2016 Ford Shelby GT350R Mustang Preview

2016 Ford Shelby GT350R FIRST LOOK

Posted on July 31, 2015 by Car Critic Steve Hammes

2016 Ford Shelby GT350R Mustang FIRST LOOK by Auto Critic Steve Hammes

Domestic automakers are proving that their performance days are alive and well. With the influx of alt-fuel vehicles in our environmentally conscious age, there’s still room for a track car or two. And here, Ford is showing Chevy and Dodge that they’re not the only ones who know how to have fun with this new 2016 Shelby GT350R; a street-legal Mustang engineered with never-before-seen track capability. It’s a car that speaks far beyond horsepower, tailored with a balance road course drivers crave.

Reflecting on the 1965 Carroll Shelby developed GT350R, this modern take stays true to one of the most iconic racing Mustangs ever produced. It all starts with the new 5.2-liter dual-overhead cam V8 with an exotic flat-plane crankshaft; a design referring to the 180-degree, or flat if you will, spacing of the crank pins. This not only produces a signature race car sound but optimizes high-speed engine breathing, as well.

It’s a first in a production Ford. As the most power dense, highest-revving V8 in company history, it produces 526 horsepower and 429 pound-feet of torque working through a 6-speed manual transmission. Furthering the prowess of the Shelby GT350 Track Pack model, the GT350R is more than 130 pounds lighter, utilizing the world’s first mass-produced carbon fiber wheels and deleting unnecessary bits such as AC, the stereo, and rear seats. The suspension has its own unique tune based with MagneRide dampers, track tuned alignment and lower ride height.

Ford says this all leads to a Mustang that is extraordinarily precise and agile. As a limited-production car, the GT350R was first introduced as a 2015 model with only 37 units produced but Ford promises greater availability for the 2016 model year.

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