[NW-99SS]

Both reviews are exactly what I expect them to be from the two cars. Blaq is fortunate enough to be able to compare personal ownership of all 3 at once. Probably couldn't get a better perspective.

[radz28]

Interesting reviews. And looking forward to more as you get more miles.

Congrats' on adding a new Pony to the stable.

[L99BEN]

Originally Posted by BlaqWhole

I feel that in each category neither car is walking away with an easy win. Again it feels that in each case it is just splitting hairs.

So after my 3 hour drive I have some more input.

On the highway just cruising this car is comfy and has power ready to use. I stayed at the speed limit (55-65 depending on location) and kept it in cruise control for the majority of the ride. The only things I noticed that were bad is that it did tramline a bit, no heated steering wheel, no power recline seats, and the seats do not grab and hold you in place like the ZL1. The Nav worked flawlessly and even rerouted due to heavy traffic. And the Bluetooth skipped a couple times but it wasn't anything crazy. The car really grips the road in normal to spirited cornering.

I agree with you that the more I drive it the more I will like it because I already am liking it more and more. Although now I am starting to feel the weight of the car. It is nowhere close to how heavy the Hellcat is. But I can feel it more now. Still tho it moves like it is much lighter. Maybe they were able to save a lot of weight by ditching the heated steering and power recline.

I have the Recaros and they hold me better than the Zl1 seats did but I wish they were heated; though, your seats are more comfy than the Recaros. I would prob trade my recaro drivers seat for the standard leather seat especially if this were my daily driver.
The ZL1/camaro seat may be power recline but hardly recline at all without modification
i agree the weight can be felt especially during normal driving. During spirited driving the weight can still be felt but I'm having so much fun I dont think about it... Lighter wheels would likely make a noticeable difference in making it feel lighter. That is what the CFTP GT500 owners are reporting.

[Idaho2018GTPremium]

Originally Posted by BlaqWhole

So after a long two days of dealing with flight issues and not getting enough sleep, I finally got to Koon's and picked up the Shelby yesterday. My initial impressions...underwhelmed and disappointed. LOL, but keep reading.

So I started to think that I was not giving it a fair shake what after driving around my modded ZL1 all this time. I tried to factor in how the ZL1 felt on the first drive but it wasn't working. Then I started to think that perhaps from sitting for a month and a half that maybe the Shelby just needed to run a bit. So that's what I did. I had to make a bunch of stops and after driving it around and getting used to it a bit more and hammering down on the pedal and trying different modes and settings I can say that this car is indeed a beast.

On first look it is aggressive and angry. Initial start up was nice but it is definitely gonna need a catback. Interior feel is on par with the ZL1 and HC. These aren't luxury cars but they do have an interior that I would say is above what you'd expect. The Shelby does not feel anywhere near it's listed weight...at all. This is in stark contrast to the Hellcat which feels every bit it's weight. The Shelby is surprisingly deceptive and not just under acceleration either. It really hides it's weight well.

Other notes from initial visual inspection is man those are some huge rotors. Stopping will not be an issue at all. Acceleration is what I expected. It is a bit sluggish off the line but it moves out on rolls. Steering feel is good but you don't feel as much of a difference in steering modes as you do in the ZL1. And the ZL1 definitely feels like it has a tighter suspension and handles better.

Having not driven a GT500, I've wondered how the handling feels. I know they are slightly bigger, and 250 lbs heavier, with worse weight distribution, so I'm not surprised the ZL1 handles better. I like hearing it from someone who owns both, though.

Originally Posted by BlaqWhole

When it comes to gauges and the cluster the ZL1 seems to be structured a bit better. But the Shelby has many different color combinations that you can use and switch while the ZL1 is stuck with red ambient lighting no matter what you select.

For the Infotainment unit, the ZL1 works better. I find that the MySync on the Ford is often prone to freezing or taking a bit longer for the buttons to work. And it even wouldn't play music from my phone thru the Bluetooth even tho it was paired, connected, and working fine earlier...the phone worked properly in the car but it just wouldn't play music.

In the newer ZL1s you can choose from a lot of different ambient lighting colors. You can also assign it to change with the modes (blue = touring, red = sport, orange = track). I also agree the Infotainment and responsiveness of the touchscreen in my ZL1 is quite a bit better than the one in my GT Premium. The ZL1's screen isn't as picky with inaccurate finger touches. With the GT, if you didn't get a solid, accurate press, it often wouldn't accept the touch and you'd have to retry. That's 90% better in the ZL1.

Originally Posted by BlaqWhole

Of course there are a bunch of things we already know like visibility, ease of getting in and out, storage space, etc. The Mustang of course wins out in these areas. In fact, if I had the ZL1 with me, there is no way my luggage would have fit in the car. And of course another well known issue is the gas tank. Man does this thing use up gas quickly. That 16 gallon tank is not up to snuff. I'm already almost halfway thru the tank and I maybe put a little over 100 miles on it. I'm definitely gonna have to fill it up for the trip home. The ZL1 of course has better distance with it's 19 gallon tank.


My ratings would go something like this.

Low end acceleration: ZL1
Off the line: ZL1
Top end acceleration: Shelby
Handling: ZL1
Braking: Not enough info just yet
Interior: Tie
Infotainmanet: ZL1
Exterior: Tie
Exhaust: Shelby
Features: Tie
Overall finish and quality: Tie
Storage/room: Shelby

That sounds about right to me as well. Although I would give the edge to the ZL1 in fit and finish, I've read about a number of quality issues and fitment issues on M6G on the GT500. As far as interior, I think the black toggles in the GT500 look really cheap (sorry). The ones in my GT Premium were a nicer chrome finish. And no heated/cooled/electric Recaros is a bust as well.

Originally Posted by BlaqWhole

I have to give it to the ZL1 as the better car overall. But I knew going into this that Ford had a mountain of a wall to climb and not enough time to climb it in. The ZL1 is just an amazing machine and it wowed me from day 1. The Shelby is also an amazing machine and for sure it is a good match for the ZL1 and Hellcat. But I just don't think it is as good as the ZL1 is.

I mentioned this before but I REALLY feel that the Shelby should have had a version of the A10 instead of the DCT. To me it feels like the DCT isn't sure of what it wants to do and a few times the revs hung a bit longer than expected before it finally decided. The shifts are lightning quick but I don't quite see how much quicker they are than the A10. I will need to give it a bit more time.

I'm surprised about this comment about the DCT, but maybe it needs to be driven a bit harder to shine. I do think the ZL1 A10 is really smart and quick; and very quick to downshift when you want to move out.

Originally Posted by BlaqWhole

You can't take anything from the Shelby. It is right up there with the Hellcat and ZL1. Even tho I think the ZL1 is better they are very very close. It isn't like the ZL1 is far and away better or anything. If anything at this point it is just splitting hairs. I'll compare it to the HC next but for now I gotta get on the road and get home. It's been 6 months since I been home and I have a 3 hour drive. I'll review the Shelby again after the drive home and update you guys with a bit more info later today.

Congrats on an awesome car! Thanks for the initial impressions.

[BlaqWhole]

Originally Posted by NW-99SS

Both reviews are exactly what I expect them to be from the two cars. Blaq is fortunate enough to be able to compare personal ownership of all 3 at once. Probably couldn't get a better perspective.

Thanks man.

Originally Posted by radz28

Interesting reviews. And looking forward to more as you get more miles.

Congrats' on adding a new Pony to the stable.

Thanks a lot. It's pretty cool to see how well these two cars compete with each other yet how they have such significant differences.

[BlaqWhole]

Originally Posted by Idaho2018GTPremium

Having not driven a GT500, I've wondered how the handling feels. I know they are slightly bigger, and 250 lbs heavier, with worse weight distribution, so I'm not surprised the ZL1 handles better. I like hearing it from someone who owns both, though.

Tha ZL1 has the advantage of having a superior chassis so that helps a ton. The GT500 does corner well. I was coming around a ramp and it was just holding the ground very well. I kept thinking that I could go faster if I wanted to.

Originally Posted by Idaho2018GTPremium

In the newer ZL1s you can choose from a lot of different ambient lighting colors. You can also assign it to change with the modes (blue = touring, red = sport, orange = track). I also agree the Infotainment and responsiveness of the touchscreen in my ZL1 is quite a bit better than the one in my GT Premium. The ZL1's screen isn't as picky with inaccurate finger touches. With the GT, if you didn't get a solid, accurate press, it often wouldn't accept the touch and you'd have to retry. That's 90% better in the ZL1.

Mine being a 17 doesn't have those features like the newer models do. So I guess by the time the GT500 was available the ZL1 was already comparable in this regards.

Originally Posted by Idaho2018GTPremium

That sounds about right to me as well. Although I would give the edge to the ZL1 in fit and finish, I've read about a number of quality issues and fitment issues on M6G on the GT500. As far as interior, I think the black toggles in the GT500 look really cheap (sorry). The ones in my GT Premium were a nicer chrome finish. And no heated/cooled/electric Recaros is a bust as well.

Yea perhaps there is a better quality in the ZL1 than the GT500. It seems that the builders pretty much treat the Shelby like it's just another Mustang.

It really should have come with heated steering wheel and heated/vented Recaros as standard. Perhaps that would have put them over budget.

Originally Posted by Idaho2018GTPremium

I'm surprised about this comment about the DCT, but maybe it needs to be driven a bit harder to shine. I do think the ZL1 A10 is really smart and quick; and very quick to downshift when you want to move out.

I'm just not a fan of the DCT at all. I think GM did such a good job with the A10 that it can compete with DCTs. But still a bit more seat time and I might feel differently.

Originally Posted by Idaho2018GTPremium

Congrats on an awesome car! Thanks for the initial impressions.

Thanks. It is a phenomenal car for sure.

[BlaqWhole]

Here are some pics. Those are some huge rotors, lol!! And yea they had some rust on it because the car was sitting for over a month and a half. But it cleaned right up.

Curious thing tho. I noticed that the oil pressure gauge and the dash reading says 80 PSI while cruising. I'm not sure if that is normal for these cars but I will be looking into it today to see what's what.

[ST1LE]

DAMNNNN....those are some UUUGE rotors.

[MakCamaro]

Because ...DAMNNNN this is a heavy car!

[shaffe]

Congrats Blaq and holy hell those are yuuuuuuggggge rotors

[L99BEN]

I told you all the GT500 brakes are no joke!

Blaq - Your car looks great man!!

Definitely try shifting via the paddles manually.

A lot of great info from Goose17 in this thread regarding the DCT/modes:
https://www.fordgt500.com/threads/20....195961/page-2

[Realist]

They are great looking cars, especially without the stripe package. If they offered a manual transmission, I would actually visit a Ford dealer. I would have to have the recaro seats and replace the wheels.

[Scottyz]

Great looking car Blaq! Congratulations!

[BlaqWhole]

Originally Posted by ST1LE

DAMNNNN....those are some UUUGE rotors.

Right? LOL!!

Originally Posted by MakCamaro

Because ...DAMNNNN this is a heavy car!

For sure. Although the HC is heavier and doesn't have rotors that big. But then again the HC isn't built for the track or with track capabilities in mind. If it was then I bet it would need rotors just as big.

Originally Posted by shaffe

Congrats Blaq and holy hell those are yuuuuuuggggge rotors

It was literally the first thing I noticed when I saw the car in person for the first time.

Originally Posted by L99BEN

I told you all the GT500 brakes are no joke!

Blaq - Your car looks great man!!

Definitely try shifting via the paddles manually.

A lot of great info from Goose17 in this thread regarding the DCT/modes:
https://www.fordgt500.com/threads/20....195961/page-2

I'll try that at some point. For now I just enjoy driving it in Sport and letting the trans do it's thing on it's own.

Originally Posted by Realist

They are great looking cars, especially without the stripe package. If they offered a manual transmission, I would actually visit a Ford dealer. I would have to have the recaro seats and replace the wheels.

There is a company that offers an aftermarket manual trans conversion. But as you can imagine it would for sure void the warranty. but I doubt the people who are modding that deeply are worried about the warranty.

Originally Posted by Scottyz

Great looking car Blaq! Congratulations!

Thanks man.