GT500 comparison to 370Z
 

I had a unique opportunity this weekend to drive my friend's new Mustang GT500 around Florida. Having owned my 370 for about 9 months and read quite a bit about the GT500, I was curious how a 540hp hotrod compares to a more refined sports car like the Z. Since I'm sure you guys have probably read about the GT500 as well and perhaps had an owner try to race you, here are some interesting comparisons.

Engine:
Well, the rumble of that V8 is pretty sweet. It's not incredibly loud and is probably on par with a catback and hfc install on our car (in terms of overall loudness). Unfortunately, we'll never replicate that deep rumble. Add the supercharged whine over 4500rpm and it's darn cool to 'get on' this car.

Acceleration:
While the GT500 has incredible power, the weight of the car makes it feel very comparable to the 370Z in terms of butt dyno. There is a more visceral experience with the noise of the V8 though.

Handling:
The car is very responsive to wheel input but doesn't feel connected to the road at all. Despite the low profile 18" tires, I didn't have that sense of the road surface and steering feel of the Z. The size of the car makes it feel cumbersome as well.

Braking:
Those Brembos are nice. Braking is top notch.

Interior 'bits':

Shifter: a very cool pool cue knob and a notchy, extremely short throw shifter. I was amazed at the effort it took to shift gears...you'd think the Z was butter compared to this car. Throws were too short for my liking at maybe 1.5" (unbelievably short). Combining the short throw and force needed to shift, I kept thinking I missed the shift. The throttle response made it very easy to rev match downshifts the traditional way. Clutch 'take' was very much like our car but perhaps even higher off the floor.

Fit and finish:
Pretty darn good. The seats are better than those in the Z. They just fit perfectly and give incredible head, neck and back support. The car is laden with plastic around the dash and center console which reminds you that you're still in a Ford.

Lighting:
I can't believe Nissan didn't do something like this for the Z. You guys tearing apart your cars to change your interior lighting colors would die with envy. All the lighting in the GT500 is customizable (ambient feet, doors, cupholders, and ALL dash lighting). The car's computer lets you change the LED color of all these lit areas and you even have three custom options where you can mix up your own colors. Why a Z doesn't have this is beyond me.

Nav:
Ford put a voice controlled nav in the car which seems to work pretty well. The shining upside is that you can always input a new route using voice commands, but have to stop like every other nav to do it by hand. Gone are the days of pulling over to put your destination in. It couldn't figure out long street or town names, but gives you the ability to verbally spell things which makes up for the shortcoming.

Overall, I like my Z better. We won't be able to compete with the V8 sound, I'd bet our cars are quicker in a straight line unless the GT500 is driven by a very skilled person. In corners, there's no question. Most GT500 owners will be worrying about spinning out while you zip past them given the loads of power, lack of road feel, and beefiness of the car. The GT500 feels large, heavy, and lacks the finesse of the Z.

If you can get a chance to drive one though...go for it :).

Sounds about dead on, the lights can also be changed in the GT maybe even the V6. :(
The one thing I feel envious of my two co-workers is the V8 sound, but that is where it stops for me.

The GT500 runs roughly 12.6 at 113mph. Even with a not so skilled person, just someone decent, it's going to be pulling on the 370z.

You can spin the tires in 4th. It takes skill to make the GT500 fast.

You can't compare any Rustang to the Z.

a GT 500 will crush a 370Z, so will the 2011 GT

in a straight line I mean
the 370Z will run away from both on a track

The GT500 to 370Z comparison is a very difficult one to make seeing how many differences there are just in the general makeup of the cars. 4 seats vs 2, overall size/weight, IRS vs solid rear axle, etc...

GT500 competes with the Camaro SS, SRT8, Charger, Challenger, and few others I am sure I am forgetting.

370Z was meant to compete with Corvette, Cayman, and Z4 to offer similar performance at a much cheaper price.

When it comes down to it between the GT500 and 370Z you are really just comparing lifestyles not car performance.:twocents:

The GT500 is a beast to drive fast. It takes considerable skill to work the 1/4 in 12 seconds with one. If you check out the mustang boards the top drivers are ridiculously fast and then there are others stuck in the 13s with high traps because they can't hook.

Actually, the GT500 does not compete against the Camaro SS or SRT8, the Mustang GT does. GM or Dodge have no real competitor to the GT500 currently, hopefully once the Z28 hits they will, and the SRT8 is just high priced but not a lot there.
I do agree they are not in similar classes, they have similar price points and power but they do perform differently and provide very different styles.

Exactly. In a perfect world Id have both.

The GT could hardly be considered competition for the Camaro SS and SRT8. Now in 2011 that will all change with the coming of the 5.0 in the GT.

m4a1mustang - That would be nice...take the stang to the dragstrip and the z to the roadcourse:driving:

I do not really count the 4.6 anymore, knowing full well that the 5.0L is here, but even with the 4.6 it ran .2 slower in the 1/4 mile, beat the Camaro SS in skid pad, brake tests, etc.

A GT500 would kill a 370z in a straight line and it will beat it in a long twisty roadcourse like VIR, Big Willow etc too. I remember the old 06 lightning Lap where a GT500 that suffered major ignition problems was still faster than a well driven 06 350z by a second and a half [GT500 3:11 to the Z's 3:12.5] Teh next year the GT500 was just a few tenths off a Porsche 911 TT and about 8 secs faster than the 350z time from the previous Lightning Lap. On a highway roll its lights out.

The GT 500 should be faster then the 370z as well imho. I highly doubt a 370z is 8 secs faster than a 350z on VIR and it would need to be just to approach the GT500's time much less beat one on a track like VIR. Short tracks it will have a chance as outright speeds are less critical.

Also the Cayman S was 4 secs faster than the 350z in that same 06 Car and Driver Lightening Lap test. GT500 was 4 secs faster than the Cayman S. The 370z is as fast as the old Cayman S. The GT500 is not a handler like the 370z but, "track dependant", it can beat a 370z.

06 Lightning Lap head to head. Z vs Cayman S vs GT500 to name a few

07 Lightning Lap GT500 fast lap 3:05.9

CAR and DRIVER
February 2010
4th Annual Lightning Lap Edition
V.I.R. Fast Lap!

Mustang GT 3:13
GT 500 -- 3:07.4
BMW M3 -- 3:05.4
Audi S4 -- 3:12
Camaro SS -- 3:09.5
Audi TTS -- 3:08.4
Caymon S -- 3:05.8
VW GTI -- 3:19.3
Genesis 3.8 -- 3:14.8
To list some of the cars tested!


NISMO 370Z -- 3:12

Let's face it! Our cars exibit Bang for the Buck performance that needs improving!! That's the fun part!

^^^Nismo....NISMO. The base/sport 370 will fare better in a lightning lap! :)

If a TTS is 4s faster and a Genesis 3.8 is only 2 seconds slower...something ain't right.

I second that, there is no way a TTS is 4 seconds faster than the nismo.... the base 370 is even faster in a straight line and through corners..... And the Genesis 2 seconds slower?!?!?

Do a few things to the gt500 and add some drag radials or slicks and it will be hard to not run low 12s high 11s...

I would trade my 370z for a gt500 if someone wanted to trade 1-1... not worth the money imo but def a ridiculous car!

I went to a car show and met a guy with the non supercharged gt500 who put a blower on it and it was one of the sickest cars I have ever been in, he scared the **** out of me during a 2 miles test run up and down a county road thats long and flat by my house... like the OP said it spun all the way through every single gear he was in. Thing was NUTS!

whats a non supercharged gt500, because i never heard of one.

The Z and the GT 500 are two different cars with really nothing in common. Provide me with the price differece between the GT500 and the 370, and with the help of aftermarket parts, I would be able to provide more competetive numbers. A true comparison should be between the GTR and the GT500.

Interesting facts though.

maybe i am mistaken ? Im almost positive that is what he told me, unless he tossed the stock blower and replaced it...

i could of swarn he said something about getting the one without the blower and SCing it... Im not 100% sure of this, so maybe I am mistaken, but either way the car did not have a OEM blower installed , it was aftermarket, and the thing was an absolute monster... and without a doubt had the shelby bumpers colors racing stripes... was grey with blue stripes...

If anyone is big into mustangs in NY they prob know this guy... he has an 03 cobra that runs 9s, like 4-5 5.0's, and this car, which is said was his new track toy

If you have a chance to ever test drive a 2007 Shelby GT (not the GT500) give it a try. The handling on it is supurb as the Shelby GT has a completely modified rear-end which the GT500 did not happen to get until this 2010 model year. The Shelby GT is lowered and loaded to keep the rear wheels planted onto the group over bumps, snow or ice.

When I traded mine for the 370Z Tour+Sport I was expecting the 370Z rear-end to handle at least equal to the Shelby GT. I was slightly disappointed to find the Shelby GT holds the road far better. However I suspect that alot has to do with the stock tires for the 370Z Tour+Sport package. The Shelby GT had BF Goodrich KDWS G-Force T/A High Performance tires.

Though I am sure that some folks will disagree with me but the BF Goodrich KDWS G-Force T/A High Performance tires are supiorior in handling and wear and tear compared to the 370's Tour+ Sport stock tires. Trust, having driven both the KDWS are far superior and I will be replacing my stock 370Z T+S tires with KDWS this upcoming summer.

The 2010 Shelby GT500 suspension has been upgraded to the same one that was on the 2007 Shelby GT. It still may not handle nearly as well as the 2007 Shelby GT given the weight and balance differences between the cars.

As for the 370Z being faster in a straight-line over a GT500 due to hookup problems the GT500 would pass you by...don't even kid yourself about that one. With a set of Nitto 315's or larger that GT500 will hook up just fine and he will catch you at the 1/8 mile marker and finish at least a 1/16 of a mile ahead of you.

I know that for a fact because I raced a 2006 350Z with my 2003 Mustang Terminator which was putting down 452 RWHP and 422 ft-lbs RWTQ. I had a hookup problem but I managed to catch up to the 350Z at the 3/4 mark and still finish about 3 car lengths ahead. I have no doubt the GT500 would do the same.


Our 370Z are refined sports cars, not brute force muscle cars...and there is quite a differrence in each when comparing them by way of performance. Keep that in mind and you will not have any reason to doubt the 370Z performance as the class of these cars are worlds apart.

Perhaps my original title is misleading. I wasn't comparing the Z and GT500 as if they are equal, competing cars. I merely had the chance to drive the GT500 and naturally own a nice car to compare it too :). Someone let me borrow their GT-R and I'll write a comparison of it to the GT500!

I agree that by 3rd gear, the GT500 will be pulling past the Z pretty easily. It will take an experienced driver to make the GT500 stay ahead of the Z through first and second gears though. (and swapping for drag radials doesn't count a solution...I'm talking stock setups)

Yeah the vs threads can get outta hand real quick. Great review of a GT500 though and we'll be looking forward to that GTR comparo.:tup:

I drive the TTS at my work....it's faster then the 370Z. Sorry!!

Just a butt dyno? Faster acceleration, cornering, better braking, what? It's hard to drive two cars that both run 0-60 times in the 4.7 to 5.0s range and call one faster without comparing lap times.

Actually the blower on the GT500 provides immediate torque beyond belief which is more important than the HP when starting from a dig. As long as the GT500 has the right tires and hooks immediately, by the end of first gear the GT500 and Z will be trading noses. By the end of second gear the GT500 will be about 1.5 to 2 car lengths ahead of the Z. At the end of gear 3 the GT500 will be about 3 to 4 car lengths in front of the Z.

You have to remeber that from a dig, torque is more important than HP. The torque response of the GT500 is an immediate jump to over 440 ft-lbs and is sustained as a flat-line across the entire shift band. That's more than double the 370Z.

Been there, done that!

Chuckd-5 - The guy probally had a Shelby GT. That is offically a Shelby car, but not a GT500.

Spearfish25 - I completely agree. The Nismo is too heavy; the 370Z with Sport package would be much closer to the Cayman S.

KevR6 - The TTS just FEELS faster due to the nature of the turbo engine. I have driven both and the TTS IS NOT faster than the Z. The TTS is along the lines of a NA Lotus Exige. Sorry....

The GT500 is an awesome car IMO. If I were still into American Muscle, I would have gotten one of them in a heartbeat, or I would pick up the new 5.0; that car is gonna be sweet. I have an RX8 now and, IMO, the Z is the perfect blend of muscle and sport car.

Eh..car and driver wrecked the nismo Z in that comparo...makes me wonder. I don't know what they were doing, i hope they were not trying to push the Z harder and harder to try and make a better time because...darn the hyundai wasn't too far away!


As far as walking away from a GT500 in a straight line with the Z....That would never happen with anybody at least average in the GT500. My friends Mach 1 can keep up with me and he only has intake and exhaust a programmer and crappy tires. Of course hes a good driver, but still his car is no GT500.

As far as lap times go, im not surprised at the 370z's performance now after owning the car for 10 months...its been bittersweet. Our stock tires need help thats for sure. The Z does not feel connected to the road at all unless you are pushing it hard (which makes it more comfy though when you are cruising) , but once you do that you need an oil cooler. Now i have yet to try different tires, and brake pads on the Z so i havent given up on it yet, better tires usually change a whole lot on the way a car feels...after all they are where the rubber meets the road.

are you serious? 0-60 and 1/4 mile times are pretty much even, and you drive a Z? :rolleyes:

Yup, shelby GT with a blower and a ton of goodies, fastest feeling street car Ive been in to date.

off topic a little but on topic with crappy tires how long do the tires on the 370z touring with the 18" last if anyone knows miles wise

7k miles on mine, and a drift run later, still over 60% tread left.

i had the 18s with my car, and upgraded to the 19s.. i liked the Yoko advans better than the bridgestones, and at 1k miles the advans looked brand new still so im guessing they will go Atleast 10k

And it cost thousands more!!!!! ;)

The Bridgestones are good tires, I expect to get 15k-20k out of them. Mine are the 19s btw.

I wouldn't take any mustang over the Z. Dont like the looks and the new one has one of the worst looking rear's I've seen to date. Back looks boring and almost feminine.

To each their own but I'll take a Turbo'd or SC Z anyday over a mustang, just need someone to come out with an affordable kit for the masses.

Camaro's and Stang's attract a different crowd, I'll stick with this one any day!

Drove my Z again today for the first time since the GT500. I like the Z's MT shifting feel MUCH better. I think the whole Z driving experience is better. I felt like I was driving a tank when I was in the GT500.

Mty 370 7 AT with a few bolt ons runs 12.8009 on street tires, Now that i have Mickey thompson drag radials for it. ir should go 12.6s. I would give them a good run at the track. The 4.08 gears help my car a lot.
Now add the GTM SC. and it will be a good race.
Nice car i like the looks of the Ford Mustang.

I'm not knowledgeable on these issues, but comparing a V8 with a 6-cylinder sounds a bit off. How 'bout the 6-cyl. Mustang vs. the 370?; sounds like a more balanced race to me. BTW, IF I were to ever get an American Sports machine, it would be a Mustang. Greetings.