I get it guys. I really do. I'm not saying the R is the same. I'm just saying that I think there MAY be a placebo effect among purchasers and a marketing effort among industry professionals to paint the differences between the R and the regular 350 as more than they really are.
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You've ALL seen videos or even real world examples of where someone puts a very minor modification on their car and claims "dude, it's COMPLETELY different." "It makes a HUGE difference."
Again, I think the R is better, I just don't think it's the massive jump all of you are hoping/experiencing (over the 350).
I'm not infallible or always right. Time may prove me wrong (with REAL numbers and testing) but for now, all we have to go on is..."it feels way better."
It seems to me (and possibly others) that you are saying you think the R isn't any better than a standard GT350, essentially that Ford sold us a Bill of Goods. I think you need to do more research on the cars. Ford didn't just throw a bunch of parts and packages together just to give drivers the feels. The standard GT350 and the R are wind tunnel tested cars. If the R's aero didn't do anything, it wouldn't be on the car. Those carbon fiber wheels aren't just for lightness. The lightness provides for better steering feedback while the stiffer structure makes for sharper turn-in. Now add in the dampers, springs, sway bars, tuning, etc. Yes, it does make a huge difference in how the car "feels", but it's also actual performance gains.
Speaking of "the feels", that is a quantifiable and measurable quotient. Driver confidence might be the biggest improvement you can make to see big gains in lap times. I reject your theory that it's a placebo affect or, what you're really trying to say, purchase validation. Go read my initial review thread about my R, and tell me that's coming from somebody who's all doe-eyed and in love or even slightly biased. I was looking at the R with a critical eye the very instant Ford said it's as fast as a 991.1 GT3 around a track. I'll believe it when I see it.