Hertz 2022 Ford Shelby Mustang GT-H Rental test drive and review thru the Hollywood Hills of California - Auto-Trend Repairs and Service Information Forums

Stellar007 · Member

Hertz 2022 Ford Shelby Mustang GT-H Rental test drive and review thru the Hollywood Hills of California

Stellar007 · Member

About this time I was starting to relax a little more as the drama from the flight and car rental place faded away to a blue ocean and an already growing on me White and Gold color combo... the drive from LAX to Santa Monica pier is a pretty short one, so this next jaunt I could streach the Mustangs legs... This would be my first time test driving an "official" Shelby Mustang.

I cannot stress enough how pleased I was with the looks of this vehicle, both inside and out... The Shelby package just has a much more agressive look than all of the other Mustangs of this year. Keep in mind the Shelby GT-H for Hertz is advertised as being 450HP, however I have seen some claim 435HP... this could be because the GT-H has been rented by Hertz for quite a few years now, and the newer 2022 model probably just had a few more horsepower than the earlier ones. It's also important to know, other than an upgraded exhaust the Shelby GT-H is more or less a regular GT in terms of engine and power.

To me, the car seemed to be more than enough power and flash for a vacation, however it's so refined with the automatic 10 speed transmission, traction control and four phaser controlled cams that it's hard to really feel that old school power... but don't get me wrong, this thing will move out like a hover-board... it's just a much more refined Mustang than I am used to. Around the corners it feels good, hard turns are incredibly solid for a convertible! I was actually somewhat shocked! I did some of the same curves in my Corvette the last time I was in the Hills of Hollywood and honestly the Shelby GT-H felt more like a tight luxury sedan than a sports car! Although thru the entire test drive, on hills or slow driving it just felt like that 10 speed automatic was fumbling about looking for the just right gear... only in these low speed, low RPM climbs did I feel this... again, once you nail it the transmission comes alive and the shifts feel proper.

I felt the dash was much better than earlier years too... the Digital design of the dash somewhat throws me back to the early digital dash of the early 80's C4, but modernized... The layout is about spot on for a Mustang and I was able to pick up the controls pretty quick.

Driving around Hollywood in a Shelby Mustang is nice, but you have to keep in mind there are LOTS of other nice cars on the road there too! More Mercedes than you can shake a stick at! Depending on where you're at, Rodeo Drive for instance, driving a convertible Shelby Mustang will get you dirty looks from the Mercedes, Porsche, Aston Martin, and Rolls Royce drivers... But the kids all still say wow and point when the Mustang rolls by! lol

I felt good rolling this Shelby Mustang down Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive with all the rich folks in their $600 Ralph Lauren blue-jeans...

I was already starting to feel like a regular Steve McQueen flattening the hills and straightening the curves... I was just making my way, the only way I knew how...

Started feeling like one day the mountian might get me, but the law never will.

So it's safe to say, the Ford Shelby GT-H is a whole lot of fun in the sun! And as you can see, the sun started to come out! I basiclly ran the car up and down from Beverly Hills, Hollywood and Burbank... had an absolute blast and felt no need to really even beat on the car that much! It was just a really fun car with a whole lot of character! About this time I spotted a Big Boy, and it was even a car show theme in the back!

Gotta love Hollywood! And it's been FOREVER since I have had Big Boy! After lunch I took the Shelby up the hills to view the Hollywood sign... the best part about a rental with full insurance is you can park it anywhere!

Leaving the car on the side of the road I was able to walk a very short distance and take this incredible photo above! As it got hotter the AC and cooled seats were absolutly wonderful!

Stellar007 · Member

Now about this time I had to settle down, and I ended up staying at the Hampton Inn on Vine Street off Hollywood Blvd... it was a very nice hotel for the money, I think... but like everywhere in Hollywood parking was Valet, but did I mention the nice thing about a rental with full coverage insurance? You just toss them the keys and a fiver then say, "knock yourself out buddy!"... you sort of become a hit at that point because they know you don't give a hoot... but they were cool and always kept the car in the very small parking lot by the doors... I think maybe because it was a really cool looking car.

By this time I had to do some shopping... I didn't carry on any baggage and I had already been to Rodeo Drive and Burbank Empire with no luck on another outfit... I needed a change of clothes! Parking was really rough of Hollywood Blvd, but I was able to score a spot in the back alley... did I mention the nice thing about a rental with full coverage insurance? You can park it ANYWHERE and not give a hoot!

and I was able to get my shopping done and put all my items in the trunk

I say that like it's something special, but in my C4 Corvette there is no trunk! LOL, so a trunk was a really nice thing to have! This one was pretty large for a sports car!

And I should mention also that the 1st time I was in California with my C4 Corvette I spent most of my time worrying about my car... when you rent a car there really is no worry! You just walk off and forget about it! I can't seem to do that with my own vehicle.

That may explain how I was able to put over 200 miles on this Shelby Mustang in just two short days! All of it going back and fourth between Beverly Hills, Hollywood and Burbank, which is all pretty much mountains... the traffic in LA is something else too, often times it takes almost a half an hour to travel just 3 miles in heavy congestion! But this car with it's heated/cooled seats made top down a blast regardless the temperature! It's powerful sound system, given the fact it's a rental with 20,000 miles sounded damn good! The speakers weren't blown and it was just a really clean and powerful sound. Was very impressed!

There is not really anything bad I can say about the 2022 Ford Shelby Mustang GT-H... while it's rated at 450HP and a zero to 60 of 3.9 seconds I wasn't really drawn to the speed aspect of the car as much as the slow, easy-going enjoyment of the scenery all around me. Sure, there were a few times I got on-it, but for the most part I just toured the hills in comfort. While I'd prefer to own a stick shift, I was happy to have an automatic in my test drive as it allowed for more luxury touring... I took in some incredible sights, and the bond formed with the Mustang was such that when it came time to fill it up, I couldn't bring myself to put cheap gas in it! Even though it was a rental, and the next guy would enjoy the premium - I just couldn't do it to her!

Right after giving her a fill up of premium fuel it began to rain on my last night in Hollywood! It's amazing how the streets completly empty when it rains...

So I went back to my hotel room and planned my return home... I was able to drop off the vehicle at the Burbank Hertz which was closer to my hotel. They even gave me a discount for doing so! Burbank is a small but cozy airport in Hollywood, and the drop off was pretty easy except for some confusing signs... I'd say the car cost us a little over $200 per day to rent with the SUPER INSURANCE. That also covered all the taxes and state fees which were many... cost to rent a base GT-H coupe is $99 per day, the convertibles are even more. Taxes, Fees and extra insurance is where they get you, but it's not really Hertz, is the local and State Government getting their cut.

The last ride to the airport was an emotional one, for reasons that will be reviled in the off topic area... but what I can tell you was this is just the prelude to our renting the next step up... the TRUE EXOTIC - the Shelby GT500-H with 900 Horsepower!

Currently only select markets are renting the GT500-H, but with 900HP it should be a blast to drive and it will be interesting to feel the difference between these two great rentals that are being offered by Hertz!

If you are interested in test driving a GT-H or GT500-H yourself, here is the link

https://www.hertz.com/blog/shelby-mustang/

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

You're such a tease Stellar....

I can't believe that Ford would claim 900-Hp output from an engine LOL. Near impossible to measure or prove, especially at the rear-wheels, or in the real-world...

But still we are held in suspense...

Stellar007 · Member

I'm pretty sure Ford's has a Dyno... and I'm pretty sure if they say 900HP, then it's 900HP...

Of course, we'll have to rent one just to be sure! Nothing is more accurate than my seat of the pants dyno!

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Stellar007 wrote:
1.I'm pretty sure Ford's has a Dyno... and I'm pretty sure if they say 900HP, then it's 900HP...
2.Of course, we'll have to rent one just to be sure! Nothing is more accurate than my seat of the pants dyno!

R1. A person would have to be silly to believe a number like that...Especially since "Nick's Garage" recently ( & posted in here ) had a supercharged Dodge 440 comfortably cruising into the 800-Hp on the dyno, after making a change in dyno set-point...

900-Hp out of a little 302 = doctoring of available numbers, or "prediction" based on certain variables being adjusted-to-suit...

eg, The vehicle may weigh-in at say 1500 kg's, & perhaps make we'll say 600-Hp...So this "could" be adjusted into 900-Hp available per 1,000 Kg...

We also don't know fuel quality or Kj/Kg produced, cylinder pressure reached, or dyno-load settings etc etc. Too many variables to list.

R2. Any car with over 150-Hp available at the rear wheels will struggle for straction, yet alone a claimed 900-Hp lol !

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Rastus wrote:
Stellar007 wrote:
1.I'm pretty sure Ford's has a Dyno... and I'm pretty sure if they say 900HP, then it's 900HP...
2.Of course, we'll have to rent one just to be sure! Nothing is more accurate than my seat of the pants dyno!

R1. A person would have to be silly to believe a number like that...Especially since "Nick's Garage" recently ( & posted in here ) had a supercharged Dodge 440 comfortably cruising into the 800-Hp on the dyno, after making a change in dyno set-point...
900-Hp out of a little 302 = doctoring of available numbers, or "prediction" based on certain variables being adjusted-to-suit...
eg, The vehicle may weigh-in at say 1500 kg's, & perhaps make we'll say 600-Hp...So this "could" be adjusted into 900-Hp available per 1,000 Kg...
We also don't know fuel quality or Kj/Kg produced, cylinder pressure reached, or dyno-load settings etc etc. Too many variables to list.

R2. Any car with over 150-Hp available at the rear wheels will struggle for traction, yet alone a claimed 900-Hp lol !

LOL !!! Massive face-palm moment folks...

Ford are going to do the same bullshyte thing as GM did with the Corvette...

What you'll "actually get" is a maybe 400-HP petrol engine, backed-up with a 125-HP claimed electric motor attached for each wheel...And their simple mathematical addition solution will look like this in the brochures & badges...

400 + ( 125 x 4 ) = 900 bullshyte Horse-power, cough cough...

Stellar007 · Member

Yo Rastus, calm down my brother!

Obviously with ALL dyno test there is a peak HP and Torque thru the RPM range... Modern advancements like direct injection (super high pressure fogging of gasoline) and things like camshaft phasers that are controled hydraulically via solenoids and placed on all four camshafts are also things that make for a completly different driving experience than older carbureted or even early fuel injection performance builds. This engine is highly refined, with a super fast processor crunching all this data to deliver the most horsepower that can be utilized for the traction environment at hand! Sure, I could have taken off the traction control and filled Rodeo drive with a plume of white tire smoke, but I hardly felt Rodeo Drive was the place to get my Woodward Dream Cruise burnout on! LOL

The point I am making here is that it's reasonable to assume that under optimal conditions this 5.0 coyote engine with it's DOHC VVT setup could produce 450 RWHP, and it would indeed be VERY easy to measure with a drive on dyno. My seat of the pants told me that my white Mustang could probably take the 2022 Shelby Mustang out of the hole and perhaps all the way thru the 1/4 mile, however beyond that it seems this engine really opens up at the higher RPMS when traction control measures are not active. It felt like the car wanted to roast the tires all the time as I goosed it to get that sweet proprietary Shelby exaust system to play it's note, however it just wasn't the place to be doing burnouts at every stop light, of which there were MANY in California. Factor that in with near total stop and go gridlock and it's a wonder I even got to open the thing up a few times!

With regards to the Shelby GT-500H, that car is NOT a 5.0 naturally asperated engine! The GT500-H is a 5.2 liter with a massive 3.8 liter supercharge strapped to the top of it! Putting out OVER 900 HP! This beast isn't even showing up for rental let, and may not until late spring or early summer 2023! This particular rental is rumored to cost $399 per day, and will not be offered at LAX in California, unless someone like me rents it and drops it off in California... LOL.

No doubt the GT500-H would hang with most of your hellcats and million dollar ultra-luxury cars... So I will be very interested to see just how powerful this refined 2023 Shelby GT500-H Mustang will feel at the seat of the pants... no doubt at $399 per day it will be worth at least one traction controll off flat pedal to see just how vicious that launch would be without such traction aid... but clearly given the markets it's being offered in they are well aware of that, and thus it will be much easier to test this cars performance than say, driving thru the hils of Hollywood!

I will say this, there was this one snob in a white BMW sport utility that just had to ride my ass up in some mountain where I was not familar with the lay of the land... this arecehole proceeded to honk his horn and waive his fist in anger in the windshield... the guy was such an arecehole I just pulled over into the gawkers lane and let him pass... it was at that time I noticed I was holding up traffic for about an 1/8 mile, as people there just fly around the hills at speeds twice the posted limit... I guess if you lived there and knew the lay of the land it would be frustrating to deal with some gawker in a rented 450HP convertible taking it easy...

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

LOL !

No-way-known will it be possible to extract 900-Hp out of a little V-8 like that, even when supercharged.

For sure, with my motorcycle, even after deducting the added-on bullshyte factory HP claims, we realize that with today's technologies, it's possible to get a genuine HP figure on a dyno, that "is" double the cubic capacity of the engine...eg, The GSXR-1300 is just on 80-cubic inches capacity, & it does make on the dyno, & at the rear wheel, 161-HP completely std with std exhaust...

But there are generous allowances legally offered also.

* A motorcycle with a 6-speed gearbox ( and no over-drive per-se ) is dyno-tested in 4th-gear, & that figure is used.

* Cars that had the old 3-speed automatics were tested in 2nd gear, not top gear. ( And 2nd gear for 4-speed with over-drive )...

* Cars with a 4-speed manual were tested in 3rd-gear, not top gear.

And I'm sure I've read in here years ago, about tests that were done on the aluminum-block GM & MB engines, & they were shitting themselves at anything over 400-HP...

Once again, in finishing, this 900-HP number is false advertising folks.

And here's a real-world HP formula to do your own calculations with, & it's surprisingly accurate.

***HP = W x ff x d x g / t

W = Weight in Kg's

ff = 0.4 ( friction force, & has no units )

d = 0.402 ( distance traveled in Km ( 1/4 mile )).

g = 9.81 ( force of gravity in Newtons ).

t = time in seconds.

The number obtained after calculating through the formula is in Kilo-Watts ( KW )...Multiply that resultant number by 1.32 to get Horse-Power.

Stellar007 · Member

I get that Rastus, but the claim is still 900+ horsepower...

If you think it's less put your money where your mouth is! I'll take it to a dyno in Las Vegas and have it tested, and if it's less than 900HP I'll pay... If it's 900HP or more, you pay?

Otherwise we will just have to settle for my seat of the pants Dyno... LOL!

Oh and FYI, the GT500-H is now available for rental in Las Vegas... however this ultra-exotic comes with some stipulations outside of the regular GT-H, the first one being is it's $399 per day and the second one is your first 150 miles are free, it's .75 cents per mile afterwards...

What do you say Rastus? Should I rent this bad-ass and rip it up and down the coast?

What kind of odds you giving me here? LOL

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Stellar007 wrote:
1.I get that Rastus, but the claim is still 900+ horsepower...
2.If you think it's less put your money where your mouth is! I'll take it to a dyno in Las Vegas and have it tested, and if it's less than 900HP I'll pay... If it's 900HP or more, you pay?
3.Otherwise we will just have to settle for my seat of the pants Dyno... LOL!
4.Oh and FYI, the GT500-H is now available for rental in Las Vegas... However, this ultra-exotic comes with some stipulations outside of the regular GT-H, the first one being is it's $399 per day and the second one is your first 150 miles are free, it's .75 cents per mile afterwards...
5.What do you say Rastus? Should I rent this bad-ass and rip it up and down the coast?
6.What kind of odds you giving me here? LOL

R1. It's bullshyte & you know it lol !

R2. I don't have to put any money anywhere Stellar, because it's bullshyte !

R3. Your dyno would likely be more accurate than Fords claims...( arguably 400+( 125 x 4 ))...

R4. Hmmm...900 Hp is a lot of horses to keep fed with gasoline...And they want $00:75 for every mile after the 1st 150 miles...( That's $02:66 per mile for the 1st 150 miles, + gasoline, & 3/4's-dollar thereafter plus gasoline )...This equals an expensive road-test, especially after taking into account, flights, hotels, hoes & narcs etc etc...

R5. Do as you wish Stellar !

R6. I would say that the odds are on you moving over to the West...And why not ???

Stellar007 · Member

Where is the fun in that Rastus?

A Shelby GT-500 is about $100,000 with taxes and such to purchase brand new! What is a $1000 to experence that for a day or two? It's not like you would be staying in a hotel for more than a day, and even then it could be a flea-bag hotel at that because you really wouldn't be there except to sleep and return the car!

I feel a calling here... look at the market that this car is available!

Are you suggesting that I should show my face in Miami again?

Stellar007 · Member

I can get one in Las Vegas RIGHT NOW for two days... bet you these cars have under 10k on them...

At $399 I wont settle for no dirty exhaust pipes or BS road rash on the rims... That much you can be DAMN SURE of!

Stellar007 · Member

Hell... you might not be from the USA, Rastus... but FOUR of them locations are in Florida!

Only two of them are out West... Las Vegas and Phoenix!

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

LOL !

Looking at the photos, we have a supercharged 318-cube V-8, that revs to a claimed 7,000 rpm, & a speedo that indicates 160-mph maximum.

Those are nice numbers for sure...But we here in Oz have an annual race known as Bathurst in NSW, & since the early 1970's, we've been getting those numbers out of what is essentially a standard road car available from any dealership. The rules were quite strict, & essentially only camshaft & roller rockers plus a thorough blue-print of the motor with cylinder head porting was allowed. And any podium place-makers had to allow their engines etc to be dismantled & inspected yadda, yadda...And these cars were naturally aspirated & carburetored with 4-barrel Rochesters...

These babies boogied big-time, & no stupid add-on electronics to break down...

Stellar007 · Member

Yes, old school muscle is hard to beat for in and around 300-500HP... the lack of emissions, the crude and track nature of the cars above are puropse built for racing! This refined pony offered the best of both of them worlds...

My point being, even with your older and smaller sized engines -- 900+ Horsepower is a very rare and exotic HP rating! One that MUST be felt!

I can tell you what 500HP feels like, and honestly the term that best discribes the feeling is tunnel vision in a very short time... I can only imagine what 900+ HP would be like, because quite franky I feel exactly as you do, which is to say it's FOOK'N INSANE!