Most awesome rental car...... Evah!

[Colin]

Those with whom I am Facebook connected have had a preview of this already....... so for the benefit of everyone else, here is today's rental car.



Car number 101 of a series of 150 very special Hertz Penske Mustang GT.

I can't recall a car with such an epic soundtrain as this one.... no need for a stereo system, as you could listen to the engine all day!

This car is very different - and in my opinion a whole lot more fun - than the stock Mustang GT 5.0.

If anyone wants one, don't book the car directly on the Hertz website, as they charge silly money have a mileage limit. What I did was to secure one of those "ask us for the upgrade price" deals. Yesterday they wanted $99 a day, with unltd miles, over a reservation for a Corolla (Group C) and I was ready to do the deal, but then this morning the price was down to $75 a day. There were 8 cars on site at Sky Harbor (PHX), so I guess the price will go down if too many are sat not generating revenue. You won't be able to guarantee getting one this way, but it will be hundreds of $$ cheaper. (the same trick applies for the AMG Mercs, the CTS-V and the Prosches, but they are around $300 day above a Group C reservation).

I will be penning a full report on the Penske Mustang in due course.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

Nice!

[Laconian]

What type of deal is this?

I always get screwed with rentals. :|

[S204STi]

Excellent!  Thanks for the tips on acquiring one!

[Raza]

What's the difference between this and the regular 5.0?

[Colin]

Info I found suggests that the differences are as follows:

Penske Racing worked with Hertz and Ford to develop the modifications that turn a Mustang GT into a Hertz Penske GT. Those changes include a quad-tip exhaust system, high airflow intake system, special engine computer tuning, Powered-by-Ford valve covers, a 3.55 rear gear, Brembo brakes, and a handling package that includes wheels, Goodyear Eagle F1 tires, and suspension components — shocks, struts, bars, mounts, bearings and shims — that lower the car's ride height by an inch.
In addition to the exterior color and stripes, the cars also get a Boss 302 front splitter, GT500 rear valence, Penske Racing badges, and a retro-style and Hertz-badged faux rear gas cap.
Changes inside include Recaro racing seats, Mustang Laguna Seca gauges, custom floor mats, lighted door-sill plates, a number plate that indicates this is car No. X of 150, and Ford's Touchscreen Entertainment System with GPS and back-up camera.
Oh, and when you start the car, that screen displays a special welcome and provides a photo gallery showcasing Penske Racing and the build of the Hertz Penske GTs.

[Byteme]

Similar to the program in the 60's where onecould rent a Shelby GT350 from Hertz.  those models were designated GT350H models.

In 1965 the Shelby Mustang came to life with the introduction of the high-performance Shelby GT350. This powerful race-ready Mustang became an instant hit on and off the track.
In September of 1965 Shelby American General Manager Peyton Cramer struck up a deal with Hertz to offer the 1966 GT350H Mustang as a rental car. The program was a clever one for Ford and Shelby as it worked to promote the Shelby Mustang to potential buyers. As Ford puts it, "The idea was to put high-performance, special-edition Shelby Mustang coupes into the hands of racing enthusiast-minded rental customers." That's right, if you were a Hertz Sports Car Club member back in 1966 (and 25 years of age), you could drive off the rental car lot in a performance 306 hp Mustang fastback. Total cost: $17 a day and 17 cents a mile. Not a bad deal by today's standards and not a bad deal back then.

1966 Shelby GT350H Facts
•1,001 Produced
•Cobra 289 High Performance V8 engine
•Output: 306 hp and 329 lb-ft of torque
•Total cost in 1966: $17 a day and 17 cents a mile

As you can imagine, this venture was popular among the racing enthusiast crowd. In fact, it's been reported that some renters actually took their rental cars to the track where they would remove the engine and put it in their personal race car. At the end of the race they'd drop the Cobra engine back into the rental car and return it to Hertz. The idea was to avoid damaging the rental car, while boosting the performance of their personal ride.

Other stories tell of rental car drivers taking the car to the drag strip for a weekend of racing. As such, many of the rental cars were returned to the rental company in need of repair. In a 2006 interview, Walter Seaman, Hertz Corporation division vice president, Worldwide Fleet, Maintenance, and Car Sales Operations, said, "Forty years ago when Hertz had the program, it was [a] little less controlled. We were very careful with a very detailed check sheet when the car was rented and returned. There were some people who thought they were getting away with a lot of things, but they ended up reimbursing us for damage." Even though the venture was successful for Hertz, it proved costly to keep the cars in the fleet.

The 1966 Shelby GT350H, based on the 1966 GT350, featured a Cobra 289 High Performance V8 engine outputting 306 hp and 329 lb-ft of torque. Although most of the cars did not feature power brakes, a power brake booster was added to some of the vehicles per Hertz's request. It seems many drivers found the braking to be too difficult and complained to the company. A unique feature of the Shelby GT350H is wheel-center caps featuring the Hertz Sports Car Cub logo as well as Goodyear Blue streak tires. Other special features include functional fiberglass scoops used to cool the rear brakes, a red, white, and blue cobra gas cap featuring the Shelby emblem, a tachometer mounted on the dash, and Plexiglas rear quarter windows. Of note, about 100 of the 1966 Shelby GT350Hs did not feature the fiberglass hood found on regular GT350s. They featured an all-steel hood.

In all, only 1,001 of these fastbacks were built for Hertz in 1966. The makeup consisted of 999 units of the following colors: A majority in Raven Black with Gold (Bronze Powder) side and Le Mans racing stripes, 50 Candy Apple Red with side stripes, 50 Wimbledon White with side stripes (as well as several models with both side and Le Mans stripes), 50 Sapphire Blue models with side stripes, and 50 Ivy Green with side stripes. Two of the GT350H Mustangs were prototype models. Each of the cars was built in Los Angeles at the Shelby American Los Angeles airport facility.

The first 100 GT350H models were ordered with 4-speed transmissions. According to an article about the car in Mustang Monthly magazine, a San Francisco Hertz dealer complained that drivers were burning out the clutches. Hertz and Ford rethought the program after 85 of the cars were delivered and decided to run with automatic transmissions for the remainder of the build cycle. All of the 4-speed cars sported a Raven black exterior.

As with other Shelby Mustangs of the time, the GT350H was quick. According to a 1966 issue of Car and Driver magazine, the 1966 Shelby GT350H Mustang could do 0-60 mph in 6.6 seconds. It could do a standing quarter mile in 15.2 seconds at 93 mph. The top speed was 117 mph. Bottom line: this car was a serious machine both on and off the track.

Over the years the 1966 Shelby GT350H Mustang has become highly sought after by collectors. Due to the harsh driving conditions they were subjected too by rental car drivers, many of the cars were taken out of commission years ago. In fact, there was a time when no one wanted to touch one with a 10 foot pole. After all, buying a used rental car wasn't the thing to do. Well, years later the ones that are left are extremely valuable and easily net $150,000 or more in auctions each year. In fact, those lucky enough to own one own a coveted piece of Mustang history.

In all, the car has grown in popularity over the years. In fact, it grew so popular the powers that be decided to bring it back for a new generation of drivers. Forty years after its initial introduction in 1966, Shelby got together once again with Hertz to offer up the 2006 Shelby GT-H Mustang. The car once again featured a black exterior with gold stripes. Keeping with tradition, the cars were fast both on and off the track.

Although the 1965 Shelby GT350 is what started it all, the 1966 Shelby GT350H is the car that delivered the message to the world. As can be imagined, the car is a favorite among Mustang enthusiasts worldwide.
  5

[MX793]

Or the Hertz Shelby GT Mustangs of just a few years ago (using the '05-'09 body style)

[FlatBlackCaddy]

Automatics, I presume?

[FlatBlackCaddy]

Do they measure rear tire tread depth before these go out?

[Lebowski]

Pretty cool.

I wouldn't want to buy a mustang but for a rental, this is pretty cool.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

Do they measure rear tire tread depth before these go out?

I heard they check to make sure the engine hasn't been swapped tho! I read that "swapped" engines were a common occurence back in the 60s!

[Colin]

I rented one of the Shelby GT-H Mustangs back in 2007, and they did check the car out and in very carefully. Various components under the bonnet were colour coded and they checked that they were all present on return.

With this one, though, they simply gave me the paperwork and told me where it was, and I drove out. Apart from having a chat with the returns guy about the car and discussing their other Adrenaline cars (he was not busy), there were no special checks.

[12,000 RPM]

Colin nice ride

How is this thing on the highway? Does the exhaust drone?

[FlatBlackCaddy]

I heard they check to make sure the engine hasn't been swapped tho! I read that "swapped" engines were a common occurence back in the 60s!

Back when it took 2 people and a set of hand tools a couple hours to swap the motors. I'm sure presently this is much less of a concern.

[Colin]

Colin nice ride

How is this thing on the highway? Does the exhaust drone?

Yes, a bit. I don't think you'd want to do a really long drive in it.......... though actually it is the bone jarring ride that would really convince you not do spend hours at a stretch behind the wheel. The roads of AZ are much better than SoCal, but even so, this thing picked up surface imperfections that the eye could not readily spot.

So a car for fun, but not really your daily driver, and certainly not a trans-continental GT. But for my day out, it was just perfect.

[Rupert]

I got a 5.0 when I reserved a V6 last year for the same price as the V6. I think that's a good way to go for these kinds of cars. The V6 wasn't a whole lot more than just a mid-size.

[Mustangfan2003]

I rented a V6 Mustang in Vegas and it was about $20 more than a Focus.  Not a lot of room in the trunk for the bags but I think it was worth it. 

[MX793]

I rented a V6 Mustang in Vegas and it was about $20 more than a Focus.  Not a lot of room in the trunk for the bags but I think it was worth it. 

The Mustang's trunk is actually a hair larger than the Focus sedan's.  Granted, you have the rear seat space in the Focus which is readily accessible for additional luggage space.

[Colin]

The Mustang's trunk is actually a hair larger than the Focus sedan's.  Granted, you have the rear seat space in the Focus which is readily accessible for additional luggage space.

The problem is not the amount of space, it is the size of the opening which means getting stuff in can be quite the challenge........ I recall being defeated with my old suitcase, even though I could see that there was space for inside, you could not get it through the slot. There are other cars that have the same problem. 

[MX793]

Yes, the size of the opening can be restricting, but what was said was that there wasn't a lot of space in the trunk. Not that the opening prohibited placement of the bags.

[Raza]

The problem is not the amount of space, it is the size of the opening which means getting stuff in can be quite the challenge........ I recall being defeated with my old suitcase, even though I could see that there was space for inside, you could not get it through the slot. There are other cars that have the same problem.

My Jetta had a similar problem.  Trunk capacity was larger than an A8's, but the opening was a bit small.  I bought a trash can (one of those big outdoor ones) that should easily have fit in the car, but there was no opening large enough to get it in.  Rear doors were too small too.  Had to come back with my mother's S class, which only had a marginally larger trunk, but a much bigger trunk opening.