2020 GT500 first reviews

AnthonyGS said:

There are a lot of terrible youtube car reviewers out there.   I will be very interested to see how this pig does at lighntning lap 2020.  As much as I like the new Mustangs the GT350 is the only one I'd buy.  I'd probably prefer a C7 granfmd sport.  I'd probably prefer an 06-08 Cayman S to both of them, and I'd bery likely prefer a 525 hp LS powered ND to any of th, and lap times wouldn't be the deciding factor, fun per $$$ would be.

I think the C7 GS will be cheaper than a well built LS ND.

Is it weird that the 760hp is kind of a turn off for me? I mean this is supposed to be a road car most of the time and this ain't Forza we're living in.

In reply to z31maniac :

I'm sure you are correct but will it be more fun?

AnthonyGS said:

In reply to z31maniac :

I'm sure you are correct but will it be more fun?

No idea. I haven't driven either. When people aren't trying to pick nits over small stuff. All these awesome cars that have come out over the last 10 years..............there are a ton of them I would enjoy!

z31maniac said:

AnthonyGS said:

In reply to z31maniac :

I'm sure you are correct but will it be more fun?

No idea. I haven't driven either. When people aren't trying to pick nits over small stuff. All these awesome cars that have come out over the last 10 years..............there are a ton of them I would enjoy!

So many choices in every flavor. It's amazing. 

A video on Jalopnik where you can really hear the exhaust.  This thing sounds awesome!  Then they take it on a track and the reviewer didn't tighten her harness quite enough so she's about to fly out of the seat.  Looks like it's pretty fast on a track

https://jalopnik.com/a-2020-ford-mustang-shelby-gt500-is-so-fast-youll-need-1839538018

If this GT500 motor, that is now shoehorned into Jay Leno's new Bronco, can have a MT from Ford, any reason the ACTUAL GT500, can't have the same trans?

I think there are three things here that need context.

1) Doug DeMuro's reviews are not as good as Chris Harris, but they are not supposed to be. He isn't a hot-shoe, he's a regular guy who carved out an interesting niche for himself. I will never own or even sit in the 959 or F40, dream cars of my youth, but he has and he covers all the weird little things that interest me. You have to want to know about cupholders and dash switches to like Doug, its for serious car nerds.

2) Most Corvettes are purchased by a certain kind of buyer. The first C8 caters to that audience very well, they are not going to care about lap times or tire sizes. That the "base" car is so good and so capable is a testament to GM and the Corvette team. They will buy them in volume and help fund special editions that will absolutely go faster and handle better. I hope to see some Z51 or 1LE-type editions that slot below the ZO6 and ZR1 versions. Something that will appeal to autocrossers and casual track-day people, mostly so I can buy one when it depreciates in 20 years.

3) The GT500 is amazing, full stop. There are faster cars, there are slower cars. There are cheaper cars, and more expensive ones. Ford is basically GMC now, they make trucks and SUVs, so the fact that they let a team develop the GT500 at all is a miracle. I'll never afford one just like I'll never date Jessica Alba, but I'm glad I get to enjoy them both from a distance.  (OK, Jessica does call me from time to time, but I've been very clear that I am a one-woman man)

mr2s2000elise said:

If this GT500 motor, that is now shoehorned into Jay Leno's new Bronco, can have a MT from Ford, any reason the ACTUAL GT500, can't have the same trans?

Warranty seems like the obvious one. Leno's Bronco isn't going to drive 60k in it's lifetime, let alone 2 or 3 times that distance like any current vehicle is expected to do. And he's got the money to cover any issues that arise out of warranty. Ford's currently being sued for faulty transmissions with premature failures on the Focus DCT. They probably don't want to go down that road again.

There are also other costs associated with recertifying. Each different drivetrain has to be retested/certified for fuel economy, emissions, and crash tests. Recalibrating the PCM alone to pass emissions tests could cost Ford 6 figures in development and testing costs.

STM317 said:

mr2s2000elise said:

If this GT500 motor, that is now shoehorned into Jay Leno's new Bronco, can have a MT from Ford, any reason the ACTUAL GT500, can't have the same trans?

Warranty seems like the obvious one. Leno's Bronco isn't going to drive 60k in it's lifetime, let alone 2 or 3 times that distance like any current vehicle is expected to do. And he's got the money to cover any issues that arise out of warranty. Ford's currently being sued for faulty transmissions with premature failures on the Focus DCT. They probably don't want to go down that road again.

There are also other costs associated with recertifying. Each different drivetrain has to be retested/certified for fuel economy, emissions, and crash tests. Recalibrating the PCM alone to pass emissions tests could cost Ford 6 or 7 figures in development and testing costs.

Makes sense. I don't follow Ford much, except for the Raptor and the GT350R. I know the ecoboost and the DCT focus problems, but are their MT problematic? I know there aren't any MT buyers these days, but I was thinking as a halo car (GT500), that they didn't have a trans that could handle the torque. But the Ford guy in the Leno video kept talking about "all the engineering that went into, creating a MT that can handle all the torque." THus I was curious. 

Appreciate clearing it up. Thanks :)