GT500 Gives Porsche GT3RS a Run for Its Money on the Track
YouTuber Speed Phenom is back again, taking his 2020 Mustang GT500 to Willow Springs to shred pavement.
By now, there’s a good chance you’re familiar with Austin and his Youtube channel Speed Phenom. Though we still don’t know his full real name, we have been able to find that he’s currently 19-years-old and says that his work in software and graphic design is how he sprung into his impressive car collection. He owns this GT500, a GT350R, and an older GT500 Super Snake. Most of us can’t afford this collection now, let alone when we were 19. However, the best part of his channel is the fact that he uses the cars as intended.
In a recent video posted to the Speed Phenom channel, he takes his 2020 GT500 to Willow Springs International Raceway to put some laps in. You can see from older videos he is no stranger to track days at Willow Springs, so what ensues is an awesome montage of hot laps in the new Shelby beast.
He seems to have only one slight concern when getting on track.
“The one thing I am worried about, though, is that, as you can see, we PS4 (Pilot Sport 4) tires. I don’t prefer these as track tires. I really am wondering how well it’s going to translate into cornering and grip,” he says
Though, once on track, it seems like the tires are not much of a limiting factor. His prior track experience becomes immediately apparent as he blazes past another GT500 on the straight and stays ahead of him. Shortly after that, he motions for a purple Porsche 911 GT3 RS to pass him. Though, what follows isn’t exactly what many would expect.
The GT3 RS is the epitome of Porsche’s track development. While we all know how track-focused the GT500 is, we are still taken aback by this a bit. The GT500 holds its own in the straights, of course. However, it also manages to keep the gap very tight in the corners. Just from the clips in this video, we can tell that the GT500 is an absolute track monster. It looks like a phenomenal car to drive.
“This thing is incredibly fast. I know for a fact I can get at least three, maybe four seconds faster. I’m not going completely all out, just because I’m still getting used to the car,” he says
He goes on to explain that the out of corner acceleration and rapid gear shifting in the GT500 is fantastic. Though, his concerns about the tires did seem to come back to haunt him.
“These tires simply can’t allow the car to corner as fast as my (GT350) R. For example, on corners two and three, I’m pulling basically 95 to 100 miles per hour in the R and just holding that. I feel like the R is still the more track-focused car.
He also says that he believes the GT350R is a better purchase than a base GT500 for track use, but if you want the faster car, you go with the GT500. However, he also has a blue GT500 with the Carbon Track Pack on order. So perhaps all bets will be off once that arrives. One thing is for sure; we are super excited to see him track that one when it arrives. We’ll be looking forward to that video!