The boys over at Motor Trend were pretty excited when they got their hands on the new 2016 Mustang Shelby GT350. So they dreamed up a battery of tests to really put the car through its paces and have a lot of fun in the process. So what you are about to see after the jump is probably the most thorough test drive review of the track-ready GT350 ever.
In this video you will see the Mustang Shelby GT350 on the road and track, and also in a garage, where Jason Cammisa explains to you what a flat-plane-crankshaft is before strapping the car on a dyno machine.
Shelby GT350 Mustang Highlights:
Powertrain
The heart and soul of this beast live in the 5.2L V8 engine with a flat-plane crank that produces over 500 horsepower. Bolted to a world-class TREMEC® 3160 6-speed manual transmission and you end up producing more than 400 lb.-ft. of torque.
Chassis and suspension
The MagneRide™ damping system monitors and adjusts itself thousands of times per second for a dynamic, adrenaline-fueled driving experience. But with our obsession for detail, we just couldn’t stop there. Our attention to detail drove us all the way down to which way the springs coiled, therefore requiring new lower control arms. This racer was designed, engineered and built so the springs, sway bars and dampers work together as one finely tuned system. We also added new lightweight chassis components and a set of Michelin® Pilot® Super Sport tires wrapped around lightweight, yet incredibly stiff, aluminum wheels. So yeah, the GT350 will deliver a special rush whenever you strap yourself in behind the wheel.
Braking
The foundation of any sports car is undoubtedly the brakes; therefore, brakes are a major part of the GT350 magic. So we teamed front and rear Brembo® with cross-drilled, two-piece, highly-engineered brake rotors. The huge 395mm (15.5”) rotors up front and 376mm (14.8”) rotors in the back complete this tight, hard working system that gives GT350 its well-earned track cred.
Aerodynamics
Balancing downforce with aerodynamic drag is always one of the biggest challenges a team of car designers can face. But Ford did it with a unique, detailed approach that centered on making it imperative that every single component play a major part in the total overall performance of the system. It’s a very hard thing to pull off, but our team of designers and engineers wouldn’t settle for less. So it’s not just that the GT350 has wider aluminum front fenders and a unique aluminum hood. It’s also that the front and rear fascias, splitter, rockers and rear valance with integrated diffuser all work together as a team – each and every one of them. And only as a team working together can this system keep the beautiful, powerful, exciting and intimidating GT350 racer pressed firmly to the track.
