From the moment we first learned about the new Mustang, there’s been much speculation about what Ford would bring to the table when it came to the specialty versions of the car. With the debut of the new Shelby GT350 at the Los Angeles Auto Show this week, the wait has come to an end.
As the lineage behind its name suggests, the GT350 is designed to be an extremely focused Mustang for the track rather than a boulevard bruiser like Dodge’s Hellcat Challenger. And as we can now see, Ford has done a lot more than just add a few go-fast bits to a standard Mustang GT.
Power on the GT350 comes from a naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V8 which uses a flat-plane crankshaft for more power and quicker response. Output hasn’t been finalized, but Ford is saying horsepower will top 500, making this the most powerful naturally aspirated engine the company has ever built.
Along with its exotic powerplant, the GT350 has also been designed to take full advantage of the Mustang’s new platform. The chassis has been stiffened up, the ride height has been lowered, and MagneRide adjustable dampers feature. In proper track car fashion, the 19-inch wheels are shod with grippy Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires and braking is handled by 6-piston and 4-piston Brembos in the front and rear respectively.
The cockpit of the GT350 includes unique Recaro seats, a flat-bottom steering wheel and upgraded gauges. There’s also a driver control interface that allows adjustment of the suspension, brakes, steering, throttle and more.
All of that is rounded off by a thoroughly tweaked exterior that includes brand new bodywork from the windshield forward. Other goodies include a functional rear diffuser and a ducted belly pan.
Ford hasn’t published any pricing or release date information yet, but initial impressions say this thing will be a more than worthy successor to the legendary Shelby GT350 of the 1960s.
We want to drive it oh so badly!
Mike Garrett
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"Ford is saying horsepower will top 500, making this the most powerful naturally aspirated engine the company has ever built." Nope, 427 Cammer was already built in 1963, that Shelby engine is the most powerful NA engine ever to go to production.
I am a huge Mustang fun but I must say that I was a bit underwhelmed by this reveal. The CGI render yesterday was a major kick in the teeth after all the teasing over the past few weeks.
"A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!"
I quite like it, it's good to see Ford moving in a future facing direction with the Mustang.
Though I'd still argue that the headlights should be about 20% bigger and look less like it wants to steal my patio furniture.
D4k0t4 wasn't the max production output of these motors 400hp?
TylerHorne I am a big fan of less is more. It has simple body changes and what sounds like one of the best american V8's ever made. I think its a fantastic offering (as long as its not stupidly priced).
They will still make a supercharged GT500 I suppose? This one looks more like the old Boss 302, a track ready NA machine.
As quoted by a random dude on the interweb :
"Mustang is becoming the new M3, while the M4 is becoming the new Mustang"
Next year is gonna be big.
I really have grown to love the new mustang... But ford the whole point of this gen was to make it more viable to sell over seas how about some effort to push it in the UK? I see plently of M4's and M3's rolling around my home city I could do with seeing this among them.
fifteen52_coneklr My guess would be starting price around $62,000, with a GT350R (rear seat delete, freer exhaust, carbon ceramic rotors, better tires) to come later at around $75,000
SelwynLeonard D4k0t4 Over 600 hp Gross which would likely still be well over 500 hp SAE
D4k0t4 The 427 "Cammer" was never actually put into a production car by Ford. Those engines had to be ordered directly from Ford, or picked up via surplus after the program ended. "Cammer" engines were strictly for racing.
That is a proper interior! Over the past few years, I've had a love/hate relationship with the Mustangs. Wonderful engines, they truly sounds burly and angry; a personal preference of mine. Unfortunately, the combination of exterior and, especially, interior styling has always killed it for me. This was the problem with a lot of the "new-age" American production cars. They'd have a relatively tasteful exterior but then inside the cabin, you're greeted to a radio from 1997, plastic trim from recycled Poland Spring bottles, then 'ticks and clangs' from shotty interior quality and build planning... Seriously? But this! This right here, is a step in the right direction for Ford. Proper RECARO seats, an alcantara-wrapped wheel, (I think that's what it is... I may be blind) a really nice info-tainment console and an actual FLOW of the design. That E-brake is suspect though...
Also, hats off to Ford for taking, in my humble opinion, a rather crude and out dated shape and turning it into something EXTREMELY easy on the eyes. I love the aggression of it all. Well put together package. Thumbs up to you guys!
Ok, new flat-place 5.2L engine. Am I the only one that's thinking this new engine will be the power behind the 'new' GT40?
WindsorShatzkin I've seen some of the renderings of the new GT... What do you think of it? :
WindsorShatzkin plus forced induction
D4k0t4 I'm sure they meant specific output
H8RADE WindsorShatzkin I haven't seen any yet. Besides, those renderings are probably just predictions, and are only about 10%-15% of what the car will actually look like.
TylerHorne WindsorShatzkin But of course! If Ford sticks with their routine, we'll probably see a 5.2L "EcoBoost" V8 (possibly even up to 5.8L by then - 351 anyone?)
H8RADE I would disagree with your assessment of the old Mustang. It wasn't crude or outdated.
True, the last Mustang was a more conservative design than the current car, but that lack of "radicalism" means that the old car will age better than the current one.
The old car looked better balanced, had an aesthetically-cleaner nose and the little extra squareness in its roofline gave its design a longer lifespan, as I see it.
As much as I like the new GT350, and I REALLY like it, I think that the "right now" currency of its design language will make it look dated in the same way Testarossa and the LS1 Trans Am look dated today.
Awesome-looking vehicles to be sure, but not timeless. The new Mustang is the same way.
That being said, I'm currently cross-shopping a 2015 EcoBoost version of this car and a 2015 WRX. Dark blue six-speed either way, of course.
They're literally the only two cars on the market that I want enough to spend money on, and I'm having the damndest time trying to decide.
A Performance Thoroughbred - so sweet is the exhaust!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yC6tKvEy6t0
WindsorShatzkin TylerHorne I don't think we'll see a Coyote stretched that far.
Very interesting they switch to a flat plane crank design. I have heard this new car will be independent rear suspension as well which marks a modernization of the platform.
With IRS, a flat plane V8, and a decent weight, this might be the first Mustang capable of hanging with cars like the M3, maybe even base model Corvettes. Just speculation on my part, but I think this car if the design is really done correctly (mechanically speaking) could be a major player.
We'll have to wait and see, but it will be interesting to watch none the less. Ford becoming relevant in the modern performance game would be a welcomed and refreshing sight.
Very interesting they switch to a flat plane crank design. I have heard this new car will be independent rear suspension as well which marks a modernization of the platform.
With IRS, a flat plane V8, and a decent weight, this might be the first Mustang capable of hanging with cars like the M3, maybe even base model Corvettes. Just speculation on my part, but I think this car if the design is really done correctly (mechanically speaking) could be a major player.
We'll have to wait and see, but it will be interesting to watch none the less. Ford becoming relevant in the modern performance game would be a welcomed and refreshing sight.
Can't wait to see the specs on this engine! Overall, a great looking car...inside and out.
Ice Age H8RADE I understand where you're coming from. You're right about the old car design (60's and such). During that time, yes, it was a magnificent design and people raved about it. I guess I should've clarified by the "out-dated shape." I was referring to the design amalgamation over the last 10 years or so.
Starting when they brought back the old design in '05. Over the past 10 years, they've tweaked, ever so slightly with what I believe, was crude design in the first place. the '05-'08 design was, again, in humble opinion, an atrocity in being a representative of, and I'm paraphrasing, 'bringing back the old school.' Granted, all American car markers were doing it. Some did better than others. But the metamorphosis from the 60's design to the '05-'10 designs were what I was referring to as crude. They were blocky, looked like a pig and I feel, "half-fast."(Cool points to whoever notices that lol)
But NOW, this '15 design pays great homage to a great era in speed-demons and gear-heads. THIS is what the cars of yester-year would be proud of!
H8RADE Ice Age I was referring to the 2010-2014 car, which in my opinion was a very well-executed take on the first-gen Mustang's design language and proportion. I agree with you, in that I was never really a fan of the 05-09 car - the straight beltline never worked for me, and it was kinda soft stylistically.
The 10-14 car was a nicely tightened-up revision of its predecessor and a GT500 in either black or blue had no rivals aesthetically. It looked simultaneously sleek, tough, substantial and tight.
Originally, I didn't like the 2015 car, but it's grown on me to the point that I'm really torn between it and a WRX.
It's a muscular, modern design with great proportions and nicely creased metal. I do wish that the nose was cleaner and didn't have so much going on, though.
Overall, it's a great car.
Really not a fan of the new Mustangs. I didn't like the retro style Mustangs before this either, but they were still better than this. The new one just looks like a 2 door Fusion. The interior still sucks as well. They also managed to make this car heavier than the previous one.
Shelby is definitely taking a step in the right direction though. Flat plane v8 and IRS(not that I had any problems with the live axle in the previous gens) will be awesome.
@Chris All the new Mustangs are actually IRS, but yeah this thing is going to be wicked!
WindsorShatzkin That would be awesome to see. Going by the market for used GTs, there's plenty of demand for one!
WindsorShatzkin D4k0t4 Would be interesting to see a comparison between the two, but it sounds like the new motor will be much more readily available
Odd to say but I hope its priced 70k+ to keep it out of hands of rich high schoolers who flog around their GT's.
I could see forced induction with this new V8 for the forthcoming GT successor. But increasing the displacement would seriously be an engineering marvel in regards to NVH. Flat planed crankshafts for a V8 arrangement are hardly ever seen north of 4.6L, just look at Ferrari, and what do they cost? So the fact Ford engineers were able to pull of a 5.2L 180 degree V8 is beyond impressive. Bringing the compression down some more and adding forced induction, a la ecoboost, may be the most plausible power additional for this new lump.
Question for industry experts: Do car makers have the potential power output of a new engine like this all worked out by now, and the delayed release of power figures is really just them choosing a power level for the first release based on the marketing plan? Like, they could decide that 505hp is right for now, giving them room for a 550hp release next year.
Or do they really just set a target, build to that power level, then engineer an upgrade later when they think there's a market for it?
@mookgenius I believe it's still a normal 90 degree V8. Flat plane crank-shaft just refers to the orientation of the crank throws, not the angle of the V. Basically I think this is a Coyote variant with a new crank shaft.
Could someone please explain why it's called the 350. When as far as I'm aware without any research or googling its not 3500cc or 350bhp.
Wow. Can't wait to see a comparison with the Camaro Z2/8. The GT350 will have Ford MagneRide suspension? hmm wonder how that will stack up versus the Camaro Z2/8's Multimatic Dynamic Spool Valve Suspension DSSV.
Can you guys do a feature about Multimatic? It seems to be the future in suspension technology. Implemented in the Camaro Z2/8 and the new Mercedes AMG GT .
JakWhite that was the name of the original track oriented mustang. its just what they called it.
@zz most of those kids will end up getting autos. this doesn't come in an auto
@Chris the boss 302 hung with the m3 pretty well
zziro I was referring the crank angle orientation not the Vee angle.
JakWhite google original shelby mustang GT350
zziro lol just a coyote with a new crank.. Not quite, a flat plane or 180 degree crank requires a ridiculous amount of engineering and most likely has a whole new block, the firing order is completely different and the valvetrain will need to be re-engineered because flat plane v8s can easily rev to over 8k! Can you imagine an 8k revving Mustang out of the box! its mind bending
I hope Ford Racing will sell the motor in a crate! Flat plane 8k revving howler FTW!
@Chris Where have you been, the Last gen Mustang GT Track Pack and Boss was already on the M3's level.
dadecode Yeah, and at half the price, too. Sounds to me like BMW's got some 'splainin' to do.
Kills me to say this, I really do love mustangs, but I'd spend my money on the wrx. A mustang should have a v8
dadecode I guess I've been under a rock guys. Giving me some good youtube stuff to look up tonight.
dadecode I guess I've been under a rock guys. Giving me some good youtube stuff to look up tonight.
JakWhite I'm sure it was a measurement from the Shelby workshop to a race track of some sorts. It measured 500 feet or something like that (GT500). I'm sure someone with more knowledge will pick on this comment. How he got to the GT350 I'm not sure.
Ice Age dadecode They were too busy integrating a fake engine sound into the audio system.
You know Ford has been doing their own version of pumping fake engine noise into the cabin for years right?
You know Ford has been doing their own version of pumping fake engine noise into the cabin for years right?
They need the gt350h colours. They looked amazing.
Is that a man stick? I'd be impressed if its not autotragic
very interested to see this car go against other cars in the price bracket. Audi S4, C63 AMG, M3s etc.
@Manu lol, its man stick ONLY!
The engineers know what it can do. Not releasing figures is just a way to build hype, but they might be crunching numbers on insurance, emissions, etc too.
The engineers know what it can do. Not releasing figures is just a way to build hype, but they might be crunching numbers on insurance, emissions, etc too.
RacingPast JakWhite Ive heard pretty much the same story from a cool old timer. Great little fact.
RacingPast JakWhite Ive heard pretty much the same story from a cool old timer. Great little fact.
I just noticed the cool design nod to the vented rear windshield on the original '66 350R. I wonder if its functional...
Looks amazing, but i would like that it was a decent rival to the Vettes and Vipers, finest american machinery for me and the only ones that do well on turns.
Whats, youve never heard of the 1LE, ZL1, or Z/28? Never mind the Boss or Track Pack GT? Whatabout the CTS-V Or Solstice and Sky twins? Even the new Buick Reagal GS, and Pontiac G8s are considered great handling American cars.
@FlushPoke I think it is a design nod that also functions as the car's 3rd brake light (as one would be required) and having it up on the roof always looks cool.
EvolveWRC I kind of hope the GT500 stays away for a while. Supercharging this motor could produce over 700hp easily. other than competing with the Hellcat (and why does Ford need to) there is no real reason for such a car.