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      01-17-2020, 07:51 PM   #1
stein_325i
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Drove my First GT350: Came Away Incredibly Impressed

So my friend who is a Mustang enthusiast bought a beautiful GT350 last month after years of giving up his last Mustang for family duty with a Highlander, and he let me have a spin in it on some back roads with him in a trip to Pennsylvania and all I have to say is just, wow!

I’ve always liked the Mustang. I’ve never really had any problems with it, but I never really lusted after one or cared too much, being that my love has always been focused on the Germans. I always found them cool, and they’ve looked really good, especially since they went back to the more classic styling around 2005, and I always preferred them to Camaro’s, but whenever I drove a GT, I loved the engine, but didn’t care for much else. The GT350 changes that.

First, the star of the show, the engine. The 5.2L Naturally-Aspirated Flat Plane Crank V8 is pure magic, which I’m guessing is why this engine was nicknamed the Voodoo V8. It makes all the right noises especially when it reaches its 8250 rpm redline. It is honestly one of the best sounding engines within the last couple of years, up there with the GT3 and other fantastic exhaust notes. The engine is smooth and powerful, with 526 horsepower and 426 lb-ft of torque. 0-60 is in the low 4’s, but being RWD, traction of course is essential to getting that time down, but honestly, who cares about 0-60 times when the car is incredibly fun to drive. A 10-Speed and/or tuned Mustangs may beat it at the drag strip, but the GT350 will bring a much bigger smile on your face than any other current Mustang (other than maybe the GT500).

Looks wise, the car doesn’t change too much to the exterior other than a revised bumper, wheels, and rear spoiler, but honestly this current generation of Mustangs are very good looking, so I have no complaints. This car looks mean, and unlike the new Camaro, has no fussy design details. See this in your rear-view mirror and you better move over!

Interior wise, again its typical Mustang. Don’t expect German levels of materials and quality, as it definitely has its fare share of plastics, but the seats, which my friend opted for the heated and cooled power leather seats over the Recaro buckets (which are also very comfortable and more supportive for track driving) are still plenty comfortable, and this is coming from someone who doesn’t like many of Ford’s seats when it comes to comfort. It isn’t very bright inside, although it is fairly roomy and controls are very well laid out. For driver settings, there’s a few toggle switches placed by the start/stop button. There's one for exhaust, launch control (which I didn't test) and traction control. The GT350 could probably benefit from the GT's quiet mode startup, as the GT350 can easily wake up your neighbors. On the steering wheel there’s two controls for driving as well, one for steering modes, of which there is normal, comfort and sport, and a damper switch for adjustments. Tech is pretty simple and intuitive, not being overly digital thanks to a nice mix of analogue gauges and a smaller digital screen between the two.

Regarding the driving experience it is fantastic. The steering first of all was a complete surprise. Many Mustangs for years have always had particularly numb steering, but the GT350 has excellent communication and feel in a world of EPS systems devoid of feel. I kept the steering primarily in sport mode as it added some heft without feeling too synthetic and still keeping the excellent feedback from the road. This steering feel is very welcome as it also helps keep your attention to the traction of the vehicle as a whole, as a rear drive vehicle with this much power, can definitely send you sliding, as Mustangs are typically associated with ditches (or crowds). The ratio is nice and quick without feeling overly “darty” or giving the feeling that it will throw you off the side of the road.

Next is the clutch and gearbox. The 6-Speed Manual Transmission, the only transmission for the GT350, is really nice. It’s a Tremec unit, the TR-3160, and has really great short throws and nice precision when shifting. Its easy to get in and out of gears and doesn’t feel clumsy or lifeless in any way. The clutch is also surprisingly light. I didn’t mind this, but it is weird that they chose a lighter clutch when Mustangs have typically always had a very heavy clutch, but this means that traffic is a breeze compared to Mustangs of generations past. Regarding clutch engagement it is a bit higher than I would have preferred but I easily got use to it, and in no way worried of stalling the car. I believe that in the GT350 community, many owners typically modify the clutch.

Driving this car on back roads is just a joy. From revving the engine out to its redline, and shifting through gears, especially downshifting and heel-toeing and listening to the V8 sing, this Mustang actually feels like a sports car. It was also refreshing to drive a naturally aspirated engine again too. It didn’t have as much torque down low as modern cars of course, but the engine was completely smooth, and turbo lag of course isn’t a part of the experience, just smooth power delivery. There’s a surprising amount of grip too, with minimal body roll, and no where did I feel like I would lose control of the car despite its power, but then again, I probably wasn’t pushing the car as much as I could have since it wasn’t my car after all. I believe Car and Driver was able to get 1.08G’s during their skid-pad performance testing, which outdid the base Cayman’s 1.06 in a comparison test despite weighing 600lbs more. The brakes have nice initial bite with great pedal travel which was very nice after some Mustang GT rentals in which I found the cars to have too much bite, resulting in a less smooth stop. Weighing around 3800lbs, the GT350 is heavier and larger in size than cars such as the M2 Competition or Cayman, but the car still displays excellent handling qualities and doesn’t feel portly in any way. Regarding the suspension tuning the car can sometimes feel quite busy at times, but I wouldn’t say it’s a deal-breaker as this is a raw sports car that is also aimed for track duty. It doesn’t settle down as much as other competitors may regarding refinement, but coming from an M2 competition, and years of stiff BMW suspensions, the GT350 didn’t bother me. Regarding MPG, I didn’t check, but I’m sure based on the way I was driving the car it wasn’t good!

Price wise the GT350 starts around $60k and can be had with a few options/packages bringing up the price slightly, as well as a GT350R trim, which serves as a sharper track toy at around $73k. While it doesn’t have the luxury interior that the price may suggest, it isn’t an unbearable place to be, and you can tell after driving it that all the money went to the right place, that being the powertrain and driving dynamics.

The GT350 has pretty much received critical acclaim from automotive journalists and enthusiasts since the car came out, and after driving one, it isn’t hard to tell why. From the moment you start up the glorious Voodoo V8, to shifting at 8250 rpm, and throwing this car through corners, it is truly excellent, and now, for once in my life, I am lusting after a Mustang.

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