Dumb Question. Hellcat or GT350?
08-19-2017, 04:13 PM
#1
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Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: NorthEast
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Dumb Question. Hellcat or GT350?
So I know this is probably a dumb question to ask on a Mustang forum. But I ordered a 2018 Hellcat M6.. BUT A couple days ago I stopped to look at a new 2017 GT350 at a Ford dealer.
Long story short I really liked it. I know its a totally different animal. But I really loved the look and feel of it. It really felt like a special car even though it was not the R. I even thought to myself just buy the Hellcat still since I already ordered it and get the 350 down the road when the Cat is paid off as a second car. But that usually never works out. Lol.
I know the GT350 would be a better car for the twisty and hilly roads where I live for sure. But the Hellcat handles curves way better then people think. I know because I just sold my Scat Pack to get it and it handled great. But the GT350 is a track scalpel..
The one issue that I know that id have if I did went with the GT350 over the Cat is the rear seat room. I definitely need it because I have kids that would be back there. My first Mustang S550 stint was short and I don't remember how tight it really was back there fitting kids. Especially a rear facing car seat.
The one I looked at was Grabber Blue. I really love that color especially on the Shelby. And the Recoro seats just looked amazing. Like a total put together track car! I even told myself if I can find a new GT350 R for msrp I would do it. But honestly with the crazy mark up on them it seems impossible and not really worth it since there's really no big different in the 2 besides the carbon wheels and rear spoiler and a couple other small things. And id have to add the back seat back in. The regular GT350 just seems to be the better car for my needs between it and the R..
In the end the huge cabin and the 707hp in the Hellcat is probably what I will end up with since I already ordered it and would lose my $1k deposit. And I traded in my Scat Pack for it at the dealer. I'm sure theyd be pissed if I backed out. But the GT350 is definitely on my radar. Maybe you guys can talk me into it? Lol
Also how is the power on the GT350. Ive heard mixed reviews. Some are disappointed in the Acceleration some are not. I know ill be happier with the Hellcat for sure in that department from what ive heard. But ive also heard that the GT350 really comes alive above 50mph? I really love both for 2 different reasons. Wish I had the money I would get both. What do you guys think??
Long story short I really liked it. I know its a totally different animal. But I really loved the look and feel of it. It really felt like a special car even though it was not the R. I even thought to myself just buy the Hellcat still since I already ordered it and get the 350 down the road when the Cat is paid off as a second car. But that usually never works out. Lol.
I know the GT350 would be a better car for the twisty and hilly roads where I live for sure. But the Hellcat handles curves way better then people think. I know because I just sold my Scat Pack to get it and it handled great. But the GT350 is a track scalpel..
The one issue that I know that id have if I did went with the GT350 over the Cat is the rear seat room. I definitely need it because I have kids that would be back there. My first Mustang S550 stint was short and I don't remember how tight it really was back there fitting kids. Especially a rear facing car seat.
The one I looked at was Grabber Blue. I really love that color especially on the Shelby. And the Recoro seats just looked amazing. Like a total put together track car! I even told myself if I can find a new GT350 R for msrp I would do it. But honestly with the crazy mark up on them it seems impossible and not really worth it since there's really no big different in the 2 besides the carbon wheels and rear spoiler and a couple other small things. And id have to add the back seat back in. The regular GT350 just seems to be the better car for my needs between it and the R..
In the end the huge cabin and the 707hp in the Hellcat is probably what I will end up with since I already ordered it and would lose my $1k deposit. And I traded in my Scat Pack for it at the dealer. I'm sure theyd be pissed if I backed out. But the GT350 is definitely on my radar. Maybe you guys can talk me into it? Lol
Also how is the power on the GT350. Ive heard mixed reviews. Some are disappointed in the Acceleration some are not. I know ill be happier with the Hellcat for sure in that department from what ive heard. But ive also heard that the GT350 really comes alive above 50mph? I really love both for 2 different reasons. Wish I had the money I would get both. What do you guys think??
08-19-2017, 09:07 PM
#3
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Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: AZ
Posts: 109
Definitely two different beasts. It's hard to deny that factory 707 hp FI setup... Challengers are pretty hefty to take seriously as anything other then an A-to-B kind of car. If you were into track racing the GT350 would be a no-brainer IMO.
08-20-2017, 09:11 AM
#5
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: LA
Posts: 1,321
The Hellcat is a no brainer if you have a family. There is no room in the back seat of the Mustang. I have a 2017 GT 350 and I absolutely love it. It comes with all the track goodies that were optional until 2017 and you are right, it is pretty much the same as the R with the exception of the wheels/tires and rear seat delete. Definitely not worth the additional MSRP and dealer markkup on top of that. That 50 mph thing is basically the 4500 RPM or so mark as the engine explodes with power above that as it screams to 8200 RPM. When you race someone on the interstate, you have to drop down to 3rd gear right off the bat to get to the sweet spot, but when you do, OMG. I could go on, I love my Shelby, most fun I've ever had with a car. Whatever you do, don't drive one.
08-20-2017, 11:08 AM
#6
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Join Date: Feb 2015
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The Hellcat is a no brainer if you have a family. There is no room in the back seat of the Mustang. I have a 2017 GT 350 and I absolutely love it. It comes with all the track goodies that were optional until 2017 and you are right, it is pretty much the same as the R with the exception of the wheels/tires and rear seat delete. Definitely not worth the additional MSRP and dealer markkup on top of that. That 50 mph thing is basically the 4500 RPM or so mark as the engine explodes with power above that as it screams to 8200 RPM. When you race someone on the interstate, you have to drop down to 3rd gear right off the bat to get to the sweet spot, but when you do, OMG. I could go on, I love my Shelby, most fun I've ever had with a car. Whatever you do, don't drive one.
Most likely if I ever get one it will be a second car to my Hellcat because I have a family and I definitely need the big back seat. By then most likely the GT350 will be redesigned or the GT500 might be out and I would get one of them. I really want to start collecting my cars instead of buying one and trading for something else after a couple years. Its not easy. Lol.. I think a car like the Hellcat this time around will be worth keeping though.
08-20-2017, 05:44 PM
#7
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: LA
Posts: 1,321
My local dealer invited me to drive one which I happily did but they wouldn't sell it for MSRP. I went to Dallas and got one from Town East Ford, white with blue stripes and went back to my dealer and said "Ta Da!" Deals are out there if you bargain hard enough. After 2 1/2 years, the lust is starting to diminish with the anticipation of the GT 500. The GT 500 will nothing more than a 350 with a 5.0 supercharged engine with a Roush sourced supercharger. It will have a slightly wilder tune to get the HP over 670, possibly 680 or so. You are right about driving a new one as far as running it hard. I shifted at 5K because of the noise and a couple of shifts later realized that I was 3K RPM shy of redline. I knew it was going to be a beast at full song. I did the owner's school at Ford Racing's facility in Tooele Utah and got to drive one at full song. Never got out of 3rd gear on the 2 1/2 mile track laid out for us. I was right on the rev limiter at the end of the straight but we were told to just leave it in gear and back off a little. I believe the speed was about 105 mph or so in 3rd. Wasn't really paying attention to stuff like that as I was more concerned about braking and hitting my marks for the corner.
08-24-2017, 07:56 PM
#8
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: CA
Posts: 29
Long story short I really liked it. I know its a totally different animal. But I really loved the look and feel of it. It really felt like a special car even though it was not the R. I even thought to myself just buy the Hellcat still since I already ordered it and get the 350 down the road when the Cat is paid off as a second car. But that usually never works out. Lol.
The one issue that I know that id have if I did went with the GT350 over the Cat is the rear seat room. I definitely need it because I have kids that would be back there. My first Mustang S550 stint was short and I don't remember how tight it really was back there fitting kids. Especially a rear facing car seat.
The one I looked at was Grabber Blue. I really love that color especially on the Shelby. And the Recoro seats just looked amazing. Like a total put together track car! I even told myself if I can find a new GT350 R for msrp I would do it. But honestly with the crazy mark up on them it seems impossible and not really worth it since there's really no big different in the 2 besides the carbon wheels and rear spoiler and a couple other small things. And id have to add the back seat back in. The regular GT350 just seems to be the better car for my needs between it and the R..
In the end the huge cabin and the 707hp in the Hellcat is probably what I will end up with since I already ordered it and would lose my $1k deposit. And I traded in my Scat Pack for it at the dealer. I'm sure theyd be pissed if I backed out. But the GT350 is definitely on my radar. Maybe you guys can talk me into it? Lol
Also how is the power on the GT350. Ive heard mixed reviews. Some are disappointed in the Acceleration some are not. I know ill be happier with the Hellcat for sure in that department from what ive heard. But ive also heard that the GT350 really comes alive above 50mph? I really love both for 2 different reasons. Wish I had the money I would get both. What do you guys think??
PS
The sound. Good god the sound of the GT350 is just insane. I think the only car i've ever heard that sounds better, is the Lexus LFA.
08-25-2017, 01:36 PM
#9
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: NorthEast
Posts: 56
Oddly enough, i was in this exact same situation, except hadn't ordered a hellcat just yet, so i'll try to help as best i can.
you really are comparing apples to oranges here, but so was I, so i get the dilemma. I think both cars are pretty special and will end up as icons of this era of performance cars, however i think the 350 will hold more value than the hellcat will, just due to lower production. There are a lot of hellcats out there, and they are being made through 2019 at least, and rumor has it will be back on the new platform with around 750hp. The 350, is a 4 year run, and its done for who knows how long. GT350's are far rarer than something like a GT500, which to me makes it the more special car.
Having had a challenger '09 SRT8, traded in for my 350, i can tell you that its not even a comparison handling wise. I'm sure the hellcat handles a lot better than my 09 did, but its just not even close to the same level as the 350. between a hellcat and a gt350, there's nearly 800 lbs of extra mass to haul around, and force to change direction. Using smaller tires, on bigger heavier wheels. Not a recipe for good handling.
If rear seat room is a mandatory feature for the car, then you're probably doing the right thing with the hellcat as the rear seats are actually usable. You can comfortably seat 4 adults in a challenger as long as they aren't all 6' tall or more. I'm 6'1 and in the 350, my driver seat is only a couple inches infront of the rear seat. NO ONE is going to fit there if they have legs.
Definitely agree here about the R not being worth it. You pay $7000 extra to remove the AC, radio, rear seats, etc... then $3000 to add ac and radio back in. Not sure if you can even add rear seats as a factory option or not, but i dont think you can, so it would be aftermarket. After that you're left with some aero bits in the front to scrap up if you drive it on the street, the 350 is already really easy to scrape going in driveways without the jumbo front splitter. Carbon fiber wheels, which while awesome for the track, if and when you crack one on a pot hole, you're out something like $4-5000 to replace it. Also i like the lip spoiler more than the one on the R, but thats personal preference.
Acceleration on the 350 is definitely a different beast than the hellcat. Much less torque, but it revs forever, starts pulling pretty hard around 3500rpm, pulls harder around 5000rpm, and just keeps going and going. You can almost do 0-60 in first gear, it tops out at 55mph. And cruising on the freeway in 5th gear, you have power for days. Its geared nice and low so you never have to downshift. 6th gear is just a gas saver gear though, its useless for anything else, its a massive drop in ratio compared to any other shift. It may not have the hard pull that a hellcat will(assuming you can get grip), but on the flip side, it can put every last horsepower it has on the pavement, from a dead stop. The hellcat will smoke tires all day long and twice on sunday. Good luck getting it to hook up. Even more so if you have a manual without the automatics launch control electronics wizardry.
PS
The sound. Good god the sound of the GT350 is just insane. I think the only car i've ever heard that sounds better, is the Lexus LFA.
you really are comparing apples to oranges here, but so was I, so i get the dilemma. I think both cars are pretty special and will end up as icons of this era of performance cars, however i think the 350 will hold more value than the hellcat will, just due to lower production. There are a lot of hellcats out there, and they are being made through 2019 at least, and rumor has it will be back on the new platform with around 750hp. The 350, is a 4 year run, and its done for who knows how long. GT350's are far rarer than something like a GT500, which to me makes it the more special car.
Having had a challenger '09 SRT8, traded in for my 350, i can tell you that its not even a comparison handling wise. I'm sure the hellcat handles a lot better than my 09 did, but its just not even close to the same level as the 350. between a hellcat and a gt350, there's nearly 800 lbs of extra mass to haul around, and force to change direction. Using smaller tires, on bigger heavier wheels. Not a recipe for good handling.
If rear seat room is a mandatory feature for the car, then you're probably doing the right thing with the hellcat as the rear seats are actually usable. You can comfortably seat 4 adults in a challenger as long as they aren't all 6' tall or more. I'm 6'1 and in the 350, my driver seat is only a couple inches infront of the rear seat. NO ONE is going to fit there if they have legs.
Definitely agree here about the R not being worth it. You pay $7000 extra to remove the AC, radio, rear seats, etc... then $3000 to add ac and radio back in. Not sure if you can even add rear seats as a factory option or not, but i dont think you can, so it would be aftermarket. After that you're left with some aero bits in the front to scrap up if you drive it on the street, the 350 is already really easy to scrape going in driveways without the jumbo front splitter. Carbon fiber wheels, which while awesome for the track, if and when you crack one on a pot hole, you're out something like $4-5000 to replace it. Also i like the lip spoiler more than the one on the R, but thats personal preference.
Acceleration on the 350 is definitely a different beast than the hellcat. Much less torque, but it revs forever, starts pulling pretty hard around 3500rpm, pulls harder around 5000rpm, and just keeps going and going. You can almost do 0-60 in first gear, it tops out at 55mph. And cruising on the freeway in 5th gear, you have power for days. Its geared nice and low so you never have to downshift. 6th gear is just a gas saver gear though, its useless for anything else, its a massive drop in ratio compared to any other shift. It may not have the hard pull that a hellcat will(assuming you can get grip), but on the flip side, it can put every last horsepower it has on the pavement, from a dead stop. The hellcat will smoke tires all day long and twice on sunday. Good luck getting it to hook up. Even more so if you have a manual without the automatics launch control electronics wizardry.
PS
The sound. Good god the sound of the GT350 is just insane. I think the only car i've ever heard that sounds better, is the Lexus LFA.
Also what are you guys paying out the door for your GT350s??