Ford Mustang GT Performance Pack 2 is a Beastly Upgrade

Performance Pack 2 closes the gap between the Mustang GT and the Shelby GT350 on the toughest tracks.

The GT350 has received some improvements for the 2019 model year, but for those prospective Mustang buyers who want track-ready handling prowess without the big price tag of the Shelby models, the Performance Pack 2 is the answer. This package doesn’t add any power, but with its unique suspension components, tires that were developed specifically for this package, new aero bits, revised chassis, and suspension tuning, this Mustang GT is built to handle a tight road course like a Shelby model.

To experience the advantages of the new Performance Pack 2, Ford invited a group of automotive journalists to come to M1 Concourse in Pontiac, Michigan, for some seat time on the road course. I was included in that group and after spending a few hours pushing a car fitted with the Performance Pack 2 to its limits, it is clear that the Ford engineers succeeded in their quest for making the best-handling Mustang GT ever.

Shelby Difference

Before getting into my drive time in the 2019 Ford Mustang GT with the Performance Pack 2, let’s address the real-world differences between the GT350 and the Performance Pack 2-equipped Mustang GT. There are three areas in which these cars differ greatly: appearance, power, and price.

The 2019 Mustang GT with the Performance Pack 2 has the same basic exterior design of the rest of the 2019 lineup while the Shelby GT350 continues to sport the appearance of the 2015-2017 lineup. The Shelby models also have their own wheels and a more-advanced Brembo braking system.

The Shelby GT350 is powered by a 5.2-liter flat-plan V8 with 526 horsepower and 429 lb-ft of torque while the GT with Performance Pack 2 comes with the 5.0-liter V8 with 460 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque.

The GT350 has a base price that starts about $12,000 more than the Mustang GT with the Performance Pack 2, and that is likely the biggest factor in why someone would buy the GT over the GT350. The Performance Pack 2 doesn’t feature the Shelby look or the flat-plane power, but it elevates the handling capabilities to being very near that of the GT350, so the Mustang GT with Performance Pack 2 is basically a budget road racer compared to the Shelby models.

Performance Pack 2 Features

The cars we tested at the M1 Concourse were all 2019 Ford Mustang fastbacks with six-speed manual transmissions and the Performance Pack 2. That means that when compared to the “basic” Mustang GT, these cars have the following unique features:

• Brembo six-caliper front brakes over 15-inch rotors
• New painted aluminum wheels measuring 19×10.5 inches up front and 19×11 out back
• 305/30/19 Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Tires at all four corners
• Standard MagneRide suspension with unique chassis tuning and “track inspired calibration”
• Unique tuning to the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Electric Power Assisted Steering (EPAS)
• 33.3-millimeter tubular front sway bar
• 24-millimeter solid rear sway bar
• Unique front splitter
• Unique rear lip spoiler
• Manual transmission only with 3.73 Torsen rear differential

Continued…

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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