What is it?
2016 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350: A sharpened Mustang that should be able to bring the fight to fancy European sports cars like the Porsche Cayman and BMW Z4. Ooh-rah for cubic-inches.
Signature feature:
The Shelby GT350 nameplate.
First appearing in 1965, the GT350 badge was worn by only the most hardcore road-racing Mustangs prepared by Carroll Shelby. The man became the messiah of American sports cars by beating the likes of Ferrari at the Le Mans 24-hour race in the '60s.
What else is new:
All bodywork in front of the windshield has changed, although the differences are subtle. Upgrades targeted at serious gearheads include: adjustable suspension, huge brakes, stiffened chassis, lowered ride height and widened front track. A six-speed manual and Torsen limited-slip differential are standard. Ford even had the guts to compare the GT350 to the Porsche GT3.
Under the hood:
The most powerful naturally-aspirated production engine in Ford's history: a 5.2-litre V-8 tuned for high-revving thrills. It features a flat-plane crank — just like you'd find inside a Ferrari — "more than" 500 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque.
When can we buy it, and for how much?
Nothing official to report here, but we'd estimate it will arrive in the first half of next year, priced above the old Mustang Boss 302 — somewhere in the mid $50,000 range. It should be a performance bargain.
Cool quotient: 3.5/5
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