GT Performance Pack Level 2: Game On!

[VoodooBoss]

Looks like Ford properly responded to the Camaro SS ILE package by adding new suspension along with proper wheels and tires. I wonder how close this will be to a GT350 with the same tires?


https://www.autoblog.com/2017/10/23/2018-ford-mustang-gt-level-2-performance-pack/#slide-7129714

 

[302BOB]

Has a nice growl to it............But you still need that FPC...suspension and tires aside.

 

[docs302]

Yeah, just saw this. Love the wheel/tire combo.....really fills out the fenders. Gotta be pretty close to the 350 now.

 

[JAJ]

The interesting addition is the K-brace. Everything else is straight-up parts bin engineering from the GT350 supply chain. Then there's the choice of 10.5" front/11" rear rims with 305 square. Weren't there a few tire threads on this forum that said not to use two different rim sizes with the same size tires front to rear? I suppose it would be too clever by half to run Ford 98Y 305's on the front and Porsche 102Y 305's on the rear.

 

[VoodooBoss]

I use the same 11" wide wheels front and rear so I can rotate the tires and wheels.

What's up with the K brace?

I wonder if the PPL2 was not offered with the 10 speed auto because it would be faster than the GT350?

 

[JAJ]

It's unlikely that Ford would ship the car with spacers to equalize the front/rear offset, and if they used some sort of offset front hub so you didn't need a spacer, a lot of Ford rims wouldn't fit any more at the front. It's interesting that they didn't say that they'd changed the front knuckles to GT350 parts, but that change has a dramatic effect on the camber change in a corner. They probably did.

As for the autobox, it was either to keep it below the GT350 as suggested, or because they couldn't keep it cool enough at 10/10ths.

 

[ArizonaBOSS]

Yeah, just saw this. Love the wheel/tire combo.....really fills out the fenders. Gotta be pretty close to the 350 now.

I agree. The MY'18 photos I have seen so far have been fairly polarizing, but with this wheel/tire package and splitter the car just looks...RIGHT.
Also these are probably some of the best looking wheels I have ever seen on a US production car.

Looks like one of our members has been busy at Ford...

 

[RES_22]

Wheels are very pretty.

2015 through 2017 PP includes k-brace as standard.

Sad that 2018 PP L2 didn't go 11" square... prpbably precludes cross-rotating the tires...tough to fit offset required by 11" rim under OE fender and maintain liability dictated strut-to-rim gap???

 

[JDee]

I wonder if those wheels are going to be as lardy as the current PP wheels are? And how long it will take for the aftermarket to come out with some nice knockoffs weighing 23 lbs apiece!

 

[JAJ]

When it comes to wheels, the PP-L2 rims look eerily familiar:

 

[Grant 302]

Finally. A GT that you don't need to mod (as much). Well done Ford!

 

[302 Hi Pro]

I noticed it has a larger radiator for better cooling too. Nice to see that is taken care of out of the box.

It should make the next round of Mustang/Camaro Track testing an interesting read.

 

[JDee]

I found this quote from the Autoweek article interesting on a couple of levels:

"But Ford claims that the package isn’t for track days. That job is for the Shelby-branded Mustangs. And, at the other end of the spectrum, it’s a little too hardcore for daily use. Instead, the new package is aimed directly at enthusiasts who enjoy storming down, or up, a winding road."

Officially saying they don't want it on a track. Trying to avoid another GT350 overheat debacle/lawsuit? And I'm really surprised they would encourage people to "storm" up and down winding roads that I assume would have to be public roads if they don't want it on a track? I can see the litigators rubbing their hands in anticipation of the first crash as they add Ford on as a co-defendant. Out of one frying pan and into another?

That car is going to be great on a track, used appropriately, with or without Ford's blessing.

 

[JDee]

I noticed it has a larger radiator for better cooling too. Nice to see that is taken care of out of the box.

It should make the next round of Mustang/Camaro Track testing an interesting read.

The existing PP has the bigger rad as well. Unless the '18 has a bigger bigger rad! Multiple levels of biggerness?

 

[VoodooBoss]

More detail in the article below.

http://www.allfordmustangs.com/2017...pack-level-2-aero-came-brain-former-nasa-man/

 

[Norm Peterson]

The interesting addition is the K-brace. Everything else is straight-up parts bin engineering from the GT350 supply chain. Then there's the choice of 10.5" front/11" rear rims with 305 square. Weren't there a few tire threads on this forum that said not to use two different rim sizes with the same size tires front to rear?

Keep in mind that this is coming from an OE mfr for a street-legal car, who still has to be interested in maintaining a little understeer progression out toward the limit. 10.5" is a pretty narrow wheel for a 305-wide tire (it's at the minimum end of the recommended range of wheel widths for that size), and when this is for the front turn-in response tends to be softer. I wouldn't be surprised if the quicker steering calibration is there at least in part to crutch that.

I suppose it would be too clever by half to run Ford 98Y 305's on the front and Porsche 102Y 305's on the rear.

XL tires get their extra load capacity from stronger construction that permits higher inflation pressures, which tends to make the carcass stiffer as well. Greater cornering stiffness at the rear implies slightly more understeer than if the four tires were either all SL or all XL.

But yeah, it's about time Ford stopped bringing knives to gunfights as far as wheels & tires are concerned.


Norm

 

[Grant 302]

It should make the next round of Mustang/Camaro Track testing an interesting read.

Exactly. So many times in the past, the Ford was the underdog only for the smaller tires. At least it'll be one less thing for people to argue about online.

 

[RES_22]

I found this quote from the Autoweek article interesting on a couple of levels:

"But Ford claims that the package isn’t for track days. That job is for the Shelby-branded Mustangs. And, at the other end of the spectrum, it’s a little too hardcore for daily use. Instead, the new package is aimed directly at enthusiasts who enjoy storming down, or up, a winding road."

Officially saying they don't want it on a track. Trying to avoid another GT350 overheat debacle/lawsuit? And I'm really surprised they would encourage people to "storm" up and down winding roads that I assume would have to be public roads if they don't want it on a track? I can see the litigators rubbing their hands in anticipation of the first crash as they add Ford on as a co-defendant. Out of one frying pan and into another?

That car is going to be great on a track, used appropriately, with or without Ford's blessing.

Sooooo right in sooooo many ways.

 

[ArizonaBOSS]

Keep in mind that this is coming from an OE mfr for a street-legal car, who still has to be interested in maintaining a little understeer progression out toward the limit. 10.5" is a pretty narrow wheel for a 305-wide tire (it's at the minimum end of the recommended range of wheel widths for that size), and when this is for the front turn-in response tends to be softer. I wouldn't be surprised if the quicker steering calibration is there at least in part to crutch that.


XL tires get their extra load capacity from stronger construction that permits higher inflation pressures, which tends to make the carcass stiffer as well. Greater cornering stiffness at the rear implies slightly more understeer than if the four tires were either all SL or all XL.

But yeah, it's about time Ford stopped bringing knives to gunfights as far as wheels & tires are concerned.


Norm

Welcome to TMO!

 

[ArizonaBOSS]

I found this quote from the Autoweek article interesting on a couple of levels:

"But Ford claims that the package isn’t for track days. That job is for the Shelby-branded Mustangs. And, at the other end of the spectrum, it’s a little too hardcore for daily use. Instead, the new package is aimed directly at enthusiasts who enjoy storming down, or up, a winding road."

Officially saying they don't want it on a track. Trying to avoid another GT350 overheat debacle/lawsuit? And I'm really surprised they would encourage people to "storm" up and down winding roads that I assume would have to be public roads if they don't want it on a track? I can see the litigators rubbing their hands in anticipation of the first crash as they add Ford on as a co-defendant. Out of one frying pan and into another?

That car is going to be great on a track, used appropriately, with or without Ford's blessing.

FWIW, Ford is very specific in their naming conventions, this isn't just a marketing exercise. This became standard after the 2010 Mustang GT Track Pack was released...also part of the reason there was no "Track Pack" in 2011, where it became the "Brembo Brake Package".
Track Pack = Car has to survive 30 mins thrashing on their test track w/o issues.
Performance Pack = Car has to survive 20 mins on their test track w/o issues.

So...there may be some issues if you are really pressing this thing. We know the IRS pumpkin doesn't hold enough volume to adequately cool at the limit, without addition of an external cooler--and this car doesn't have one.