Informal Review - 2011 GT500
05-31-2010, 07:34 PM
#1
3rd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Ohio
Posts: 889
Informal Review - 2011 GT500
I wrote this up in reponse to some requests on another forum (and, coincidentally, right before the major magazine and on-line journals published their 'first drive' articles):
Some Background
I purchased my current 2007 GT/CS in the fall of '06 and immediately threw away the warranty. First up was a change to the mufflers followed pretty quickly by the standard CAI and Tune upgrade, 4.10 gears, Hurst short throw, and an aluminum driveshaft. Installation of an intercooled Saleen twin screw happened within that first year (432 rwhp on its 'everyday' tune) and then we started down the long, sad, expensive road into building a reasonably capable weekend road racer while still using her as a daily driver 365/7.
Springs, adjustable dampers, solid ended LCAs/UCA, swaybars, endlinks, 9.5" lightweight wheels and dual use BFG KDW tires on all four corners, ad nauseum.... Chasing (and mostly catching) that elusive 'neutral handling', 'predictable', 'quick turn-in without being darty', and 'brakes that won't melt' thing.
Have done some autocrossing and road racing in the time since and am very satisfied with what Ford built and I tinkered with. Needs mo' powah and taller gearing for that long back dog leg at Mid Ohio though
.
So that's my 'control' in this little evaluation.
I picked up my 2011 GT500 with SVT Performance Pack from the dealer on Tuesday night and perfomed these tests on Wednesday night. As Patricia Heaton once said about her four sons being born in quick succession, "My husband is no gentleman".
Launching
After catching up on my forum and media site reading (Edmund's, Autoblog, etc.) seemed everyone agreed that the best times for 2010s were a result of launching with the TC on and it didn't matter what you had the ESC set to. Fair enough.
9:00 PM, 77 degrees, on a deserted road in Mexico....
First launch - We'll engage the clutch fairly aggressively a split second after coming off idle and mashing the gas.
Whoa! Bogged it.
Bogged it? On street tires? This never happened to me with my GT. When I had 3.55 gears, the BFG KDWS all seasons were hard enough that they would just skate. When I had good rubber (KDWs) and suspension mods but 4.10s and 10 lbs. of boost, I could still blow those tires off at will. Definitely took some finesse to get a decent 60'.
Hey, maybe these 'G:2s' are a little sticky and/or this performance suspension has got something for the straight line guys (or both)?
Second launch - Take it to 2,500 and again nail it and step out of the clutch quickly. Spin but then grab. Some good, usable power band in first gear. Hit second, spin, tries to drift a little left, grabs, corrected. Really pushed back into the seat as we climb towards 6,000 RPM. Bang. Third. Not a peep just more smooth thrust.
Third launch - Hold it at 3,500 and side step the clutch. Wanted to see what a more aggressive start felt like. Predictably, we spun through first, peddled it a bit to catch second and recovered nicely enough but probably not the best technique to be employed at Mexican stoplights.
Here is the best part:
Wheel hop is non-existent. Tried a few more short 60s to see if I could find the bunny. Nothing. Am I willing to pronounce the platform cured? No. This is a single example and ultimately the physics say that if you have rotational give in that stick axle, you can still end up with that shuddering hook-and-release cycle we all dread. Theoretically.
See this video?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBK0PORlyBc
If I had someone filming me, that is what the second launch would have looked like. Two sets of short burn marks and the Shelby rapidly disappearing into the twilight. No great skill required - just the basics. I call this myth, "Confirmed". Nice job Ford.
Is it a tenth faster than the 2010? Who knows? I never drove a 2010 or any other S197 based Cobra so I can't say. Compared to my 2007 GT/CS, the Shelby is a cakewalk to get rolling quickly. Is there more in it? Certainly. As you would expect, experimenting with various launch techniques for a given set of conditions would yield that optimal 60'.
Also untested is whether putting some additional heat into the G:2s would contribute or detract from their performance. We'll have to wait for some measured tests for that answer.
Power was smooth throughout the band although it seem like everything really begins taking deep breaths at 3,000 to redline. An interesting comparison with my '07: With the throttle to the firewall and approaching warp speed, you can feel the that the GT500 is still loafing where my blown 3V is laboring a bit.
Exhaust
Cruising along produces that distinctive 4V rich, deep burble that's just loud enough to be it's own music and to turn heads as you cruise through town.
There is nothing 'nasally' or 'raspy' about the sound (I have a friend with an '07 Shelby GT and *that* car sounds raspy )
Putting your foot in it immediately invokes a bass authoritative roar accompanied by that trademark supercharger whine. Perfect.
There is nothing I personally would change about this system and I would be more concerned that modifying some of the upstream pieces (headers, h-pipe, etc.) would compromise that great sound.
Handling
Excellent job balancing ride quality against handling (at least as far as can be determined on the back roads). Taking marked 25 mph, 90 degree corners at 50 was not scary. The tires began to talk to you near the limit but, being less than 3 hours of total seat time in the car, I was not going to find out where the limit was. You'll have to wait for a full report on the '911 Assist' feature in Sync for some furture episode (and a future reviewer).
Steering was responsive and push was pretty minimal, which, given the understeer safety margin the lawyers must demand from the engineers, is at a tolerable level. Roll was also acceptable. My '07 is a little compromise, heim jointed monster that the wife refuses to ride in. That car has all the understeer nonsense dialed out of it. The 2011 GT500 is not far away with that beefy rear sway bar and what feels like decently matching spring and damper rates. Still, I can see some minor tweaking in this car's future.
Speaking of the new EPAS, I'm still not sure about this. The '07 gives me a lot of feedback through the wheel as to what, exactly, is going on with the front tires at any given moment. EPAS not so much and, frankly, I found it a little disconcerting. It's hard for me to feel good about a corner entry when that steering wheel isn't talking to the hands. I realize this is contrary to what some magazine reviews are reporting. <shrug>
Shifter needs work and the stupid door covering the drink holder wobbles under your forearm. Note to Ford: Put a latch on that thing!
Sweepers were fun as you'd expect and, surprisingly, power application out of a turn was smooth. My '07, not so much, until I added the Watts link which 90% solved that little trouble area (have a Detroit True Trac to take car of that other 10%) and I am a huge fan of a Watts vs. adjustable panhard bars for combination street/track use. So I was all set to order another Watts link for the GT500 as one of my early mods. Now I'm back on the fence. How much is that Watts *really* needed? Requires more investigation.
The brake/tire combination is superb right out of the box. One of the new Cobra's fine points. Feels like the car is ready to stop in whatever rediculous distance you demand. Pedal action is even and linear with good feedback.
Another subjective observation if I may: I thought the '07 was pretty stiff (not much body flex). If that's true, then the Shelby feels like it was milled from a solid billet block. Wow, just wow.
So is it 9 seconds faster at VIR as is being hotly debated? Dunno. Could be. It's certainly fast and she seems to like it a little rough. Time will tell if that is a standard and repeatable performance.
Overall: She's not a ballerina, she's a freaking amazon. Not my first choice for one minute courses around the cones in the college parking lot but I can not wait to dance her around a real track.
Ride Quality
In a word: Nice. Better than I ever expected in something that handles this well and doesn't come with a snooty German pedigree. Where crossing the railroad tracks is an exercise in exploring the bump stops with the GT, the GT500 handles these normal imperfections with some grace and is smooth like buddah on good surfaces. I got it on a real lunar landscape of a road however and that was distinctly unpleasant. I guess there is only so far you can make a compromise go.
The car is very quiet (with the windows up). That new sound dampening doing its job. No squeaks, no rattles, very little transmitted NVH, engine or exhaust noise. But when a car sounds this good, who the hell wants to roll the windows up?
Miscellaneous
In my short cruise this evening, not one but two girls (humans this time) stopped to take pictures of the car as I drove past. One was on a skatebord in the crosswalk in front of me. She couldn't seem to decide whether it was better to get out of the road or take the picture. In retrospect it was probably just me and not the car at all. Happens all the time.
On the negative side - I also got to see some guys drive like idiots trying to look at the Cobra in traffic. My first experience with this. Unnerving.
The footwell still gets hot. Not roasty hot like my '07 does (I have to ride with the A/C on directed to my feet in the summer just to stand it) but still something Ford should work on. C'mon it's $55K.
The stereo still leaves something to be desired. Opposite to my normal experience with factory systems, I turned the treble all the way up just to get the midrange and then only clicked the bass up one notch otherwise it totally overwhelmed everything. Important safety tip: change the DSP setting to 'driver' from the default 'all seats'. Big improvement.
I'm not seeing any heatsoak issues yet but the evening temperatures were moderate. Is that extra 40% going to do it or will most still step up to Afco or Revan? Time will tell there too (plus some testing with a good OBD2 based gauge to monitor temps and timing retard).
Well gentlemen, I'll close it here. There's a lot more to tell but I'd like to get this posted plus leave something for the next guy. Please forgive the typos, bad grammar, and stupid metaphors. Hopefully we'll get more learned and lettered input as the cars get out into more enthusiast and vendor hands.
Some Background
I purchased my current 2007 GT/CS in the fall of '06 and immediately threw away the warranty. First up was a change to the mufflers followed pretty quickly by the standard CAI and Tune upgrade, 4.10 gears, Hurst short throw, and an aluminum driveshaft. Installation of an intercooled Saleen twin screw happened within that first year (432 rwhp on its 'everyday' tune) and then we started down the long, sad, expensive road into building a reasonably capable weekend road racer while still using her as a daily driver 365/7.
Springs, adjustable dampers, solid ended LCAs/UCA, swaybars, endlinks, 9.5" lightweight wheels and dual use BFG KDW tires on all four corners, ad nauseum.... Chasing (and mostly catching) that elusive 'neutral handling', 'predictable', 'quick turn-in without being darty', and 'brakes that won't melt' thing.
Have done some autocrossing and road racing in the time since and am very satisfied with what Ford built and I tinkered with. Needs mo' powah and taller gearing for that long back dog leg at Mid Ohio though
.So that's my 'control' in this little evaluation.
I picked up my 2011 GT500 with SVT Performance Pack from the dealer on Tuesday night and perfomed these tests on Wednesday night. As Patricia Heaton once said about her four sons being born in quick succession, "My husband is no gentleman".
Launching
After catching up on my forum and media site reading (Edmund's, Autoblog, etc.) seemed everyone agreed that the best times for 2010s were a result of launching with the TC on and it didn't matter what you had the ESC set to. Fair enough.
9:00 PM, 77 degrees, on a deserted road in Mexico....
First launch - We'll engage the clutch fairly aggressively a split second after coming off idle and mashing the gas.
Whoa! Bogged it.
Bogged it? On street tires? This never happened to me with my GT. When I had 3.55 gears, the BFG KDWS all seasons were hard enough that they would just skate. When I had good rubber (KDWs) and suspension mods but 4.10s and 10 lbs. of boost, I could still blow those tires off at will. Definitely took some finesse to get a decent 60'.
Hey, maybe these 'G:2s' are a little sticky and/or this performance suspension has got something for the straight line guys (or both)?
Second launch - Take it to 2,500 and again nail it and step out of the clutch quickly. Spin but then grab. Some good, usable power band in first gear. Hit second, spin, tries to drift a little left, grabs, corrected. Really pushed back into the seat as we climb towards 6,000 RPM. Bang. Third. Not a peep just more smooth thrust.
Third launch - Hold it at 3,500 and side step the clutch. Wanted to see what a more aggressive start felt like. Predictably, we spun through first, peddled it a bit to catch second and recovered nicely enough but probably not the best technique to be employed at Mexican stoplights.
Here is the best part:
Wheel hop is non-existent. Tried a few more short 60s to see if I could find the bunny. Nothing. Am I willing to pronounce the platform cured? No. This is a single example and ultimately the physics say that if you have rotational give in that stick axle, you can still end up with that shuddering hook-and-release cycle we all dread. Theoretically.
See this video?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBK0PORlyBc
If I had someone filming me, that is what the second launch would have looked like. Two sets of short burn marks and the Shelby rapidly disappearing into the twilight. No great skill required - just the basics. I call this myth, "Confirmed". Nice job Ford.
Is it a tenth faster than the 2010? Who knows? I never drove a 2010 or any other S197 based Cobra so I can't say. Compared to my 2007 GT/CS, the Shelby is a cakewalk to get rolling quickly. Is there more in it? Certainly. As you would expect, experimenting with various launch techniques for a given set of conditions would yield that optimal 60'.
Also untested is whether putting some additional heat into the G:2s would contribute or detract from their performance. We'll have to wait for some measured tests for that answer.
Power was smooth throughout the band although it seem like everything really begins taking deep breaths at 3,000 to redline. An interesting comparison with my '07: With the throttle to the firewall and approaching warp speed, you can feel the that the GT500 is still loafing where my blown 3V is laboring a bit.
Exhaust
Cruising along produces that distinctive 4V rich, deep burble that's just loud enough to be it's own music and to turn heads as you cruise through town.
There is nothing 'nasally' or 'raspy' about the sound (I have a friend with an '07 Shelby GT and *that* car sounds raspy
)Putting your foot in it immediately invokes a bass authoritative roar accompanied by that trademark supercharger whine. Perfect.
There is nothing I personally would change about this system and I would be more concerned that modifying some of the upstream pieces (headers, h-pipe, etc.) would compromise that great sound.
Handling
Excellent job balancing ride quality against handling (at least as far as can be determined on the back roads). Taking marked 25 mph, 90 degree corners at 50 was not scary. The tires began to talk to you near the limit but, being less than 3 hours of total seat time in the car, I was not going to find out where the limit was. You'll have to wait for a full report on the '911 Assist' feature in Sync for some furture episode (and a future reviewer).
Steering was responsive and push was pretty minimal, which, given the understeer safety margin the lawyers must demand from the engineers, is at a tolerable level. Roll was also acceptable. My '07 is a little compromise, heim jointed monster that the wife refuses to ride in. That car has all the understeer nonsense dialed out of it. The 2011 GT500 is not far away with that beefy rear sway bar and what feels like decently matching spring and damper rates. Still, I can see some minor tweaking in this car's future.
Speaking of the new EPAS, I'm still not sure about this. The '07 gives me a lot of feedback through the wheel as to what, exactly, is going on with the front tires at any given moment. EPAS not so much and, frankly, I found it a little disconcerting. It's hard for me to feel good about a corner entry when that steering wheel isn't talking to the hands. I realize this is contrary to what some magazine reviews are reporting. <shrug>
Shifter needs work and the stupid door covering the drink holder wobbles under your forearm. Note to Ford: Put a latch on that thing!
Sweepers were fun as you'd expect and, surprisingly, power application out of a turn was smooth. My '07, not so much, until I added the Watts link which 90% solved that little trouble area (have a Detroit True Trac to take car of that other 10%) and I am a huge fan of a Watts vs. adjustable panhard bars for combination street/track use. So I was all set to order another Watts link for the GT500 as one of my early mods. Now I'm back on the fence. How much is that Watts *really* needed? Requires more investigation.
The brake/tire combination is superb right out of the box. One of the new Cobra's fine points. Feels like the car is ready to stop in whatever rediculous distance you demand. Pedal action is even and linear with good feedback.
Another subjective observation if I may: I thought the '07 was pretty stiff (not much body flex). If that's true, then the Shelby feels like it was milled from a solid billet block. Wow, just wow.
So is it 9 seconds faster at VIR as is being hotly debated? Dunno. Could be. It's certainly fast and she seems to like it a little rough. Time will tell if that is a standard and repeatable performance.
Overall: She's not a ballerina, she's a freaking amazon. Not my first choice for one minute courses around the cones in the college parking lot but I can not wait to dance her around a real track.
Ride Quality
In a word: Nice. Better than I ever expected in something that handles this well and doesn't come with a snooty German pedigree. Where crossing the railroad tracks is an exercise in exploring the bump stops with the GT, the GT500 handles these normal imperfections with some grace and is smooth like buddah on good surfaces. I got it on a real lunar landscape of a road however and that was distinctly unpleasant. I guess there is only so far you can make a compromise go.
The car is very quiet (with the windows up). That new sound dampening doing its job. No squeaks, no rattles, very little transmitted NVH, engine or exhaust noise. But when a car sounds this good, who the hell wants to roll the windows up?
Miscellaneous
In my short cruise this evening, not one but two girls (humans this time) stopped to take pictures of the car as I drove past. One was on a skatebord in the crosswalk in front of me. She couldn't seem to decide whether it was better to get out of the road or take the picture. In retrospect it was probably just me and not the car at all. Happens all the time.
On the negative side - I also got to see some guys drive like idiots trying to look at the Cobra in traffic. My first experience with this. Unnerving.
The footwell still gets hot. Not roasty hot like my '07 does (I have to ride with the A/C on directed to my feet in the summer just to stand it) but still something Ford should work on. C'mon it's $55K.
The stereo still leaves something to be desired. Opposite to my normal experience with factory systems, I turned the treble all the way up just to get the midrange and then only clicked the bass up one notch otherwise it totally overwhelmed everything. Important safety tip: change the DSP setting to 'driver' from the default 'all seats'. Big improvement.
I'm not seeing any heatsoak issues yet but the evening temperatures were moderate. Is that extra 40% going to do it or will most still step up to Afco or Revan? Time will tell there too (plus some testing with a good OBD2 based gauge to monitor temps and timing retard).
Well gentlemen, I'll close it here. There's a lot more to tell but I'd like to get this posted plus leave something for the next guy. Please forgive the typos, bad grammar, and stupid metaphors. Hopefully we'll get more learned and lettered input as the cars get out into more enthusiast and vendor hands.
Last edited by 2007GT/CS; 06-01-2010 at 06:39 AM.
05-31-2010, 11:39 PM
#2
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: GA
Posts: 182
There is something to be said reading a personal review of their car. Your review is straight up enjoyable, much more so than leftlanenews' review. I'm not sure why that is; anyway, about the GT500.
For one, I see a GT500 on the road and I have to tip my hat in respect to such a fine automobile; for some reason I don't lend the same to corvettes... mabey the ZR1. Honestly, as leftlanenews put it, the GT500 is the king of the road for muscle cars.
I'm jealous but glad you get to enjoy it. When you do get more adventurous on a track day, please post pics and a story cause it will be well worth the read
Lol, I would recommend flip flops while driving but that sounds ridiculous :P
For one, I see a GT500 on the road and I have to tip my hat in respect to such a fine automobile; for some reason I don't lend the same to corvettes... mabey the ZR1. Honestly, as leftlanenews put it, the GT500 is the king of the road for muscle cars.
I'm jealous but glad you get to enjoy it. When you do get more adventurous on a track day, please post pics and a story cause it will be well worth the read
Lol, I would recommend flip flops while driving but that sounds ridiculous :P
Last edited by cjs06; 05-31-2010 at 11:43 PM.
06-06-2010, 01:56 AM
#10
3rd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Ohio
Posts: 889
Thanks guys!
Quorum: The suspension feels 'tight' like some other sports cars I've been in. If your roads are consistently 'bad' where you are - the SVT PP may not be for you. OTOH if you have more or less normal conditions, you'll be fine and I think you'll appreciate the advantages of that tuned handling package out of the box.
One of the magazines said in their review that this wasn't for 'drinking your Starbucks in'. I think that assessment overdoes it a bit.
In comparison to my '07? Not even close. The '07 with it customized suspension will take your dental work out over rough surfaces. The GT500 is much more refined.
Quorum: The suspension feels 'tight' like some other sports cars I've been in. If your roads are consistently 'bad' where you are - the SVT PP may not be for you. OTOH if you have more or less normal conditions, you'll be fine and I think you'll appreciate the advantages of that tuned handling package out of the box.
One of the magazines said in their review that this wasn't for 'drinking your Starbucks in'. I think that assessment overdoes it a bit.
In comparison to my '07? Not even close. The '07 with it customized suspension will take your dental work out over rough surfaces. The GT500 is much more refined.