Ready to rip and roar on the circuit.
There’s a new muscle car in town and it’s not just about owning a stoplight drag race. The new Shelby GT350R Mustang is designed to not just be fast as all hell, but carve up corners like no muscle car before it has. Everything has been double-checked in the name of weight from the carbon fiber black rims to the air conditioning and exhaust resonators. The goal is to be the king of the track and it is the most track-capable, road-legal Mustang ever built.
Under the hood of the new Shelby GT350R Mustang sits a brand new 5.2-liter, dual-overhead-cam, naturally-aspirated V-8 engine with a flat-plane crankshaft. Each crank pin is evenly spaced at 180-degree intervals for optimum high-speed performance. This helps to make it the most powerful naturally-aspirated engine Ford has ever produced. In total, more than 500 horsepower and 400 lb-ft. of torque reach the rear black rims as race-inspired cooling systems work to keep things in check.
That power is sent to the rear carbon fiber black rims through a six-speed manual transmission geared towards maximum performance instead of efficiency. A Ford-tuned, Torsen limited-slip differential with a 3.73 axle ratio helps to give the Shelby GT350R Mustang better handling and cornering capabilities along with traction for straight-line acceleration.
Just like any track-focus car or racecar for that matter, the Shelby GT350R Mustang went on a big-time diet. Engineers were able to shed more than 130 pounds compared to the Shelby GT350 Track Pack model. Items such as the air conditioning, stereo system, rear seats, trunk floorboard and carpet, rear backup camera, and tire repair kit were taken out to save weight. Even the exhaust resonations were removed. One of the biggest advancements lie in the new black rims. Here, engineers have used full carbon fiber wheels in a 19 x 11.0 front and 19 x 11.5 rear setup to keep strength properties but reduce weight compared to aluminum wheels. Grippy Michelin PIlot Sport Cup 2 high-performance tires help stick to the pavement in any situation.
Aerodynamics were designed for the race track with the Shelby GT350R Mustang. Hood vents help remove heat from the engine bay and reduce lift while smooth underbody pans help to calm the airflow beneath the muscle car. New vents redirect air into the oil coolers and to the brakes to ensure maximum performance during grueling track time. To generate downforce, a front splitter and carbon fiber rear wing work together and keep the high-performance Mustang stable at higher speeds.
“This is the pinnacle of performance Mustangs today,” said Dave Pericak, director, Ford Performance. “The Shelby GT350R Mustang lays the groundwork for a story that will play out for years to come on the track and the street.”
Source: Ford
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