Out with the C5 Zo6, in with a 2011 GT500 (first impressions)

[KEYSTONE]

New member here, but have been lurking for some time. The membership here has provided me with a lot of great background to use as I’ve researched the GT500.

 

Just got my 2011 GT500 about 10 days ago. Black coupe w/ stripe, SVTTPP and cover. I traded in my 2002 Corvette Z06 as part of the switch to the new ride. First Ford I’ve owned in many years, but the GT500 won out over the other cars I looked at:

 

1) Camaro- great styling but an ergonomic disaster inside.

 

2) 2010 GS Corvette- somehow, Chevy has done the impossible and made the interior of the 2010 Corvette look cheaper than the one from my 2002 Z06

 

3) Challenger- outstanding style, I really like this car, but I’m not sure why they made it in 5/4ths scale….

 

I had planned on ordering a car from my local dealer, but got lucky and found exactly the car I wanted about 50 miles from my house. Thank heaven for the web, searching was a snap. Glad I was able to avoid all the shipping delays I’ve read about here and was able to look the car over before buying.

 

Some observations:

 

--Having come from the light (3150 lbs) Z06 to the heavier GT500, I was concerned about cornering capability, so I got the SVTPP. Glad I did, as even with the stiffer PP setup, the car is still nicer-riding than my Z06 and is easily at 90% or better of it’s capabilities in a curve. There is some initial lean upon entering a curve that was not there in the Z06, but once planted the GT500 just feels rock solid. Still getting used to it at this point, but the SVTPP does not disappoint. For those who are curious, the Goodyear G: 2 tires have a 220 treadwear rating and are 7/32 front, 8/32 rear when new. I’m curious to see how many miles they last. They are on TireRack.com if you search under brand (not by type of car), price is about $400 each.

 

--The fit and finish on the car is excellent. The black paint is WAY better than the finish was on my black Z06, but I suspect that is as much due to better paint technology over time as it is to craftsmanship. Still, hats off to Ford for doing a good job,

 

--The power plant is really impressive. The torque is everywhere, reminds me of my ’70 Olds 442 w/ 455 CID engine. That car was near-lethal on wet roads as a result, so I’m sure the GT500 warrants caution on wet roads as well.

 

--The exhaust note is intoxicating. I’ve been getting suboptimal fuel economy because I’m tooling around in 3rd gear listening to the car. Hats off to Ford for getting the sound just right. Reminds me of a vintage big-block car with Flowmaster mufflers. That’s a sound that’s tough to match, but Ford nailed it.

 

--I know the supercharger has the “disable” feature on it when you pick it up and mine activated about halfway home on my 50 mile trip back to my house. Now that I’ve gotten just over 500 miles on the car, the boost seems to be coming on sooner and under less throttle opening than before. I suspect there is a progressive programming of the SC that gets more aggressive as the motor breaks in. I’m not going to drive it at capacity until 1000 miles, so I’ve been consistently easy on it, but it seems to be doing it on its own, i.e. the same behavior on my part is resulting in more SC activity lately than it did for the first week I drove it. I’m sure I’ll be dubbed paranoid, but I think the car is learning on its own.

 

--When I park the GT500 in my garage after a drive, it could be used to heat my house. I’ve never had a car that emits so much heat into the garage. Car is not running hot or anything like that, it just pours off heat when I park it, more than my Corvette ever did. Maybe it’s the vents on the hood? If so, good on Ford for making the vents REALLY functional…..

 

Now for some minor complaints (because I can’t find any major ones):

 

--Car is a bit hard on the sides of my knees. The rim on the door speaker and the edge of the center dash stack seem to meet up with the sides of my left/right knees with regular frequency. Lack of a real dead pedal is part of the culprit here. The edges around the console and e-brake handle are also a bit unfriendly, but these are very minor complaints.

 

--The "fuel economy upshift light" is a real PITA. I find myself looking down to see if a warning light is flickering on. Why would Ford put a "fuel economy" light on a 550-hp car, place it right in amongst the warning lights and then make it impossible to disable?? I can pick 100+ color schemes for my dash lighting, but can't turn off this feature?? Aaargh!

 

--Lack of a system info center should be addressed. If the car can display what color scheme I’ve chosen for the dash lights, it should be able to use the same display to give me an exact value on oil pressure, oil temp, coolant temp, etc. The gauges in the center pod are great for at-a-glance, but it is nice to know what exactly is going on, especially if you suspect a problem of some sort and want to monitor one of the systems closely. The Corvette had this feature done right.

 

--The Synch system is ok but is really a bit much. I ordered my car without nav, as I don’t need it. My salesman at the dealership was very nice, but really liked the Synch system and went overboard on activating it. I’ve somehow gotten my cell phone tied in and will have to wade through the manual to figure out how to get the Synch to leave me alone. Also, he programmed in my destination the day I picked it up and I had to listen to that evil woman’s voice all the way home, telling me she was “Recalculating….”, as I was in hairy traffic and could not pull over to figure out how to shut her off. I’ve named her “Hal” in honor of Kubrick’s masterpiece, because she’s always telling me “it must be human error….”

 

--There were two pretty deep, decent-sized scratches right across the Niche Line signature plate on the engine. IMHO, if you’re going to call attention to the hand-built quality of the engine, you should not use a beat-up signature plate……I’ll have to email the Niche Line employee web site and see if they’ll send me another plate.

 

I’m looking forward to many years of enjoyment from the car. For those who are thinking about leaving a C5 Corvette for the 2011 GT500, just get the SVTPP option and you’ll be happy. Thanks again to all the members here for the excellent content you provide for those doing background research.

[OneTrickPony]

Congrats on your new ride, I too used to own a couple of Vettes in my younger days. We needed room for our young son to sit while he is still small enough. Its amazing what Ford has done with the suspension.

[SteelTownStang]

Congrats! FYI: There are a few after-market dead pedals available for installation... I have the CDC, which is nice, but to be honest, I never place by foot in that area... more for looks than anything else, but available nonetheless. Also, you'll get use to ignoring the up-shift light in a few months. Yes annoying at first, but I never even notice it now. The Niche plate should be covered under warranty in that it was damaged upon receipt of the car. I’d mentioned it to the dealership... sooner, rather than later. Good luck with your new ride.

[BlackVert]

 

3) Challenger- outstanding style, I really like this car, but I’m not sure why they made it in 5/4ths scale….

 

 

 

 

LOL....

 

 

Congrats! Good to have an articulate member, with a sense of humor.

[2011SVT]

Nice! Best color and options too....

 

Thanks for the review. Always good to get some feedback from real drivers (vs. the 'press').

 

I have the 'knee problem' as well and was thinking of getting one of these:

 

http://forums.themustangsource.com/f726/knee-bolster-getting-comfy-484283/

[ingram4868]

Congratulation on the new ride and WELCOME to Team Shelby. I think all of us ex-Vette owners can appreciate the differences between the two cars.

[KEYSTONE]

Nice! Best color and options too....

 

Thanks for the review. Always good to get some feedback from real drivers (vs. the 'press').

 

I have the 'knee problem' as well and was thinking of getting one of these:

 

http://forums.themustangsource.com/f726/knee-bolster-getting-comfy-484283/

 

 

 

Thanks for the reply! When a problem is so pervasive that a vendor comes up with a "fix" (i.e. the velcro-affixed knee pad), it's time for Ford to fix it.....but thanks for the link, I'm going to get one of those pads. I used to be in outside sales and spent lots of windshield time in a car. Believe it or not, I ended up being diagnosed with bursitis in my left arm from irritation due to an inadequately padded armrest on my comapny car.....a 1999 Taurus!! Ford strikes again!

 

I won't do 150 miles a day in my Shelby like I did in the Taurus, but I'm much more proactive when it comes to fixing pressure points. It took a big hunk of foam on the door arm rest and about 6 mos. for my arm to calm down.

[shel-b001]

Congrat`s on your new Shelby as for the engine plate contact your builders at the Romeo Niche Plant & they will for sure make you new one or two.

[kpevin]

If you think the 2010+ is hard on your right knee drive a 2005-2009, the 2010 doesnt bother me at all and my old 2007 would beat me up pretty bad. Never noticed anything on the LH knee.

 

I agree on the interior, I had a Z51 '08 vette (plus several C5s) and my old C5 had a nicer interior IMO. I was between this and a new GS and after sitting it in the GS it was the same crappy interior as my old '08. The GS is a great looking/handling car and they are giving them away right now, but I like cruising the mustang more to be honest. The sqeaking, creaking easily scratched cheap looking plastic in the C6 was getting to me. Granted its a lightweight sports car so there has to be some compromises but I'm not that hardcore anymore, I just wanted a cruiser and somethign different, there are a zillion C6s around here.

 

Congrats on the new car, they are a lot of fun for sure.

[mach1fever]

The guess light is a programmable shift light that I believe can be turned off. Otherwise congrats on the ride I envy you

 

Roger

[F150 Duke]

Speaking of the shift light, quick question, why does it turn of when it wants you to shift and if you ignore it and keep the revs climbing, it'll turn off and then back on a few more seconds?

 

Also, do the 2010 and 2011 have the shift beep like was in the Ford videos?

[SVT NAJA]

KEYSTONE,

 

Congratulations on your new ride and welcome aboard TS! You made a wise choice coming over from the dark side. As you (and countless others) have observed... you'll find a Vette at almost every corner. Not so with a Shelby, and that exclusivity, along with their performance DOES make them special.

 

I think if you read the Sync (HAL) manual and spend a little time getting use to the various functions (which are great)... you may find that "evil voice" does wonders and just might open the pod bay doors or sing Daisy for you!.

[Ezareth]

The Shift light can't be turned off from what I can see but it CAN have the RMPs programmed higher so you never see it. I haven't done it yet on mine but I saw the option and made a mental note to do just that along with deactivating the "belt-minder".

[66DNA]

New member here, but have been lurking for some time. The membership here has provided me with a lot of great background to use as I’ve researched the GT500.

 

Just got my 2011 GT500 about 10 days ago. Black coupe w/ stripe, SVTTPP and cover. I traded in my 2002 Corvette Z06 as part of the switch to the new ride. First Ford I’ve owned in many years, but the GT500 won out over the other cars I looked at:

 

1) Camaro- great styling but an ergonomic disaster inside.

 

2) 2010 GS Corvette- somehow, Chevy has done the impossible and made the interior of the 2010 Corvette look cheaper than the one from my 2002 Z06

 

3) Challenger- outstanding style, I really like this car, but I’m not sure why they made it in 5/4ths scale….

 

I had planned on ordering a car from my local dealer, but got lucky and found exactly the car I wanted about 50 miles from my house. Thank heaven for the web, searching was a snap. Glad I was able to avoid all the shipping delays I’ve read about here and was able to look the car over before buying.

 

Great post! Fun to read! Agreed with everything you had to say. Every last point you made is bang on! Tough on my knees......I just hate the PITA Meter! (that was hilarious! And so true - we have to be able to override this and turn it off somehow...and if you figure it out, please PM me yesterday!), and the SVTPP is a must. A bit of trivia: up in Canada, the window stickers call this the SVT Trak Pak! Not the Performance Package!?!?

 

 

 

 

 

Some observations:

 

--Having come from the light (3150 lbs) Z06 to the heavier GT500, I was concerned about cornering capability, so I got the SVTPP. Glad I did, as even with the stiffer PP setup, the car is still nicer-riding than my Z06 and is easily at 90% or better of it’s capabilities in a curve. There is some initial lean upon entering a curve that was not there in the Z06, but once planted the GT500 just feels rock solid. Still getting used to it at this point, but the SVTPP does not disappoint. For those who are curious, the Goodyear G: 2 tires have a 220 treadwear rating and are 7/32 front, 8/32 rear when new. I’m curious to see how many miles they last. They are on TireRack.com if you search under brand (not by type of car), price is about $400 each.

 

--The fit and finish on the car is excellent. The black paint is WAY better than the finish was on my black Z06, but I suspect that is as much due to better paint technology over time as it is to craftsmanship. Still, hats off to Ford for doing a good job,

 

--The power plant is really impressive. The torque is everywhere, reminds me of my ’70 Olds 442 w/ 455 CID engine. That car was near-lethal on wet roads as a result, so I’m sure the GT500 warrants caution on wet roads as well.

 

--The exhaust note is intoxicating. I’ve been getting suboptimal fuel economy because I’m tooling around in 3rd gear listening to the car. Hats off to Ford for getting the sound just right. Reminds me of a vintage big-block car with Flowmaster mufflers. That’s a sound that’s tough to match, but Ford nailed it.

 

--I know the supercharger has the “disable” feature on it when you pick it up and mine activated about halfway home on my 50 mile trip back to my house. Now that I’ve gotten just over 500 miles on the car, the boost seems to be coming on sooner and under less throttle opening than before. I suspect there is a progressive programming of the SC that gets more aggressive as the motor breaks in. I’m not going to drive it at capacity until 1000 miles, so I’ve been consistently easy on it, but it seems to be doing it on its own, i.e. the same behavior on my part is resulting in more SC activity lately than it did for the first week I drove it. I’m sure I’ll be dubbed paranoid, but I think the car is learning on its own.

 

--When I park the GT500 in my garage after a drive, it could be used to heat my house. I’ve never had a car that emits so much heat into the garage. Car is not running hot or anything like that, it just pours off heat when I park it, more than my Corvette ever did. Maybe it’s the vents on the hood? If so, good on Ford for making the vents REALLY functional…..

 

Now for some minor complaints (because I can’t find any major ones):

 

--Car is a bit hard on the sides of my knees. The rim on the door speaker and the edge of the center dash stack seem to meet up with the sides of my left/right knees with regular frequency. Lack of a real dead pedal is part of the culprit here. The edges around the console and e-brake handle are also a bit unfriendly, but these are very minor complaints.

 

--The "fuel economy upshift light" is a real PITA. I find myself looking down to see if a warning light is flickering on. Why would Ford put a "fuel economy" light on a 550-hp car, place it right in amongst the warning lights and then make it impossible to disable?? I can pick 100+ color schemes for my dash lighting, but can't turn off this feature?? Aaargh!

 

--Lack of a system info center should be addressed. If the car can display what color scheme I’ve chosen for the dash lights, it should be able to use the same display to give me an exact value on oil pressure, oil temp, coolant temp, etc. The gauges in the center pod are great for at-a-glance, but it is nice to know what exactly is going on, especially if you suspect a problem of some sort and want to monitor one of the systems closely. The Corvette had this feature done right.

 

--The Synch system is ok but is really a bit much. I ordered my car without nav, as I don’t need it. My salesman at the dealership was very nice, but really liked the Synch system and went overboard on activating it. I’ve somehow gotten my cell phone tied in and will have to wade through the manual to figure out how to get the Synch to leave me alone. Also, he programmed in my destination the day I picked it up and I had to listen to that evil woman’s voice all the way home, telling me she was “Recalculating….”, as I was in hairy traffic and could not pull over to figure out how to shut her off. I’ve named her “Hal” in honor of Kubrick’s masterpiece, because she’s always telling me “it must be human error….”

 

--There were two pretty deep, decent-sized scratches right across the Niche Line signature plate on the engine. IMHO, if you’re going to call attention to the hand-built quality of the engine, you should not use a beat-up signature plate……I’ll have to email the Niche Line employee web site and see if they’ll send me another plate.

 

I’m looking forward to many years of enjoyment from the car. For those who are thinking about leaving a C5 Corvette for the 2011 GT500, just get the SVTPP option and you’ll be happy. Thanks again to all the members here for the excellent content you provide for those doing background research.

 

[10random]

The Shift light can't be turned off from what I can see but it CAN have the RMPs programmed higher so you never see it. I haven't done it yet on mine but I saw the option and made a mental note to do just that along with deactivating the "belt-minder".

 

 

There are two different shift lights.

 

There is the SVT logo light which you can turn on or off and set the RPM activation point. There is also an audible beep that can be enabled.

 

The fuel economy light is not adjustable, but you can make it go away but just pressing the gas pedal a little bit further down . Oh and wear your seatbelt

[DubbsFaris]

:happy feet: Actually, you CAN turn off the pesky arrow shift light in an aftermarket tune, and do away with the speed limiter while you are at it....you may never actually go 185MPH, but wouldnt you always want the option to do so? Its kinda like my gun collection...I dont forsee a zombie invasion, but Im well prepared anyway!

 

Knees? yup...anyone over 5'8" has the same issue...handling? Can you beleive you are comparing a muscle car to a sports car and even able to do so? It used to be an apples/oranges comparison, but Ford has created a real Oranple out of this car! :happy feet:

 

Nav and sync issues abound with all factory units...wish they were better across the board. I would love to see more info in the system message screen as well. Congrats on your new ride, and welcome to the club!

[TX STIG]

 

--When I park the GT500 in my garage after a drive, it could be used to heat my house. I’ve never had a car that emits so much heat into the garage. Car is not running hot or anything like that, it just pours off heat when I park it, more than my Corvette ever did. Maybe it’s the vents on the hood? If so, good on Ford for making the vents REALLY functional…..

 

I have a detached garage, but I know what you mean about the heat. I have a floor fan facing the front of the car and many times when I pull into the garage I turn the fan on and leave the garage door open for awhile to blow the heat out.

 

Good review, but I'd be more interested in reading a comparison between 2 cars that are not seperated by nearly a decade of technological improvements. Enjoy...she's a lot of fun!

[skeet]

I have a detached garage, but I know what you mean about the heat. I have a floor fan facing the front of the car and many times when I pull into the garage I turn the fan on and leave the garage door open for awhile to blow the heat out.

 

when I pull into the garage after a long drive I pop the hood to let the heat out. Most of the time I let it up over night.

[Ezareth]

I have a detached garage, but I know what you mean about the heat. I have a floor fan facing the front of the car and many times when I pull into the garage I turn the fan on and leave the garage door open for awhile to blow the heat out.

 

when I pull into the garage after a long drive I pop the hood to let the heat out. Most of the time I let it up over night.

 

 

After a 30 minute drive when I pulled into my garage and popped my hood I noticed a bit of steam leaking from the left most radiator cap in the engine compartment. When I drove back from Toledo Ohio (3 hour trip) I could feel the heat from the engine coming through pretty good.

 

I also had some smoke coming from the front left brake and some "burnt brake" smell when I did an semi-agressive braking from 80 to 0 by pumping the brakes. First time I used the brakes semi-agressively and was surprised they got hot so fast.

[TX STIG]

ame='skeet' date='14 June 2010 - 12:12 PM' timestamp='1276535521' post='986035']

 

 

After a 30 minute drive when I pulled into my garage and popped my hood I noticed a bit of steam leaking from the left most radiator cap in the engine compartment. When I drove back from Toledo Ohio (3 hour trip) I could feel the heat from the engine coming through pretty good.

 

I also had some smoke coming from the front left brake and some "burnt brake" smell when I did an semi-agressive braking from 80 to 0 by pumping the brakes. First time I used the brakes semi-agressively and was surprised they got hot so fast.

 

 

Keep an eye on those two issues, especially the radiator steam - I've never experienced either one.

[scottGT500]

Congrats!!!!!!!! Beware of the mod bug...

 

Enjoy and be safe!

 

Scott

[judgeman6970]

have an '07 Shelby GT & I thought I was the only one with the "knee" problem...LOL...mostly the right, but the left does "rest" on the big door speaker a bit.....a small price to pay for driving such a COOL car!! :happy feet:

[TX STIG]

have an '07 Shelby GT & I thought I was the only one with the "knee" problem...LOL...mostly the right, but the left does "rest" on the big door speaker a bit.....a small price to pay for driving such a COOL car!! :happy feet:

 

 

If I don't have my seat adjusted just right my knee tends to hit the key. I really wish Ford had given us a push button start.

[kpevin]

If I don't have my seat adjusted just right my knee tends to hit the key. I really wish Ford had given us a push button start.

 

 

Yea, I have to have the key by itself and no others or I can turn the car off with my knee. I hate these giant keys they use now..

[Ezareth]

Yea, I have to have the key by itself and no others or I can turn the car off with my knee. I hate these giant keys they use now..

 

 

The Giant keys are for the Ford anti-theft system.

 

I had problems with my knees as well until I lowered my seat and now even though it is a tight fit it is comfortable.

[kpevin]

The Giant keys are for the Ford anti-theft system.

 

I had problems with my knees as well until I lowered my seat and now even though it is a tight fit it is comfortable.

 

 

I know, but I like the old way of a separate fob and separate key, between the giant Ford key, two giant Dodge keys and a Mercedes switchblade key I need a man purse just to carry my car keys

 

They were able to put the transponder in the regular keys years ago, I just hate big keys..

[GOTVENOMGT500]

If I don't have my seat adjusted just right my knee tends to hit the key. I really wish Ford had given us a push button start.

 

 

I totally agree 1000%, the fricken Ford Fieta will have push button start....REALLY??? Yet we pay 50K+ and nothing!!!

[KEYSTONE]

I have a detached garage, but I know what you mean about the heat. I have a floor fan facing the front of the car and many times when I pull into the garage I turn the fan on and leave the garage door open for awhile to blow the heat out.

 

when I pull into the garage after a long drive I pop the hood to let the heat out. Most of the time I let it up over night.

 

 

Well it sounds like the heat output is independent of model year. I thought it was possibly due to the sleeveless aluminum block or the bigger intercooler on the 2011 allowing more effective heat transfer, but on second thought those changes don't seem to matter.

 

Could be it's because the GT500's engine is pretty big dimensionally, so it will radiate heat in greater quantity. My friend's '70 Pontiac GTO has a 455 and the engine is about 24" wide. The Shelby's engine is over 30" wide. Got to love those big DOHC heads. I'm assuming it's surface area to volume ratio makes it an effective radiator.

[TX STIG]

ame='skeet' date='14 June 2010 - 01:12 PM' timestamp='1276535521' post='986035']

 

 

Well it sounds like the heat output is independent of model year. I thought it was possibly due to the sleeveless aluminum block or the bigger intercooler on the 2011 allowing more effective heat transfer, but on second thought those changes don't seem to matter.

 

Could be it's because the GT500's engine is pretty big dimensionally, so it will radiate heat in greater quantity. My friend's '70 Pontiac GTO has a 455 and the engine is about 24" wide. The Shelby's engine is over 30" wide. Got to love those big DOHC heads. I'm assuming it's surface area to volume ratio makes it an effective radiator.

 

If mine didn't do it and yours does, I'd say it's the aluminum block dissipating heat better.

 

If mine does it and yours does it, but a stock 2010 doesn't do it, I'd say it's because of my long tube headers and your aluminum block.

 

But I'm guessing everyone does it. It's all the rage these days.

[Ezareth]

I know, but I like the old way of a separate fob and separate key, between the giant Ford key, two giant Dodge keys and a Mercedes switchblade key I need a man purse just to carry my car keys

 

They were able to put the transponder in the regular keys years ago, I just hate big keys..

 

 

I just leave my keys in my cars in my garage ( =

 

Always seemed pointless for me to carry around keys to multiple cars when you can only drive one at a time.