The level 2 Performance Pack Mustang GT is beginning to hit dealers lots. With the niche this car is designed for it is quite natural to compare this car with the GT350 as it will attract similar buyers. Meaning a naturally aspirated performance oriented drivers car. Both of these automobiles tick all the right boxes on excitement to drive spiritedly on the road as well as a weekend autocross/infield warrior.
I recently was able to experience driving the 2018 level 2 performance pack GT and wanted to compare it to driving the GT350 (2016-track pack). It seems like a legitimate comparison for someone in the market.
Since the GT350 has been out since 2015 most generally everyone has already seen every single persons review and has driven the GT350. Especially on this board in this section. So my comparison will stick with more driving impressions of the GT.
The PP2 has been called the “baby GT350”. I believe an even more accurate description would be “GT350 on a budget”. New to New pricing the PP2 GT starts out at just around $45k. While the current GT350 is ~56k. You can load up each vehicle with options to ~52k and ~62k respectively. However the GT qualifies for A-X plan pricing which can knock 2-3k off the sticker price of the car without negotiating it.
The PP2 that I drove was a base 301A with the only option being the level 2 and active exhaust. This would be prime suspect for an individual more focused on track and keeping cost down who will be swapping out the seats for something with better support.
Driving impressions; The PP2 rides surprisingly smooth and soft for a “track oriented car”. It’s sprung stiffly but nothing that would be considered harsh. The dampening is done extremely well without being over dampened like the Focus RS. The ride compared to the GT350 is nearly identical with the exception of tram line. As anyone who has driven a GT350R or anything with a 305 super soft compound tire on the front of a car will know they are notorious for catching ridges and uneven pavement surfaces in the road(like concrete to asphalt sections). It is manageable as long as your hand is on the wheel and you are anticipating it. It is a car that will demand your attention while driving it. The GT350 (non-R) doesn’t have this issue be nearly as much. The Michelin Pilot Cup 2 tires require just a little driving to put heat into them to start to hear all the rocks/road debris to start to get kicked up into the fenderwell’s. You don’t have the “rock shelf” to clear out after driving like the GT350 though.
The brakes are good but not as good as the GT350s. They are on par with the 13-14 GT500s in the sense that they offer excellent stoppping power but will begin to show weakness at an all day track event. The brake, like the clutch grabs at the very top of the pedal. The pedal layout could use some work as the brake and accelerator pedal spacing is too far apart to do heel toe driving unless going full tilt boogie at the race track.
The MT82 is improved over the 2011-2017 unite but still suffers from the shifter feeling like it’s not even connected to the transmission. Resting your hand on the shifter still moves it around to remind you that it is not connected. The transmission in the Shelby Gt350 is still lightyears ahead of the MT82 unit on feel and precision. The clutch in the GT350 is also easier/smoother to drive as well.
The driving modes in the PP2 actually are noticeable. That was one complaint I had with the GT350 as the driving modes did not feel substantially different between normal/sport/wet out side of steering. On the PP2 the dampening, throttle response, engine braking and steering was noticeably different in normal/sport/track/drag race/snow+wet. The track was the mode I preferred. Wet was a dog while drag race was soft. Acting like a 80/20 shock initially at launch then tightened up as speed increased.
Power delivery was interesting. It had a touch more torque then the GT350 below 4500rpm. I would put it on par with a Boss 302 however as it was still down from the 2011-2017 cars. Perhaps it feels that way since the power really comes on strong as the IRMCBs come open. It really starts to pull hard like the GT350 but a little more abrubt in track mode. However, as the GT350 pulls practically all the way to redline, this intake is done at ~7100rpm and noses over. The 3rd Generation Coyote is a serious stout piece. As many have seen the memes going around referring to the 2011-2017 coyote owners as the new 2010(2005-2010) 3v owners, it makes more sense after you drive an 18. It’s not surprising the 2018s are going 11.8s stock with the 10speed and Mag-shocks set in drag mode.
Interior wise the gauges are easier to read as the font is bigger and brighter color on the base gauges. The center gauges are still useless for anyone but the passenger who could look at them with intent instead of a glance. The 401A with premium plus upgrade is a worthwhile option to get the digital dash and “soft to the touch” areas you come into contact with. The base interior feels to “rental car” for my taste.
The exhaust sounds better in person then it does in videos but this is a place where I would save the 900$ a skip this option. You’ll never have the car in “quiet” mode as it sounds like it is completely corked up, well, terrible IMO. The GT350 still sounds better in my ears but that is subjective.
Looks; well that is completely subjective to everyone. The PP2 has the best looking wheels of any Ford production car. But I may be bias as I prefer this style of rims in the first place. It’s like FR500s and Ford GTs on steroids. The amount of room in this wheel will allow some serious brake upgrades in the future. The larger front splitter is a welcome advancement for aero and style. However, the car does not have ground clearance issues and you never once think I need to watch this bump/slope/debris. The car stance is “ok” some will feel it still sits to high and others will think it’s fine. As a street car it’s a nice balance for requirements of things you’ll encounter while driving. I believe the GT350 looks better. It certainly has better aero package. The PP2 will be fast around a track due to mechanical grip not because of the aero.
The GT350 is still more exciting to drive, has better cooling(trans/diff) and brakes for long track days along with a better aero package.
My synopsis; Both cars are wonderful to drive and both could be daily driven if you wanted to. In both cars the driver will run out of talent far before they reach the cars limits.
My opinion; If you’re buying new then the PP2 is a better bargain.
If you’re willing to buy used, then pick up a used GT350 as you wont be finding very many used PP2s on the used market as the “take it rate” of dealers ordering the PP2 will be low. Dare I say even more rare then a GT350... time will tell. It goes without saying make sure you check the car/oil consumption rate/OASIS reports throughly when looking at the used cars.
I recently was able to experience driving the 2018 level 2 performance pack GT and wanted to compare it to driving the GT350 (2016-track pack). It seems like a legitimate comparison for someone in the market.
Since the GT350 has been out since 2015 most generally everyone has already seen every single persons review and has driven the GT350. Especially on this board in this section. So my comparison will stick with more driving impressions of the GT.
The PP2 has been called the “baby GT350”. I believe an even more accurate description would be “GT350 on a budget”. New to New pricing the PP2 GT starts out at just around $45k. While the current GT350 is ~56k. You can load up each vehicle with options to ~52k and ~62k respectively. However the GT qualifies for A-X plan pricing which can knock 2-3k off the sticker price of the car without negotiating it.
The PP2 that I drove was a base 301A with the only option being the level 2 and active exhaust. This would be prime suspect for an individual more focused on track and keeping cost down who will be swapping out the seats for something with better support.
Driving impressions; The PP2 rides surprisingly smooth and soft for a “track oriented car”. It’s sprung stiffly but nothing that would be considered harsh. The dampening is done extremely well without being over dampened like the Focus RS. The ride compared to the GT350 is nearly identical with the exception of tram line. As anyone who has driven a GT350R or anything with a 305 super soft compound tire on the front of a car will know they are notorious for catching ridges and uneven pavement surfaces in the road(like concrete to asphalt sections). It is manageable as long as your hand is on the wheel and you are anticipating it. It is a car that will demand your attention while driving it. The GT350 (non-R) doesn’t have this issue be nearly as much. The Michelin Pilot Cup 2 tires require just a little driving to put heat into them to start to hear all the rocks/road debris to start to get kicked up into the fenderwell’s. You don’t have the “rock shelf” to clear out after driving like the GT350 though.
The brakes are good but not as good as the GT350s. They are on par with the 13-14 GT500s in the sense that they offer excellent stoppping power but will begin to show weakness at an all day track event. The brake, like the clutch grabs at the very top of the pedal. The pedal layout could use some work as the brake and accelerator pedal spacing is too far apart to do heel toe driving unless going full tilt boogie at the race track.
The MT82 is improved over the 2011-2017 unite but still suffers from the shifter feeling like it’s not even connected to the transmission. Resting your hand on the shifter still moves it around to remind you that it is not connected. The transmission in the Shelby Gt350 is still lightyears ahead of the MT82 unit on feel and precision. The clutch in the GT350 is also easier/smoother to drive as well.
The driving modes in the PP2 actually are noticeable. That was one complaint I had with the GT350 as the driving modes did not feel substantially different between normal/sport/wet out side of steering. On the PP2 the dampening, throttle response, engine braking and steering was noticeably different in normal/sport/track/drag race/snow+wet. The track was the mode I preferred. Wet was a dog while drag race was soft. Acting like a 80/20 shock initially at launch then tightened up as speed increased.
Power delivery was interesting. It had a touch more torque then the GT350 below 4500rpm. I would put it on par with a Boss 302 however as it was still down from the 2011-2017 cars. Perhaps it feels that way since the power really comes on strong as the IRMCBs come open. It really starts to pull hard like the GT350 but a little more abrubt in track mode. However, as the GT350 pulls practically all the way to redline, this intake is done at ~7100rpm and noses over. The 3rd Generation Coyote is a serious stout piece. As many have seen the memes going around referring to the 2011-2017 coyote owners as the new 2010(2005-2010) 3v owners, it makes more sense after you drive an 18. It’s not surprising the 2018s are going 11.8s stock with the 10speed and Mag-shocks set in drag mode.
Interior wise the gauges are easier to read as the font is bigger and brighter color on the base gauges. The center gauges are still useless for anyone but the passenger who could look at them with intent instead of a glance. The 401A with premium plus upgrade is a worthwhile option to get the digital dash and “soft to the touch” areas you come into contact with. The base interior feels to “rental car” for my taste.
The exhaust sounds better in person then it does in videos but this is a place where I would save the 900$ a skip this option. You’ll never have the car in “quiet” mode as it sounds like it is completely corked up, well, terrible IMO. The GT350 still sounds better in my ears but that is subjective.
Looks; well that is completely subjective to everyone. The PP2 has the best looking wheels of any Ford production car. But I may be bias as I prefer this style of rims in the first place. It’s like FR500s and Ford GTs on steroids. The amount of room in this wheel will allow some serious brake upgrades in the future. The larger front splitter is a welcome advancement for aero and style. However, the car does not have ground clearance issues and you never once think I need to watch this bump/slope/debris. The car stance is “ok” some will feel it still sits to high and others will think it’s fine. As a street car it’s a nice balance for requirements of things you’ll encounter while driving. I believe the GT350 looks better. It certainly has better aero package. The PP2 will be fast around a track due to mechanical grip not because of the aero.
The GT350 is still more exciting to drive, has better cooling(trans/diff) and brakes for long track days along with a better aero package.
My synopsis; Both cars are wonderful to drive and both could be daily driven if you wanted to. In both cars the driver will run out of talent far before they reach the cars limits.
My opinion; If you’re buying new then the PP2 is a better bargain.
If you’re willing to buy used, then pick up a used GT350 as you wont be finding very many used PP2s on the used market as the “take it rate” of dealers ordering the PP2 will be low. Dare I say even more rare then a GT350... time will tell. It goes without saying make sure you check the car/oil consumption rate/OASIS reports throughly when looking at the used cars.
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