Head 2 Head: GT350R vs Z/28

[Camaro Dude]

Originally Posted by trademaster

More than the number of Z/28s being built

I heard like only 36...or was it 67 R's are being built, lol.

If that's the case, that's a much smaller number than the Z28.

I dunno either.

Still not impressed, still all ears.

[trademaster]

Originally Posted by Camaro Dude

I heard like only 36...or was it 67 R's are being built, lol.

If that's the case, that's a much smaller number than the Z28.

I dunno either.

Still not impressed, still all ears.

That's only for the 2015 model year. It's a super limited run for this year, but 2016 and beyond will see a lot more built.

I'm not sure why you're not impressed either. It's faster than a Z/28 in a straight line and on track, it rides better and has more luxury, and it MSRPs for $10,000 less than the Z/28 did. Faster, cheaper, nicer... opinions aside, you can't ask for much more than that from an objective standpoint. It costs more at the dealership than a Z/28 as a result of demand, but from the manufacturer they pretty much hit it out of the park.

[Camaro Dude]

Originally Posted by trademaster

That's only for the 2015 model year. It's a super limited run for this year, but 2016 and beyond will see a lot more built.

I'm not sure why you're not impressed either. It's faster than a Z/28 in a straight line and on track, it rides better and has more luxury, and it MSRPs for $10,000 less than the Z/28 did. Faster, cheaper, nicer... opinions aside, you can't ask for much more than that from an objective standpoint. It costs more at the dealership than a Z/28 as a result of demand, but from the manufacturer they pretty much hit it out of the park.

I didn't understand your 1st paragraph.

You write it's a super limited run for this year, but for 2016+ we will see a lot more built.

You do realize it's 2016 in a couple of weeks, so I'm trying to make some sense of this here, lol. I associate the term "this year" for 2016 not 2015.

With under 90 R's built per annum, I will most like never see it on the road. A "Ferrari" might be more common place on my streets than the R, lol.

I wrote that I wasn't impressed, not because of the numbers, but based on the fact that this car will be more rare a sight than a solar eclipse in our part of the world lol.

I'm trying to look at the big picture and reality here. Nice performance numbers but only 60 built. Awesome, I'm very excited.

[crysalis_01]

Only the 2015 was limited to such an extreme level... 100 GT350's and 37 GT350R's. This was done to commemorate the initial run of GT350's which was also 137 units.

2016 MY and beyond, most likely through MY '18, Ford will be aiming to hit production numbers similar to those of the last gen GT500 with 500 units of the R produced per year.

For comparisons sake I believe Z/28's initial run in '14 was 440 units for the US market and 76 units for export.

I have been looking but can't find solid numbers of the'15 MY run. A quote was posted that GM wanted to produce something like 2500 more Z/28's for '15 but I can't verify that this number was reached.

[Camaro Dude]

^^^Ok, that all said,

Didn't someone on this forum recently report solid numbers from some road course track, where the 2015 Z28 came slightly ahead of the 2016 GT350? He was implying GT350R > Z28 > GT350, hence why I'm lambasting the R and its ultra low production numbers within the context of this head to head .

[trademaster]

Originally Posted by Camaro Dude

I didn't understand your 1st paragraph.

You write it's a super limited run for this year, but for 2016+ we will see a lot more built.

You do realize it's 2016 in a couple of weeks, so I'm trying to make some sense of this here, lol. I associate the term "this year" for 2016 not 2015.

So if it's 2016 in a couple of weeks, what year is this year?

Originally Posted by Camaro Dude

With under 90 R's built per annum, I will most like never see it on the road. A "Ferrari" might be more common place on my streets than the R, lol.

As I said, the 2015 run is extremely limited, but future model years will be far less limited. As a point of reference, only 100 normal GT350s are being sold as 2015 MY vehicles, but Ford plans to build based on demand going forward, i.e. thousands.

Originally Posted by Camaro Dude

I wrote that I wasn't impressed, not because of the numbers, but based on the fact that this car will be more rare a sight than a solar eclipse in our part of the world lol.

I'm trying to look at the big picture and reality here. Nice performance numbers but only 60 built. Awesome, I'm very excited.

Your premise is completely inaccurate. I guarantee you will see a GT350 on the road within 6 months unless you live under a rock.

[Camaro Dude]

You forgot to respond to my post # 33.

[Camaro Dude]

Originally Posted by trademaster

...Your premise is completely inaccurate. I guarantee you will see a GT350 on the road within 6 months unless you live under a rock.

Never once was I referring to the GT350.

I was talking about the R.

Couldn't care less about the regular GT350.


BTW, where are your sources that suggest Ford will produce many more in the future? Not refuting this, I hold aligiance to nothing.

Just asking for facts, and proper context after the fact, not before.

[backeddy]

Camaro dude, I got to "thoroughly" test a gt350 earlier this week and I have extensive track times in all forms of the current c5, the "standard" gt350 will beat the Z28 around most track configurations that I have have run.... The R only changes wheels tires etc, which are a small part of the equation and probably do not even come into play for 99.95% of the driving public (including track junkies). You can put A7's on a stock gt350 and beat an "R" on street tires every time....just my 02 after getting to play with one.

[Camaro Dude]

backeddy, I'm glad someone like you chimed in. I have watched your vids, you post some nice times, so ultimately, respect there.

I like a constructive debate, so I would like to hear your comments on these Lap Times by Randy Probst @ Chuckwalla Valley, in a Z28, GT350, and GT350R. His Z28 time was quicker than the GT350, albeit slower than the R :cigarette:. http://fastestlaps.com/tracks/chuckwalla-valley-raceway

Also, I was a bit surprised to not see you chiming in this thread here titled "Z/28 beats GT350 at Laguna Seca": http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=421492

[backeddy]

The "R" vs stock debate is MFG driven, kind of like the 1LE vs ZL1 thing....I can assure you that the 1LE is a MUCH better "track" car than the ZL1, but you will never here that from people who are given the cars to test....it would be a killer to the brands, so it is not going to happen. I can nearly match Randy's times at Laguna in the Z28, but the ZL1 is so far back it's not even on my radar (even after several hundred laps in one), why is that? Simple, because heat soak prevents it from happening, but you will not hear a peep about that from testers. It is my understanding that Ford limited the testing to 3 laps....so you are not going to get a feel for an all new car in that amount of time...even for Randy. I was not under ANY restrictions(other than I was out $87k and had to explain to the new owner why his car never made it to the dealer)when I got to play with the car and it was on my normal loop that I use for testing parts before I go to the track....a long straight that comes into a hair pin a rising exit, followed by an S turn and a straight then 3 lefts back to the beginning...All in an area with zero traffic. I know how Camaro's handle and I know the speed the obtain in these areas and I was able to top 1LE speeds in one lap, with tires that I absolutely hate....by lap 2 I was FAR above 1LE speeds and other than feeling that the rear would slide out (never did) I had no other complaints (well the side bolsters on the recaros hurt lol). With that said, I know how it is going to feel on the track, there are also a couple of videos from laguna with it running 1:44 with half the track coned off......There is something going on with this car and I cannot wait to see what it is.....That shiny new blue GT350 going to it's new owner now has 34 miles on it...:-)

[L99CAMA2011]

Originally Posted by backeddy

The "R" vs stock debate is MFG driven, kind of like the 1LE vs ZL1 thing....I can assure you that the 1LE is a MUCH better "track" car than the ZL1, but you will never here that from people who are given the cars to test....it would be a killer to the brands, so it is not going to happen. I can nearly match Randy's times at Laguna in the Z28, but the ZL1 is so far back it's not even on my radar (even after several hundred laps in one), why is that? Simple, because heat soak prevents it from happening, but you will not hear a peep about that from testers. It is my understanding that Ford limited the testing to 3 laps....so you are not going to get a feel for an all new car in that amount of time...even for Randy. I was not under ANY restrictions(other than I was out $87k and had to explain to the new owner why his car never made it to the dealer)when I got to play with the car and it was on my normal loop that I use for testing parts before I go to the track....a long straight that comes into a hair pin a rising exit, followed by an S turn and a straight then 3 lefts back to the beginning...All in an area with zero traffic. I know how Camaro's handle and I know the speed the obtain in these areas and I was able to top 1LE speeds in one lap, with tires that I absolutely hate....by lap 2 I was FAR above 1LE speeds and other than feeling that the rear would slide out (never did) I had no other complaints (well the side bolsters on the recaros hurt lol). With that said, I know how it is going to feel on the track, there are also a couple of videos from laguna with it running 1:44 with half the track coned off......There is something going on with this car and I cannot wait to see what it is.....That shiny new blue GT350 going to it's new owner now has 34 miles on it...:-)

Just for thought I just watched a clip on Youtube of a 370 Z stock power running RS3s at 1:46 laptimes.

[trademaster]

With use of the full track a GT350R should have no problem lapping Laguna in the mid-low 1:3X range. Changing the lines with cones makes a huge difference in lap times.

[69L48Z27]

Originally Posted by crysalis_01

I have been looking but can't find solid numbers of the'15 MY run. A quote was posted that GM wanted to produce something like 2500 more Z/28's for '15 but I can't verify that this number was reached.

It looks like 1288 Z's produced for MY '15. Last one off the line was sold for charity at Barret Jackson Las Vegas a month or two ago, VIN was ....1288. This was also reported over in the Z/28 forum.