Has anyone driven a gt350?

[Bhobbs]

Originally Posted by Mustang Fanboy

Exactly.

It's the fact that Ford put it in the hands of the common folk which makes it special.

I personally don't know how one couldn't drool over a ANY naturaly aspirated V8 with a 5.2L displacement pumping out 526hp at over 8K rpm. Is it the best flat plane v8 out there? Who cares, it's the only one that I could have the remote possibility of owning.

I agree, other than the displacement argument. If it took .5 liters or 50 liters, I would still love an n/a engine making 526 hp.

Originally Posted by ender2664

I agree. It is a high preforming good car, I never disputed that. I simply think it is silly when people praise the car for the motor given it is nothing special. Praise it for track times and response or the engine being well suited for the car it is in. It was a good choice to put that engine in that car, but the engine stand alone is truly nothing special.

From an engineering standpoint, it is special. Generally speaking, FPC engines don't go over 2.5 liters for 4 cylinders and 5.0 for 8 cylinders because the vibrations are very difficult to control. You can't just throw on counter weights to tame them. Ford managed to do so, and do it well enough to guarantee it for a long time.

Throw in the fact that most engines making this kind of power are turbo or supercharged, it is special.

Originally Posted by Mustang Fanboy

Using that logic, the engine itself has been around for over 100 years...therefore no engine is special.

Show me another domestic car that puts down 526 hp naturally aspirated. GM's ls7 puts down 505hp, but it takes an extra 1.8L displacement...and is still 21hp short.
http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cult...h-maintenance/

It's also 10 years newer, with twice the valves and four times the cams with a compression ratio a full point higher. Oh, and has to rev an extra 1000 rpm to beat the LS7.

Displacement between DOHC and OHV engines is apples to oranges, so that's not a valid argument.

[Thor142]

Originally Posted by ender2664

A corolla and Ferrari both have seats....unimpressive
Comparisons are unimpressive, it is what is behind them that makes them potentially impressive.

Are you being obtuse on purpose?

[Mustang Fanboy]

Originally Posted by Bhobbs

It's also 10 years newer, with twice the valves and four times the cams with a compression ratio a full point higher. Oh, and has to rev an extra 1000 rpm to beat the LS7.

Displacement between DOHC and OHV engines is apples to oranges, so that's not a valid argument.

AND 1.8L smaller

It also has to endure all of the rigors placed upon it by being in the hands of a daily driver.

Engines regardless of size, crank or cam placement will always be compared. In the end, it's all about the HP and torque. That's not to say I will ever buy an american pony car with a 4cyl engine.

[khell86]

Originally Posted by ender2664

And if you think the LT1 could not make more power NA you are doing the same. Most engines are not tapped out, just look at what a 2.0L can do at the drag strip.

Yeah you're making my point. Domestic engines are handicapped due to emissions requirements. Not so much Ferrari and Lambo. So to say that what Ford did with the Voodoo is unimpressive is ignorant. There's no doubt in my mind a Voodoo could match or beat the output of a 458 if Ford was free to do what they wanted.

[Bhobbs]

Originally Posted by Mustang Fanboy

AND 1.8L smaller

It also has to endure all of the rigors placed upon it by being in the hands of a daily driver.

Engines regardless of size, crank or cam placement will always be compared. In the end, it's all about the HP and torque. That's not to say I will ever buy an american pony car with a 4cyl engine.

Well, if that's the case, it's down 1.8 liters and 60 lb ft of torque.

[ST1LE]

The Voodoo is nothing shy of incredibly impressive. If I thought paying $60K for a car was a good idea, then a GT350 would be the car I bought.

Nothing in this price range can offer you the same experience the Voodoo can. NOTHING!!

[KenH.]

The GT350 is nice looking from the outside. Looks are a personal preference and I prefer the lines of the camaro. I don't like the recessed grill on the mustangs or the teardrop shaped cab lines.

When you compare the fact that the performance is on par with the SS the price is not worth it. ZL1 will tear it up.

I actually agree with ender. You guys saying it's special are doing so not because it's special in how it makes the car perform but special in the sense that it's a novelty item with a novelty redline and exhaust note for an "affordable" american sports car. Sure more hp than the LT but less torque. For the price difference on these cars you could do head work, throw in a cam and have a 600+ hp NA camaro.

I understand that as car enthusiasts we pick things to identify as special about our cars, and it's not like either car is a bad choice, but lets not get carried away with how good the 5.2 is ... cause it's not.

[Mustang Fanboy]

Originally Posted by Bhobbs

Well, if that's the case, it's down 1.8 liters and 60 lb ft of torque.

Touche, which is why it's not a 1/4 mile terror.

Originally Posted by KenH.

The GT350 is nice looking from the outside. Looks are a personal preference and I prefer the lines of the camaro. I don't like the recessed grill on the mustangs or the teardrop shaped cab lines.

When you compare the fact that the performance is on par with the SS the price is not worth it. ZL1 will tear it up.

I actually agree with ender. You guys saying it's special are doing so not because it's special in how it makes the car perform but special in the sense that it's a novelty item with a novelty redline and exhaust note for an "affordable" american sports car. Sure more hp than the LT but less torque. For the price difference on these cars you could do head work, throw in a cam and have a 600+ hp NA camaro.

I understand that as car enthusiasts we pick things to identify as special about our cars, and it's not like either car is a bad choice, but lets not get carried away with how good the 5.2 is ... cause it's not.

The performance isn’t on par with an SS….and the Zl1 should tear it up, it will have an ass-load more horsepower (supercharged).

If you haven’t noticed, the high revving nature of the voodoo allows a broader power-band. It is the biggest reason the GT350 performs as it does. The voodoo has 90% of its torque available from 3450RPM to 7000RPM.

Some good reading for you…

http://www.powerperformancenews.com/...-gt350-engine/

http://wardsauto.com/2016/ford-s-52l...ng-masterpiece

What exactly about the engine in your opinion makes It a novelty? How is an 8250 redline a novelty when it allows the area under the curve to be huge?

I can build a 600HP NA 408w for cheap as hell. What’s your point? Will it last as long as the voodoo? Nope. Does it have a warranty? Nope. Does it pass emissions? Nope. Is the voodoo maxed out? Nope. You can’t go on comparing modified engines to what OEM is offering with their factory warranty. Hell, the voodoo engine doesn’t even have direct injection yet.

[ST1LE]

Originally Posted by KenH.

The GT350 is nice looking from the outside. Looks are a personal preference and I prefer the lines of the camaro. I don't like the recessed grill on the mustangs or the teardrop shaped cab lines.

When you compare the fact that the performance is on par with the SS the price is not worth it. ZL1 will tear it up.

I actually agree with ender. You guys saying it's special are doing so not because it's special in how it makes the car perform but special in the sense that it's a novelty item with a novelty redline and exhaust note for an "affordable" american sports car. Sure more hp than the LT but less torque. For the price difference on these cars you could do head work, throw in a cam and have a 600+ hp NA camaro.

I understand that as car enthusiasts we pick things to identify as special about our cars, and it's not like either car is a bad choice, but lets not get carried away with how good the 5.2 is ... cause it's not.

I cannot comment on others, but my reference has nothing to do with 'novelty'. When I say the Voodoo is special it is because of how it makes the car perform and how it makes you feel when driving it. That is all I care about.

[Mustang Fanboy]

Originally Posted by ST1LE

I cannot comment on others, but my reference has nothing to do with 'novelty'. When I say the Voodoo is special it is because of how it makes the car perform and how it makes you feel when driving it. That is all I care about.

Agreed.

When I think of novelty I think of the mustangs puddle lights, or the infinitely adjustable interior light options. Novelty on an engine would be the Coyotes sound tube that amplifies the intake in a lame attempt to make the cabin sound better.

Having an engine that puts out the most NA horsepower out of a v8 and highest RPM, with the broadest powerband compared to any other domestic automaker is hardly a novelty.

[WhyUMad1LE]

Originally Posted by activepat

It is $58k. And so is a Vette or convertible 2SS. I call it very affordable.

It is $66k with air conditioning and very difficult to obtain without a markup since only a couple hundred are produced a year.

[Norm Peterson]

Originally Posted by Mustang Fanboy

Hell, the voodoo engine doesn’t even have direct injection yet.

It doesn't even have the naturally correct firing order for a V8 FPC, and I suspect as a consequence to that, less effective exhaust routing. If that was to avoid sounding "too exotic" or "too European for ponycar tastes", then to that extent anyway the development team was working at cross purposes with itself.

The concept of developing the Voodoo specifically for a model line that sits at least two full steps below low-end exotics is positively stunning, but to me the execution isn't quite there.

You'd only have to hear a GT350 with 4 into 1 headers to imagine what could have been.


Norm

[SS 1LE]

I was invited to drive a few of them months ago at Sebring. I have owned multiple Mustangs over the years, and got the invite from Ford. I like the car a lot, the engine is awesome, it sounds sick, but I ordered a SS 1LE. The GT350 is too much coin, even IF you can get one at msrp, and the Grand Sport for a few grand more beats it on track. I thought about a GT350 with a track pack, or should I say "base" 2017, but again, the SS 1LE will most likely at least match it's performance for some $12,000+ less. But to knock the engine as a car guy is just stupid...

[KenH.]

But the performance is on par with an SS.

How much faster is the GT350 0-60? How about 0-100? Lap times around the track?

They are on par. Neither one beats the other hands down in all areas though I concede all things considered the mustang is the overall winner for a measly $20k more.

The broader power band is a gimmick. Sorry. When it's time to drive fast your engine lives in a 2500rpm range between gears.... or do you shift early and often so you can get some of those good torque numbers from the lower rev range into your drag race, or lay down some of that good 4000rpm torque at the apex of the corner?

I'm not saying it's a bad car, but the hype over this engine is just hot air. Being unique, or special to someone, does not make it any better. It doesn't make the car perform any better than it's OHV competition. Different, yes, better, no.

Name one place this engine gives a clear performance benefit to the mustang. One place where you can say "man if the camaro had an fpc it could do this so much better!"