And there I was. Driving along a windy northwestern Connecticut road with only one goal in mind: Get to Lime Rock.
There was just one problem. It was raining. Hard.
Shelby GT350
Luck was not on my side this time around. Behind the wheel of an all-new, brilliant blue Ferrari California T, I was eager to get on the track. But I wouldn't be behind the wheel of the prancing horse. Instead, I would be piloting the all-new Ford Shelby Mustang GT350. It was one of the cars I had been looking forward to drive all year and while the autumn foliage was appreciated, a torrential downpour was not.
The California's ass end just lost grip on a sweeping left hander. Should make for a fun day at the track!
Arriving on the scene it wasn't what I had expected. It seemed pretty dead and I arrived right on time. In front of me was a massive hangar with a bunch of cool Ford Performance parts and several GT350s on display. Oh! There were even a couple GT350Rs! And an all-new Focus RS! Things were looking up.
That was until I got to the registration desk and the bad news was handed down: we'd be operating on a different schedule due to incoming rain. What exactly that meant, I didn't know.
Shelby GT350
I found out soon enough. That's because I then stood through what must have been about an hour or so of conversation and what, essentially, were lectures about the all-new GT350 and GT350R. The talks amounted to what can be best characterized as interactive press releases. I must admit though, it was cool to geek out over all the development put into the GT350 and GT350R to make them completely differentiated from the standard 5.0 GT and proper track-going machines. It's an astonishing piece of American engineering, and it made me feel like I should do donuts in the shape of the continental United States and have a coke all the while holding a sparkler.
Finally, we were let behind the wheel of the wild horse. But this was only to familiarize ourselves with the controls and check out how we could make adjustments to the exhaust and driving settings on the fly. Long story short, you have to use controls on the steering wheel to access the menu and turn on what you want. It's not particularly intuitive at first — perhaps it gets easier if you're an owner. Personally, my take is that several buttons on the center stack/console to control these settings would probably be more optimal so you can spend more time doing what the car was built for — driving.
The exhaust, which has a normal and a fully open mode, sounds stellar. It's a rather mean-sounding V8, but not in the same vein as the typical American V8 sound you hear — I think the flat crank plane had to do with this, I could be wrong. When the GT350 started it sounded quite good. Flipping it into its open mode just made everyone standing around grin like idiots. The GT350R, on the other hand, literally made me flinch when it was started. To say it is loud would only bring around Captain Obvious.
Finally, we started making our way over for some track time. We were given a head sock, a helmet and, for my first time ever, a HANS device. Clearly, safety was a big concern for the Blue Oval. I can't blame them as the track was soaked and there was standing water, according to the track marshals. Because of this, the GT350Rs would not be seeing any track time. This is the downside of running Michelin Pilot Sport Cup IIs— they are super sticky in the dry but useless in the wet.
After getting situated in a standard GT350, it was finally time to go around Lime Rock. To put things in perspective, Lime Rock is a relatively small track as opposed to the monster that is the full banana of Monticello Motor Club or, say, Road America. One lap flies by.
Having done a couple laps to just get familiar with the track — I have never driven on Lime Rock and I am not one of these geeks that practices on simulators trying to be Bill Auberlin — I started to get a little more daring on the third lap but that was it. We were called into the pits after three and we were done. Certainly, this must not be it, I thought. We'd get to do at least another three, right? I mean, we were supposed to drive the GT350Rs, so, it only makes logical sense.
Wrong! Those three laps were it for the day. Oh, we got a hot lap from an instructor too.
Shelby GT350
So, what can I tell you after my three laps and one by the instructor? If I am honest, not much; however, I will do my best.
First things first, the GT350 is a nice place to be thanks to the Recaro seating. After doing the hot lap though, it's pretty clear for track duty there could be a bit more bolstering to keep you in place. On the street these seats will be perfect for some spirited driving while not making you uncomfortable. Overall, the driving position is OK and there's plenty of outward visibility. Personally, I like the steering wheel to be a bit closer and essentially on my lap when on a circuit.
Launching the vehicle from a dead stop is stupidly easy. If all manuals had a clutch that was as easy to operate as this, the world wold be a better place — there's a bit of feel at the engagement point and it hooks up fast. And if the clutch pedal wasn't good enough, the shifter is makes up for it. It's super fluid and doesn't require muscling it around to get it into gear. While there's something to be said for the older Shelby Mustangs that required a bit of force, if you're trying to focus on hitting apexes you really do not want to have to futz around with a shifter. Probably the best part of the all-new GT350 is its clutch and shifter combination. That's because it was unlike any other manual Ford I've driven before.
The suspension felt pretty well dampened and the vehicle's ride had a nice mix of stiffness without overdoing it. During my short time, there was no telling how this vehicle will perform with potholes. Lime Rock is pretty damn smooth as you'd expect on a track of this caliber. What I found disappointing was the amount of roll the vehicle experienced while put into corners. Though I know it's not exactly a lightweight at nearly 3,800 pounds with the Track Package configuration, I just wish the GT350 was a bit more tidy. That's what the GT350R is for, I guess.
Speaking of pushing the GT350, its 5.2-liter V8 engine is a masterpiece. While it's down on power compared to the last-gen GT500 that boasted 662 horsepower — the GT350 has 526 horsepower and 429 lb.-ft. of torque — you won't care very much because it feels quicker to rev and there's gobs of power across the tachometer. While I thought the 5.0 GT was a bit sluggish and sounded a bit quiet at times, this is not a concern in the GT350.
But, with the good comes the bad. That's because the Shelby's traction control is not very forgiving and doesn't help the driver. Considering how automakers like Ferrari and BMW have specifically created systems to help make the driver perform better when talent runs out, and in the rain, it's a pity the GT350 doesn't have a more advanced setup. Going around turns with the instructor behind the wheel I was subjected to a constant bucking as the motor fought the traction control. It felt very early 2000s compared to the latest and greatest systems that operate in a much more seamless fashion.
As expected in a Mustang, the steering didn't leave a lasting impression but, then again, I didn't expect it to.
So, what's the verdict? Well, there really isn't one. Simply put, three laps isn't enough to really have a proper understanding of a vehicle. Hell, 24 hours isn't even enough time. But if it's as good as those three laps were, the Shelby certainly is worth checking out though I wouldn't be plopping down my cash without driving it — and its competition — first.
The Good:
- All-new, brilliant V8 motor that feels more spritely and has tons of power across the rev range
- Excellent sound that constantly reminds you this isn't a normal Mustang
- Easily the best clutch/shifter combination in any Ford performance product I've ever driven
The Bad:
- It's still a Mustang, so it steers like one
- Way more body roll during cornering than I would have expected
- The traction control system is far too intrusive and feels two generations old when compared to other sports cars with equivalent performance of the all-new GT350
The Lowdown:
While three laps is certainly not enough time to get a real impression — and just about a waste of time, which is my most important asset — I will say that I was still happy to get behind the wheel. And though it was brief I certainly didn't hate the experience. If anything, it was a tease. I know this vehicle is a hoot but I can't effectively make that conclusion as I need to spend more time with it. It's not precise like a Porsche or BMW M4 but what I will say is that it will offer plenty of laughs and thrills. And that's sort of the point, really.
Shelby GT350
