'15 5.0 Track Pack Tires

[Burt]

I know it's been a big topic of discussion on here, but Ford has been billing the new 5.0 with the Track Pack as an equivalent to the 1LE package Camaros. My friend is car shopping, and anytime we're at a Ford dealer, all I hear is that the new Mustang "destroys" the Camaro, and all that kind of nonsense, so the other night when we were out (there's a BMW/Ford/Lincoln/Fiat/Alfa dealership in town) I wandered off to go see what all the hype was about. While I was kicking tires, I notices a top dog 5.0 Track Pack car with the Recaros, and I noticed a couple of things, including the tires.

The tires on their "performance model" are 255 front, 275 rear Pirelli P-Zeros. Basically, they're using the standard SS tires, but with an extra 10mm of width up front. Everyone on here knows they're not great tires, especially for the price, and that if you're remotely serious about cornering, you want a square setup. I'm curious as to why Ford didn't do this, especially since many reviews I've seen agree that it's a pusher, so they had to know it going in. They also mention how other things have been improved, like the larger rear sway bar, but it's impossible to find any actual on how much they changed things. I'm curious to see if Ford makes any changes to the Track pack in the next year or two, or if they leave it like it is and have the GT350 for the corner-carvers. That's what they did with the '14 and earlier Track Pack, and it left a lot to be desired as well.

[MagnumForceGB]

If they go off the Track package on the S197 it will be a square setup. Remember, a Performance package and track package were on the S197, the V6 getting the performance package that does the same as the S550 performance package while the Track package took stuff from the Boss 302. Ford may do the same but with parts from the GT350.

[khell86]

As of right now Ford doesnt offer a "track pack", but a performance package. It isn't geared exactly towards track performance, but more towards general overall performance. You get wider rear tires, beefier rear sway bar, bigger breaks, some bracing up front, and driving modes. This is off the top of my head but i think thats about the gist of it. Yes the tires are not all that great as well.

I do think they'll offer a track pack once the GT350 is released that will have some trickle down parts.

[Burt]

Originally Posted by khell86

As of right now Ford doesnt offer a "track pack", but a performance package. It isn't geared exactly towards track performance, but more towards general overall performance. You get wider rear tires, beefier rear sway bar, bigger breaks, some bracing up front, and driving modes. This is off the top of my head but i think thats about the gist of it. Yes the tires are not all that great as well.

I do think they'll offer a track pack once the GT350 is released that will have some trickle down parts.

Yeah, I was talking about the performance pack, sorry. Still though, you'd think if they're going for all-around improvement, they could have just done 275s all around. You could even rotate them then too.

[KMPrenger]

I don't believe Ford is touting the 5.0 with Perf Pack as a direct competitor to the 1LE. If they are, they had better stop, as several magazine competitors have already said the 1LE is the better track car. As for all around performance and comfort, the Mustang likely takes the cake on that one.

[HeavyIOM]

Ford track pack or performance pack on the GTs is a joke. It was a joke for the S197 and is a joke on the S550. Better off saving the $2500 for better after market parts.

[crysalis_01]

Originally Posted by calebparkin3

Ford track pack or performance pack on the GTs is a joke. It was a joke for the S197 and is a joke on the S550. Better off saving the $2500 for better after market parts.

The only real hope for a legitimate track pack on Mustang GT or EB is that they take item from GT350's parts bin.

This is where S197 failed. The "track pack" offered the same suspension as what was on the Brembo Brake package upgrade. It included stiffer springs, and different valved GT shocks/struts, the Boss302's torsen diff, oil cooler, and trans cooler. The entire pack should have been Boss sourced, not just a few bits.

S550 can hopefully learn from this. Offering the "performance pack" as limited as it seems is a good start, and a necessary one at that. But they should take all the upgrade parts directly from GT350. This would be more than possible seeing as even if you took the entire suspension from GT350, which they won't, and put it under a GT it still wouldn't come near the GT350's performance seeing as Coyote simply can not match Voodoo.

But maybe I'm over thinking this whole thing.

[Burt]

No, I think you're on the right track. I know the general consensus is that the Performance Pack is for a more mainstream buyer, but I don't see why that isn't the purpose of the regular GT, with the Performance Pack for those who want legitimate cornering ability on a budget. Maybe, like the 1LE, once there is a higher performance car in production to source from, they can pull parts from it.

I think that while it's definitely an improvement, it's kind of stuck in an odd place. For most people, the regular 5.0 has more than enough cornering capability, but for those who are willing to pay for a performance pack, it doesn't really go far enough.

[BaylorCamaro]

Originally Posted by Burt

Maybe, like the 1LE, once there is a higher performance car in production to source from, they can pull parts from it.

Probably. Similar to how the 1LE came about, taking parts from the ZL1. I won't be surprised if we see some GT350 stuff trickle down to the GT.

[L99CAMA2011]

Originally Posted by Burt

I know it's been a big topic of discussion on here, but Ford has been billing the new 5.0 with the Track Pack as an equivalent to the 1LE package Camaros. My friend is car shopping, and anytime we're at a Ford dealer, all I hear is that the new Mustang "destroys" the Camaro, and all that kind of nonsense, so the other night when we were out (there's a BMW/Ford/Lincoln/Fiat/Alfa dealership in town) I wandered off to go see what all the hype was about. While I was kicking tires, I notices a top dog 5.0 Track Pack car with the Recaros, and I noticed a couple of things, including the tires.

The tires on their "performance model" are 255 front, 275 rear Pirelli P-Zeros. Basically, they're using the standard SS tires, but with an extra 10mm of width up front. Everyone on here knows they're not great tires, especially for the price, and that if you're remotely serious about cornering, you want a square setup. I'm curious as to why Ford didn't do this, especially since many reviews I've seen agree that it's a pusher, so they had to know it going in. They also mention how other things have been improved, like the larger rear sway bar, but it's impossible to find any actual on how much they changed things. I'm curious to see if Ford makes any changes to the Track pack in the next year or two, or if they leave it like it is and have the GT350 for the corner-carvers. That's what they did with the '14 and earlier Track Pack, and it left a lot to be desired as well.

The Pirelli tires on the standard SS are crap P zero but dude. Ferrari, Porsche and other high brands get the quality P zeros on their cars. They are actually good tires just not on wet or the drag strip. Also Ford has a lower profile P zero. There is a comparison of a Porsche 911 and the new M4 with Michelins SS where the Porsche with Pirelli P zeros beat the M4 with Michelins SS even though the Porsche had like 350 hp vs the M4 425.

[Norm Peterson]

Originally Posted by Burt

No, I think you're on the right track. I know the general consensus is that the Performance Pack is for a more mainstream buyer, but I don't see why that isn't the purpose of the regular GT, with the Performance Pack for those who want legitimate cornering ability on a budget. Maybe, like the 1LE, once there is a higher performance car in production to source from, they can pull parts from it.

I think that while it's definitely an improvement, it's kind of stuck in an odd place. For most people, the regular 5.0 has more than enough cornering capability, but for those who are willing to pay for a performance pack, it doesn't really go far enough.

More mainstream than the 1LE without being 100% suitable for General Audiences, hence why it is an option. Perhaps the PP versions are analogous to a PG film rating where the 1LE might be a PG-13 and the Z/28 an R.


At any rate, it puts up a better fight against the 1LE than the discontinued Boss did, and there's no good reason for Ford to be claiming it's [only] better than a plain 1SS/2SS.


Norm