sport. Point 2...ehhh...that's like the Viper guys saying "put a supercharger on a Viper and see what happens"...one could do that for days. I think the objective is what you get out of the box, for the dollar. Point 3...I come from a genre with less torque and 9k rpm redlines, you work a bit harder, but when you make them sing and keep them in the range (on a track) the fun factory is huge. I'd have to drive one to decide.
I think at the end, it's really that engine that's attracting me. A great power number, naturally aspirated and very analog in a regulated era where manufacturers are really struggling to put cars like that on the lot. Somehow Ford is figuring out how to keep NA alive and GM seems to be missing some pieces on how to do the same, given their fleet averages, budgetary constraints, lineup, etc.
I agree, the looks are great...I really dig this gen mustang and was seriously considering a GT as my DD. The Vette has the edge, but I agree it is no canyon between the two in this regard.
I agree and normally don't like making arguments based on swapping or adding components to equal the field, but man we are talking about just wheels/tires here. The most basic, most plug and play mod one can do. It's like the easiest/least intuitive thing Ford could have done to even the field and required little to no thought or ingenuity. For this reason, I ding the "R" in this regard and use the swap rationale.
I also come from high revving imports/euros, this is my first American sports car, so I also dig high numbers on the tach. BUT, i dont want that in an American sports/muscle car. The Mustang is still a Mustang and I want some low end. I mean just a little something. The LT1's seemingly endless Torque band is so satisfying, I find myself not wanting anything else that might struggle where i would use it most.
Congrats for making sure that the "sure-to-come ignorant statement" of this thread made the first page. How do you feel when a Porsche owner says, with much disdain, "a Corvette is still a Chevy?" Or that "a Corvette is not in the same league with a Porsche?" Instead of looking down your nose at a Mustang, why not take the approach that Vettes and Stangs are both fine cars, and different stroke for different folks is a good thing? Or am I asking too much?
I'm sorry. I didn't know I was on the Mustang forum, but thanks for the ad hominem attack. That shows a lot of class on your part.
Comparing a Corvette to a Mustang seems nonsensical to me. It's an apples to oranges comparison. One is an agile two-seat sports car; the other is a small sedan with a big engine that goes fast in a straight line, a muscle car. They aren't the same thing. You may as well compare a Corvette to an F-150 so you can point out the truck hauls more stuff.
At least when you compare a Corvette to a Porsche, you're comparing two of the same type vehicle with each other. As another poster on this thread stated, a more appropriate comparison would be between the Mustang and the Camaro. They are both the same kind of car, and they are both competitors.
The Mustang has no class. It's a pig. That's my opinion, for which I owe neither you nor anyone else any apologies. If you're a Mustang fanboi, by all means put your dollars where your mouth is. But calling me ignorant because I favor a Corvette on a Corvette forum is what is stupid and ignorant here.
Comparing a Corvette to a Mustang seems nonsensical to me. It's an apples to oranges comparison. One is an agile two-seat sports car; the other is a small sedan with a big engine that goes fast in a straight line, a muscle car. They aren't the same thing..
2 points:
1) The 350R is a track monster, not a regular mustang
2) It is a fair comparison, because those who want a vette will also look at the Mustang, in the exact same fashion that some picked a 2016 Camaro over the vette (because they have small kids, want extra interior space, have a bad back like local sage Glen E, etc..)
I get what you're saying, I agree, I don't want to own a 64,000 dollar rental car clone. However, you're missing the valuable point that the 350 is an awesome car with outstanding engineering that will give the GS/z51 a run for the money in corners and straight lines.
04-07-2016, 12:59 PM
C7 Grand Sport vs GT350R...Ford making it hard not to look
