You're not wrong. The GT350 is one special car, no doubt. If you have the warranty, then I wouldn't worry. Just keep an eye on oil consumption. But it truly all comes down to preference!

​​​@@therealcervenkaanother problem you can't buy a crate version of the GT350 motor you have to go through the car company itself the dealer and they are going to Mark up the hell out of that motor so you better hope you have insurance and a warranty because again you can't buy the motor in a crate already assembled you got to build it piece by piece unless your car dealer I don't even think a car repair company can get the motor complete it has to be a dealer check and see if I'm wrong and see if you can order a crate motor of the GT350

Good for you ! I bought a 2019 GT350 but didn't work for me soo not everyone have the same experience

Agreed! Part of me misses it, though 👀

That's why the gt350 will always be the most special "Mustang" ever made.

Heck yeah! Love seeing comments like this. I’ll see what else I can cover. Do you have any recommendations? What do you want to know more about?

@@therealcervenka well my dude, funny you should ask 🤣. I just traded my 2019 pp1 car that was full steeda hpde suspension set up with stop the hop in on a 2024 gt performance pack. I'm getting ready to contact steeda later this week. I'm leaning towards the adjustable dampers with dual rate springs, the sway bar kit with adjustable endlinks, street stop the hop kit with the g track brace and camber plates. I would love to see some handling/ autocross type videos on any of those type mods, maybe comparisons, and I'd love to see some testing on the a10 vs the mt82 in an autocross/track setting vs the already done a million times drag race setting. Thanks again, and if there's anything I can do to support lemme know 🙂

Thank you so much! If there is anything else you want to see with the car, don't hesitate to comment below. Always looking for new ideas to delve into and share my findings!

Thank you! I LOVE reading comments like this! Autocross is a cheap way to get into racing and learn the limits of both yourself and your car. Let me know if there are any other topics you’d like to see me cover!

Thanks so much! It’s great to hear from you! All the best to you and your family as well. Merry Christmas! 👍

Thanks so much, glad you enjoyed it! Let me know what other things you’d like to see as well! 👍

Thank you, my friend!

Thanks so much for the kind words! I'm going to try to get some more content up on KZfaq, so feel free to subscribe and let me know if there are any special topics you'd be interested in hearing more about!

Glad you love it! They are awesome cars.

Thank you!

I was running the car in Track Mode only to start. By the second run, I felt traction/stability control interference, so I turned off AdvanceTrac. From there, it was smooth sailing. As a comparison, the GT350 would frequently error out mid run, so I’d have to pull the dyno plug under the hood by the air box to ensure I got a clean run without interference. I’d like to add some more camber and go from there. Likely springs and sway bars to start in terms of parts, though!

Beautiful video from different perspectives that was good I have my own five different models the one I'm currently on is a 2019 bass package

The best one I was fortunate to have was a 70 Boss I regret the day 430 locker in 278 1st gear manual I still have dreams about car

Sitting in the driveway what a memory

Thank you very much! All I can recommend is to remove your bias from your head about it being a non-Shelby name. Try to objectively look at the parts and the car and what makes it a good performer. At the end of the day, there's more there on the Dark Horse than the Shelby. Is it as "special?" That's up for debate. If they weren't improving on past model years, then Ford wouldn't be doing their job. It's a tough price to swallow if you're looking at used 350 prices, but as for new cars go... inflation has had a toll on everything, unfortunately. Just subbed to your channel! Nice vid of the Z06 spinning out 😄 Let me know if there are any other topics you'd like me to dive into on the S650 and/or Dark Horse!

@@therealcervenka Thank you, appreciate the quick reply and insight. I think I need to try it honestly, that would be the best way to really know. I haven't seen one in person yet. One question, how would you compare the stock DH version of MagneRide to Steeda's "tuned" controller for the last gen? More than anything, it's great to see these out there doing what they are meant to at a track, NOT just going sideways leaving C&C.

911 Turbo S? Heck yeah!! As for modifications, I'd recommend to drive the car stock for a bit just to get a feel for it, then add parts as you crave more. To get started with Steeda parts, I'd recommend the Starter Stop The Hop Kit, Competition Front & Rear Sway Bars, and the MagneRide Dual Rate Springs. That's a great, well-rounded package to tie everything together. I was going to say... make sure you have a set of wheels and tires lined up if you plan to daily the Dark Horse HP. Otherwise, you'll roll through those sticky, expensive Trofeos pretty quickly. The NT555 G2 is a great wallet-friendly summer tire. But if you're looking for more performance, I'd recommend going with a Michelin Pilot Sport 4S or Continental ExtremeContact Sport. If you can swing it, I'd recommend just picking up a set of 20-inch wheels to run for the street, and leave the factory Handling Pack wheels for track use. That's what I'm doing for now. Tramlining isn't bad AT ALL with these cars in comparison to what I had on my 350. If you experience any tramlining, I'd recommend the Steeda 2-Point G-Trac Brace. Hope this helps!

@@therealcervenka Chris that was exactly what I was looking for from you!!! Thank you very much. Do you have a tire size recommendation? The handling package comes with 305/30R19 front & 315/30R19. You mentioned 20” wheels what about width? Thanks again!!!!

One small caveat 😂

@@therealcervenka Which is prob why FP did not use it for the Mach 1

Thank you! All I can say is that Porsche is a different class of car and at a different price point. I still think there is decent steering on the 24 in comparison to where it was in 2015 when the S550 came out, but a lot of perfecting can be done.

Inflation is a b****. 1LE is still incredibly impressive.

Don't rule out the 2021-23 Mach 1. Without going too in-depth, it's basically a GT350 with a Coyote engine in it. Same Tremec 6-speed. Same intake/throttle body. Same Brembo brakes. Fluid and diff coolers everywhere. MagneRide suspension, etc., etc. You can get one for a LOT less money than the Dark Horse too. I was torn between the M1 and the DH earlier this year. Finally decided on the Mach 1 because I didn't like all the touch screens and the crazy high price of the Dark Horse.

What he said ^^^ bang for the buck, Mach 1 is the pinnacle of naturally aspirated S550 and a lightly used Handling Pack can be had for quite a bit less than a Handling Pack Dark Horse. There are definitely advantages to getting the new car, like what I mentioned in the video, but the a Mach 1 Handling Pack with the Tremec is one heck of a combo.

Believe it or not, I'd argue to say the S650 is a much larger jump in improvements from 23 to 24 than 17 to 18. The performance is there on the 24, but it isn't all horsepower. On that same wavelength, I think some people may have been expecting changes like we saw from 2014 to 2015 when S550 came out. New chassis, IRS, EcoBoost, etc. The S650 is definitely an evolution, not a revolution. The changes they did make, however, were intentional and sum up to an impressive package.

That’s a tough choice! Which way are you leaning? What has you torn between the two?

@@therealcervenka actually picking up a new dark horse today. Same color as yours! I can’t wait. I really enjoy all your content.

On track, I’d say the Trofeo is going to definitely be a better tire. It’s designed to have better heat capacity and run longer than the RT660. However, those 200 TW tires like the A052 and RT660, they’re made to heat up fast and get real sticky - just don’t have that temp capacity and can get too hot pretty quick. Perfect for autocross. I would love to do back to back on a proper road course!

You're not wrong. The GT350 is peaky with a pretty dismal torque curve below 3,500 RPM. Some of those tight turnarounds could drop RPM in 2nd gear below that "shelf" of torque and make the car sluggish on corner exit... not to mention that blast of torque could break the tires loose. I gotta say, I do miss the top end that 350 had in comparison. It was intoxicating!

My thoughts exactly. Given a proper road course where more of the power band can be fully utilized, the GT350 would have the upper hand. I doubt an auto cross setting would give an opportunity to rev out to its 8,250 redline, which is one of its biggest advantages in a racing application. The top end is where the GT350 really starts to shine.

Thank you! And it’s 100% not an apples-to-apples comparison, mostly because it’s not actually a back-to-back comparison. The measuring stick was Donald in his SS 1LE, more or less. I would love to get both cars out on the same tire, but I’m willing to bet the body control and brakes alone would push the DH into first. Only time will tell getting all of these cars lined up on the same tire… I should note the Trofeo RS tires on the DH are a dedicated compound that is 180 TW versus the other variations out there. So a bit more closely matched to the 200 TW tires I mentioned in the video. Let me know which car you end up going with!

@@therealcervenka My apologies didnt realize they made a Trofeo in 180. That does make the outcome a bit more impressive. I will wait and see what the car market does. For now, I will keep enjoying my Boss. I just got my new coilovers for it and will run it all of the season regardless of whether I pick up a DH or Mach 1 during the year. That being said, I am still leaning towards the Mach 1. With the mark ups on DH around here I just cant justify the price differnce.

@@shawnfowler5408 The Mach 1 is an excellent bang for the buck, especially with the Handling Pack. You certainly won’t be disappointed!

Spun a rod bearing due to an oiling issue.

There’s only one way to find out…

That's a good point, but I drove the 350 a fair amount before adding the MagneRide Controller, let alone all of the events of R&D that went into it. I don't think the weight distribution between both cars is much different being the same/very similar platform. A COBRA, you say? 😄

Before Ford introduces another performance Mustang. They're priority is getting the Dark Horse R ready for it's new IMSA racing series, The IMSA GT3, GT4 and the GTD Super Car tested and completed for the 2024 racing season before another performance Mustang introduction. There was talk about a new 2026 S650 GT500. Personally I think any new performance Mustang will likely be a Dark Horse. Possibly a Dark Horse Cobra or GT500. You mentioned the tires. Several owners of the Mustangs with Cup 2s said the Pirelli's was a mistake. I think that comes from those who can't accept changes to the Mustang. By the way. Here's some changes. Brembo six-piston front and four-piston rear brake calipers, a strut-tower brace and K brace, a stiffer suspension tune with larger anti-roll bars, a Torsen limited-slip and adjustable strut top mounts with a recalibrated Magna Ride. Regarding the brakes on the Dark Horse. Car and Driver tested several top performance cars running 0-150-0 passes. The Dark Horse ran it in 29.7 seconds out braking both the C8 Z06 and Porsche 911 Turbo S with zero fade. The Dark Horse braking beat the Porsche 911S. Motor Trend also Tested the Dark Horses's braking. The Dark Horse was impressive. The dark horse had the shortest brake distance out of every production car motor trend has ever tested. They credited Ford not just for tires and brakes, but the car's aerodynamics. Sorry for being long winded. But I found the Dark Horse a much improved Mustang over my 2019 Mustang GT PP1.

@@DWH300 This is all great info! I also saw the 0-150-0 testing Car & Driver did. Very impressive stuff, for sure!

It’s actually an SCCA rule to run with your windows down for safety.

@@therealcervenka Copy that. Thanks for the vid. I met you briefly last summer at the Steeda shop when I had my GT Covert suspension Steedasized. I hung out in the showroom sleeping all day, man was I hangry🙂.

lol no

@@therealcervenka It's too bad that you have no idea what you're talking about, but keep believing rumors and i'll keep driving my Shelby every day. lol

Not at the time of failure. But it was an oil consumption issue over time that ultimately led to the failure.

can i ask what engine mods it had??@@therealcervenka

@@spadethebarber8696 None! Bone stock

That's because the PP2 falls somewhere in between a GT PP1 and a Mach. It has road course Cup 2s on it and slightly stiffer suspension, but can't stand up to track duty without the issues of overheating since no coolers were added. I love the PP2 - especially the wheels - but it kind of sits as a "really fun backroad car" in my head since it's tough to truly put those Cup 2s to good use out on track.

Yes, I think they’re more suited for road course use for sure.

I think it depends on what you’re trying to accomplish. The SS 1LE is built on an amazing platform. The nannies are much easier to grasp for a beginner driver than the S550. S650 is a bit better, but definitely requires a bit more finesse to drive at the limit. All comes down to preference. I can say that Donald is a very talented driver that has many more years of experience than I do. So to be able to keep up with him in a stock car on factory street alignment says a lot.

You’d be surprised how many changes the GT350 saw between 2016 and 2020

According to the CPI Inflation Calculator, $72k in 2016 has $93k worth of buying power in 2023. Factoring in the $8k Carbon Wheel package for the Dark Horse, you’re hovering around $80k. That leaves the Voodoo. Which is a special engine, sure, but we’re getting outside of warranty periods for these cars. Would you spend $50-60k+ for a car that may need a $20-25k+ engine replaced during your ownership with no warranty? It’s something to consider… As for the name, the Shelby is iconic and has been since the 60s. No doubt about it. But I wouldn’t underestimate the DH name sticking, especially as it’s a contender as a performance variant. The Boss 302, Mach 1, Bullitt, and even GT350 were all brand new names at one time.

Spun a rod bearing at around 5500 RPM passing a car on the highway.

@@therealcervenka Well really bad, glad they covered it. I am in the middle of a CPO covered Focus RS motor replacement. Threw a rod thru the block @ 5k.....

Phew. Spirit of cooperation always pays dividends. Good luck!

@@therealcervenka And customer perseverance.

Owned both cars, no bias here!

@@therealcervenka But new parts don't sell themselves, do they? Anyway. Thanks for the video.

Maybe 🤔

I’m excited to see how adding some more camber affects steering.

😂

More reliable and streetable Shelby

@@mrgilmore6953 More reliable? How many of them have 50k miles?

Hmmmmmm. Nah

You’d be surprised on how well the auto does on a road course (not autocross). Not as good as a manual IMO, but still impressive.

I get it. It's one special car!

Let me get the 5.0 the voodoo is unreliable. I don’t want that anxiety that my engine may blow at the drop of a hat.

Unfortunately, it was an oiling issue that resulted in spinning a rod bearing.

This new style is made to appeal to younger generations and spark their interest in mustangs. Everyone else has 60 years of mustangs to choose from.

It looks like a 2 door Honda accord lol just like the 2015 s550 debut does also the similar year 2 door accord…seriously look up both and you can’t unsee it lol. And I have a 19 gt350 love it but the new s650 is hideous imo

🤷‍♂️ okey dokey

Nothing wrong with the Mach 1 either!

Yeah, but the new ones are ugly 🥴