Every inch of the Shelby Mustang GT350 is designed with the track in mind. It is pure performance on four wheels. However, the engineers responsible for this beast spent hundreds of hours making it just as comfortable for the daily drive. What results is one of the most balanced and capable Mustangs ever produced, and it should be arriving in Houston-area dealerships this fall.
The highlight of the new Shelby Mustang is, without a doubt, its engine. Ford has entered a new realm of engine design that has mostly been the hallmark of European exotics like Ferrari. The GT350’s V8 engine leaves turbocharging on the drawing room table in favor of natural aspiration, but the real game changer here is the flat-plane crankshaft. The payoff from using a flat-plane configuration in the Mustang’s 5.2L V8 is an extremely high redline and broad power band; reported figures have the GT350 clocking over 500 horsepower and around 400 lb.-ft. of torque. This will make the GT350’s power plant the most powerful naturally aspirated engine Ford has ever produced.
Ford and Shelby engineers were meticulous in the extreme when they were designing this vehicle. Every component of the GT350 works in sync with the rest; the minds behind this racer stuck to the big picture, and thankfully so. Everything about the GT350 is designed to reduce weight, improve aerodynamics, and optimize handling. Its brakes are absolute monsters, with 394-millimeter rotors in front and 380-millimeter rotors in the rear and each paired with Brembo calipers. MangeRide dampers detect changes in yaw and suspension load and adjust suspension stiffness every 10 milliseconds to provide the absolute best handling possible. This is the first time magnetorheological damping has ever been used in a Ford vehicle, and the Shelby Mustang GT350 joins multiple Ferraris, the Audi R8, and other high-performance machines in utilizing this technology.
The interior has received the racing treatment as well. Chrome and other bright finishes are mostly eliminated from the cockpit to reduce glare, and there are five different drive modes that alter the Shelby Mustang’s handling characteristics across a broad spectrum of components and functions, including steering and throttle responsiveness, traction control, MagneRide tuning, and ABS. The available Tech Pack offers premium Shaker audio, MyFord Touch, and leather-trimmed Recaro seats. Every inch of this vehicle was designed not only for maximum performance, handling, and balance, but for maximum comfort and enjoyment for the driver. We’ll bet that driving enthusiasts in Humble, Crosby, and Conroe can’t wait to hit the country roads around Houston so they can see just what this beast is capable of. We here at Randall Reed’s Planet Ford can’t wait to offer you that chance, so come test drive a Shelby Mustang GT350 in Humble this fall and feel the power of Ford Performance.