Anyone here own/driven a GT350

Just curious. Saw a vid on Youtube of a guy who sold his 911 C2S and for at GT350. Wouldn't have thought it'd be in the same league but after reading a bit more about them, they seem to get great reviews.

I've driven and instructed in them. They are great cars, and are much more capable than a 996. Steering feedback is not as finely detailed, but is quite precise. Car is heavier and it moves well but the feeling of mass comes along with it. Do you have a specific question? I also think they look (and sound) great.

Just curious as to how they drive Ahmet. I may rent one through Turo to scratch the itch. As great as it looks, is it a one trick pony? By that I mean a fast track car but not so good for day to day stuff.

I think they are great. I prefer smaller and lighter cars for running about the city every day though. The GT350 feels analog, planted and old school with tons of mechanical grip and a fair bit of torque. Oddly enough, as much as I like a high horsepower motor, the lack of torque on an early GT3 really bothered me coming out of corners, but it doesn't bother me on a Carrera. All that to say, it's going to be a personal call. I would be interested in your opinion, go rent one and report back!

No gt350 but instructed in gt's. The new mustangs are pretty damn good track cars (or cars period). I considered buying one because the bang for buck is so good. I recently had 16 year old street survival student in a 2017 GT. We had a blast in that thing. Extremely capable vehicle....and student....he raced go carts. That being said.....maybe I'm just getting nostalgic but all the nannies on the cars take some of the adrenaline out of it for me. New mustangs, corvettes or 911's for that matter will run circles around me, But I'd rather be slower in my 996, 944T or honda s2000 with no nannies and me doing all the work. Also for the snob factor which I find quite humorous........you can have a gt350 and someone can say "oh my secretary has a mustang too".....you can have a 996 and get put up front in valet parking next to a lambo. Absolutely not disrespecting Mustang, Camaro, or Corevette, these cars have come a long way and in some ways better value than german counterparts......it truly is personal preference at this point. Hell I'm even eyeballing a hyundia velostor N.....now roast me.

Quotes source post: 15488973

You should scratch that itch. My buddy did exactly that (via Turo). Beware: the sound is intoxicating. The only thing he couldn�t get over was the build quality of the interior. He ended up buying an M2, but he nearly pulled the trigger on the GT350.

Quotes source post: 15489147

You are permitted to eyeball that car.

Quotes source post: 15488596

EatSleepDrive? If so, I don't think it's a statement about the 911 as much as him being the kind of guy that just doesn't keep a car very long. I saw the video where he sold it and he seemed genuinely upset to see it go.

I've got a friend that bought one as well - his track car is a track-prepped 996 GT3. He said it was fun - the power was awesome - but it was heavy, sluggish around corners and the traction control lights were always on. Not sure that it's a fair comparison though - track prepped GT3 to a 4K pound car.

As daily driver I have a 2017 Mustang 2.3 Ecoboost, with Performance Package (upgraded wheels, suspension, brakes, coolant system, differential, etc) and also with the Ford Performance Power Package installed (CAI, engine and transmision reprograming, bringing it up to 340hp) Is not a GT350 of course... but I am quite happy with it and it is quite fun. I have thought about it several times. Both cars were born on 1963 and they are two of the most iconic sport cars in the world. However, they were very different on the beginning and they have had also very different evolution during years. In my exaples cases even they have around the same power... but they cant be more different: RWD vs AWD Auto vs Manual Front Engine vs RearEngine Turbo vs Atmospheric 4 Cyl in line vs 6 Cyl Boxer ...

I want a GT350 soo bad .... Great looking cars and sound amazing!

Quotes source post: 15489494

Yep, that�s the one.

My friend Mike has a GT350. He sometimes comes to track days and does about one autocross a year. He posts pictures of it on Instagram about 8 times a day. Shooting it with the foam cannon, pictures of his watch on the steering wheel, selfies from the driver seat. You know, the real unbearable kind. He has never driven anything with the traction control off. When he goes to track days he is that "I drive flat out" guy; he bombs into all the corners full-tilt and has no idea that the traction control is saving his life on each and every one, he spends tons of money and time on driver nanny widgets like DSC sport tuning, and he rubs it in your face when you are mature enough to ignore the red mist and just point him by (in your 20 year old BMW sedan). So, value aside, the GT350 to me is not cut from the same cloth as say a 911 GT3. The 911 GT3 (the 996 and 997 especially) was engineered specifically for diehard track guys to get their analog adrenaline fix and allow them to learn how to be the fastest guy on track. By a twist of fate, a lot of them were sadly bought by Cars and Coffee douchenozzles who just wax them and park them. The GT350, on the other hand, was engineered specifically for those waxer douchenozzles , designed to keep them safe on track when they couldn't check their egos, and designed to make them feel like hero drivers who "won" their HPDEs. Because of this they happen to be quite good in the hands of a good driver who doesn't need all the nannies. The GT350 is a sweet car (that whole shaking the oil filter loose and bursting into flames on track is a real problem though, by the way) but it can't escape the reputation of its clientele.

So you�re saying I�d be a douche if I owned one? I had a GT 20 years ago that I supercharged along with some other mods Scary fast but awful chassis. I love the balance of the 996 chassis and the rev for days engine. Just curious if I�d get close with the Shelby. A lot has changed in 20 years.

We have a 13 gt500 and a 996 4s. Two completely different cars. Hard to compare. After driving the 4S for a few days the gt500 feels like a full size car. Brutal, raw power, feels heavy in turns compared to the 4s but much faster. We also own a 16 cts-v. Another totally different car. Smoother. Doesn't feel as raw despite being similar power to the gt500. Again, feels like a much bigger car. I know neither are a gt350 but the above is only to say the cars are different. Even owning them I think it is hard to compare.

Quotes source post: 15491252

now now, any car from 20 years ago is a different matter than the modern version. My whole point was the electronics on the new one save douches trying to be heroes. You drove one twenty years ago with way more power than it should sanely have, and lived to tell about it, so clearly you aren't a douche, but instead know how to handle a car. My point wasn't that owning a modern GT350 makes you a douche (it's not causation), just that being a douche and owning a gt350 are correlated. And that it's unfortunate that you won't be able to own one, and drive it smartly, and not be associated with the rest of the owners. The new Mustang GTs and the GT350 especially are cars I really want to like, but can't, because I can't stand the people who own them. The Chevy SS is the same way. It's like a modern version of the E39 M5 that I can get without a sunroof and for low miles and the potential for tons of easy hp mods. But the E39 M5 crowd is all engineers and smart folks who do HPDE and trips to the 'Ring. The Chevy SS crowd is, unfortunately, full of total morons who just love street racing and drag racing and put multicolor LEDs everywhere and ****ty hood vents.

"The new Mustang GTs and the GT350 especially are cars I really want to like, but can't, because I can't stand the people who own them. The Chevy SS is the same way. It's like a modern version of the E39 M5 that I can get without a sunroof and for low miles and the potential for tons of easy hp mods. But the E39 M5 crowd is all engineers and smart folks who do HPDE and trips to the 'Ring. The Chevy SS crowd is, unfortunately, full of total morons who just love street racing and drag racing and put multicolor LEDs everywhere and ****ty hood vents."

Coincidentally, there are some reports of GT350 engines (voodoo engines) consuming a lot of oil, to the point where Ford has replaced some engines. It may be overblown, but car things on the internet always are. https://www.gt350.org/forum/40-musta...nsumption.html

Quotes source post: 15491869

Haha. Too funny. And probably true...

Quotes source post: 15491949

I did read it has one of the worst NVH issues out there and there was a report of it being so bad one owner had his oil filter shake loose and dump oil all over the road. At least it doesn�t have an IMSB....

The GT350 engine shaking is absolutely true. One of the first incidents was my friend, who shall rename nameless, having his oil filter shake loose at Roebling Road and the whole car burn up. I believe Ford bought that car back, and then released some sort of updated filter or filter housing that could withstand more torque. Then, at road atlanta, another friend of mine had his oil filter shake loose on track. I'm not sure if he had installed the update yet at the time. On a later session, when I'm sure he had installed the update, some other sort of oil system part, I believe it was a pressure or temperature sender, shook loose and coated his car in oil as well.

Here's one for sale for very cheap!... You Tube

I have one reserved on Turo for next weekend. I'll let you know how it goes!

Quotes source post: 15492227

Car just needs a little bit of bodywork. Clean Carfax!

That�ll buff out!

Quotes source post: 15491876

It ain�t stereotyping if it�s true, lol! Kidding aside, there are some negative stereotypes for Porsche owners, believe me. I say, �who cares,� and just suffer through items that I�d change if I could (996 headlights, Porsche owners are rich, pretentious, a- Whole Foods, etc). Not a lot of folks are going to think super highly of me driving my Porsche. One guy said that the 911 was the ugliest car he�d ever seen. His favorite was the C6 Vette. I say, �beauty is skin deep� and look beyond aesthetics. If one likes the Ford GT350 experience and can swing a little more dough for better quality, the Mercedes GT AMG feels great. It has a long muscle-car hood, powerful engine, and has an aggressive attitude on the track. It�s $100k and only a 2-seater though. But beautiful inside and out and thinks it�s an angry muscle car.

I rented a GT Mustang this summer, and got interested in them. I later purchased a 2018 GT350R in August for $74,000. It�s a great car, I had a 2012 911 Turbo previously (sold back to dealer after 6 years) and I can�t say enough good things about the GT350R. Only a few hundred are made each year and I get a lot more comments on it than I ever did on my Porsche Turbo. Anyway, put aside any preconceptions you might have. It�s a tremendously fun vehicle, and that Voodoo engine sounds so much better than any soundtrack I might otherwise want to hear. It�s definitely not a Porsche, but it�s still a wonderful car.

Beautiful!

I do not have any experience in the GT350, but the new Mustang chassis is, far and away, easily the absolute best Mustang chassis ever. I grew up loving Mustangs. I owned one several years ago and I wasn�t a big fan of the Mustang after that...until the new one came out and I drove it. I include �and I drove it� because I was underwhelmed with its aesthetics when first released. However, this does not apply to the Shelby variant because, in my opinion, it�s gorgeous. But the interior, in the GT variants with which I have any experience, is still not very good in regards to build quality, as others have mentioned. Maybe the VooDoo engine character makes up for that; the S65B40 made up for the shortcomings in my M3, for example. Speaking of which, I still prefer the E92 in general to the new Mustang (equivalent variant of one vs. the other) if that says anything. I suppose you�ll find out how it compares for you when you rent it, so I�m looking forward to reading about your experience.

Yeah I�m looking forward to this weekend. I�ll post up a review once I�ve had some seat time.

True to form, I was out at Sebring this past weekend in the 996 with my buddy in his GT350. He drove all weekend with his fancy traction control on and still looped it in T5 and almost balled the thing up.

Quotes source post: 15504823

T5 survival guide: "Patience. Patience. Wait. Wait. NOW!"

Am I mistaken, or does the 220, 222, 224 option codes on the 996 define 'traction control'? Because, that's what I had on my 996, basically PSM before there was PSM. Along with ABS, I would think all the similar drivers aids on the 996 that are on the GT350, but maybe a generation more primitive? Should we all go back to no driver aids? No PSM, TC, ABS, LSD, active suspension, etc? Lets go old school, and do live axle, drum brakes, heck - non synchro trans. lolz

Quotes source post: 15508453

Different strokes, some do not prefer the latest in computer aided driving. I have been doing track events and instructing for about 15 years and certainly my preference is not the newest computer aided driving gadgets. If you can defeat these systems, it's OK. But there is a reason some people hold the 996 GT3/GT2 near and dear. I enjoyed my GT3 on track far more than a modified 996 Turbo, even though the latter is faster, as an example.

Quotes source post: 15491252

I think every car geouo has those guys. My only experience with a GT350 owner was quite the opposite of the one posted above.

Quotes source post: 15508004

Funny my T5 survival guide is slide full throttle all the way to the track-out curbing I do find the pavement transition to be tricky in T5; that patch and dip on the inside loves to give the front of the car grip (and make the back end slide out) if you enter wrong. Which I do a lot. One of the many places I think I could experiment with a different approach to smooth it out.

Quotes source post: 15508453

Not sure what 222 and 224 are off the top of my head, but 220 is just the LSD (weak and pathetic as the stock one is). I would evaluate your statement about the driver aids on the 996 versus the GT350 to be, I don't want to say inaccurate, but underwhelming maybe. 2000+ 996, when equipped with PSM, has e-throttle that the car can take away from you when it detects wheelspin or some other situation it doesn't want you applying more throttle. It can brake individual wheels to help straighten the car out. There's ABS. The PSM, in my experience, CANNOT be left on when driving on track at any pace above 5/10ths without drastically overheating the rear brakes, as the car anticipates slides during track-out corner exit and modulates the rear to keep the car straight. So pretty much everyone is driving with it off. The car will let you slide with reckless abandon and make no attempt to straighten the car (with the one caveat being that if you are in a high-g situation AND apply the brakes, the PSM will remain active ONLY while the brake pedal is depressed, in order to help straighten the car out). The GT350 is an entirely different animal. It has five different modes, each one with a different throttle map and different levels of intervention from stability control as well as traction control. "OFF" isn't one of the readily-selectable modes. So GT350s are driven on track in "track mode," which means that the drivers are mashing the throttle to 100% at every apex and the car can doing all of the throttle modulation for them. Magna-ride with a DSC sport controller can actually modify the damping on individual corners to give the car a sort of souped-up chassis control that prevents diving, squatting, etc etc. The speed of the steering rack is varied in each mode. The 996 (the GT3 especially) is a car that you control. The GT350 is a car that you give orders to and it executes. Regarding your second question- if your goal is to be in a car (coincidentally in the seat with the steering wheel) when a fast lap time occurs, then no. We need all of those things. We need magna-ride and active aero and all that bull**** so that the car/driver team gets a good time. But if your goal (like mine) is to become a faster driver , then yeah maybe don't go all the way to drum brakes, but yes get rid of PSM, stability control, active suspension, active steering, rear-wheel steering. I'd say ABS is a safety feature that I want, but I have done plenty of laps in cars without it and even getting rid of ABS teaches you a lot. Putting an inexperienced driver on Hoosiers makes their lap times faster, but inhibits their learning and ultimately makes them more dangerous to share the track with. I feel the same way about the GT350. I'm sure it's totally brilliant in the hands of someone who learned on an old-school car. But sadly it's just an ego-pumper for most people who buy them.

Quotes source post: 15509668

So - like I said, it's the prev generation of driver aids. You should investigate the 222 and 224 options. Really, might be useful. As for the five modes on the GT350, one of them is a snow mode. Doubt that will be helpful on the track, but heck - to each his/her own? The other four modes are normal, drag, and then finally two settings for track. Harsh, and harsher. OK, I got it. Whole different animal. Color me surprised that driver aids have advanced in 18-ish years. Maybe even 2 generations. Cool

One of my buds has a gt350 I've driven a few times at autox and on the go kart track- Pretty outstanding for a mustang, and very fast once you get used to it. The things I always notice right away is the steering feel (lack thereof) and delayed throttle response. They are very spacious inside, and fun to drive. Best mustang ever? It is significantly faster than a 996 in every way, except maybe a tight slow slalom LOL

So I rented the Shelby today. Gotta say, it really makes me appreciate just how good my 996 is.... Sure the GT350 is insanely fast above 5k rpm, but all those reviewers on YouTube throwing out words like �finesse� and �European feel� are smoking something wacky. The GT350 feels huge, like driving a small truck with a sport suspension. I just couldn�t get comfortable in it. The sports Recaros have your butt sitting way low and knees upward. I�ve decided I don�t like Alcantara. Steering wheel feels like a bath mat. And speaking of steering, it felt hugely artificial. I couldn�t feel any difference between normal, sport and comfort steering. The center console/arm rest sits too high for me and interferes with shifting. Like I need to stick my elbow out chicken wing style to get a decent shift action. The shifter linkage itself is fine but the interior ergonomics are just way off, at least for me. Looking out over the long hood is a little disconcerting. There�s just nothing about the car that says �nimble�. Getting on it hard in the canyons, the car was a handful. Didn�t feel like the back end squatted and dug in at all. You really have to mandandle the GT350 to try to tame it. Still glad I rented it but it just solidified in my mind how good the 911 is.

I think if you drove any other generation Mustang back to back with the new one, you�d understand what people are talking about when they say it feels European. Nimble? If anyone says that about a car with that footprint and that weighs that much, I have to assume they�ve never driven anything nimble. Regardless, thank you for the review (I�ve been looking forward to it all week). I think the information in this thread from the perspectives of the people who posted, especially the OP and those with serious track experience, is going to be very useful for a lot of people.

I used to own an 95 GT. That honestly felt lighter than the GT350. The Shelby gives off some vibes through the clutch and shifter above 4K. The motor sounds eerily similar to a Subaru boxer 4 when you have the exhaust in normal mode. May have to do with the flat plane crank firing order. The Shelby�s clutch was so over assisted I actually thought mine was busted when I jumped back in the 996. But the light clutch in the Shelby is not good. It�s way too light and has a helper spring that you can feel is not progressive on take up. It�s very difficult to do anything smoothly in the Shelby. The one standout was the Brembo brakes. Even just a light tap on the pedal results in them grabbing HARD. Maybe it�s suited to track work, but it�s no good on the street. It�s docile at low revs but It�s violently fast at WOT. Overkill for canyons. The 996 is a dream to drive by comparison. The steering really is sublime.

Quotes source post: 15516123

Okay so you definitely have some frame of reference for sure. I had an �01 Bullitt and, as much as I wanted to love that car, it was just a lowered pickup truck at best. The new Mustang GT felt like a BMW by comparison to me. But, compared to my actual BMW, it wasn�t really in the same league. I really wanted this GT350 to finally be the Mustang I could get excited about owning, but I don�t think that will ever happen. Oh well. I guess I�ll just have to get by with a 911. How terrible for me!

Just Googled it. 1995 Mustang GT: 3,276lbs. GT350: 3,700lbs 😳

This is funny to watch - Porsche owners bashing a Mustang and their �friends� that own them...and calling THEM douches.

I�ve owned 11 different Mustangs over the years and several Miata�s too and some Audi�s. Then I bought a 996, and now have a 986S too. And I have a $2000 challenge Mustang now too. The Mustang excels at being a DD you could race if you wanted to. It�s never going to be crisp, nimble or sublime the way a 996 of 986 can be. The interior on any Ford in 10 years is crumbling around you. My $2k Mustang will ultimately be turned into a cheap track weapon. Don�t kid yourself into thinking a Mustang will keep you happy all of the time. It will not. You will feel that heft. You will loathe the weight the harder you drive it, but the sound.... Ford has the best sounding 8s. My 95 $2k challenge car sounds incredible and it�s a cheap pos. Everytime I drive a Mustang hard at the track I want something more for my $. I can�t justify a $50k Mustang after owning 11 no matter how cool it is, I�d hate it at that price. 2015 boxster gts�s are getting there and thats a way better car IMO.

I would love a GT350 or the R. I salivate when I see this car ...

Quotes source post: 15584226

I gotta agree with you here. As much as I love how much my 996 with sport exhaust sounds, each time a hear a V8 Mustang I'm just blown away. What a great soundtrack those cars have!

Quotes source post: 15586771

I owned a 95 GT that I added headers, off-road H-pipe and 2 chamber flow masters to. It sounded glorious. The new flat plane crank 5.2L in the gt350 is loud, but not nearly as nice an exhaust note. To my ears it sounds harsh.

My daily driver for 3+ years was a 2013 Mustang GT six speed. Great car, very reliable, literally nothing broke in 45,000 miles, or even required an adjustment. Build quality was excellent. Interior is full of crapadelic hard plastic, but the leather on the seats is good quality and comfortable. The solid axle hops over our lousy midwest roads but Ford fixed that in 2015. The exhaust note may be the best there is - the Coyote V8 just revs and revs. Until I bought my 996 missed the Mustang a lot - but traded it on a new BMW 335i GT to do a family vacation centered around european delivery in Munich. Great experience and well worth the trade. A Mustang is no Porsche but for the money it is a great performance bargain with the right options (V8!!!). Daryll

Quotes source post: 15586771

Well, the Maserati is a V8 and sounds glorious. As long as we�re talking about best sounding V8s...

Quotes source post: 15588284

Agreed. You just don't hear as many of those because of course Mustangs are easy to find. Speaking of nice sounding V8s though, I gotta throw my own Cayenne Turbo into the ring. Mine has a Fabspeed exhaust and it's the best sounding turbo V8 I've ever heard.