Ford Mustang Shelby GT350
A brand new way to completely destroy tyres while grinning like a madman
The upcoming Shelby GT350 Mustang is equipped with the most powerful naturally aspirated engine ever strapped onto a car with Ford's blue oval. Channeling the spirit of the original 1965 Shelby Mustang, right down to the silvery white paint-blue stripes combo, the GT350 features a flat-plane crankshaft 5.2 liter V8 motor putting out more than 500 horsepower and 400 lb-ft torque.
While the back end slipping and power oversteer are signature muscle car moves, whether original or retro, the GT350 is being marketed as a track focused Mustang, so grip is key. Getting the power to the ground is a 6 speed manual and a Torsen limited slip differential, while stopping power is aplenty thanks to the Brembo braking system (6 pistons at the front, 4 at the rear, and 390 millimeter discs). The wider track also helps the car squat and stay level through the corners.
It's a pretty thing, the new gen Mustang. Gone are the brutish square edges of the last Mustang, replaced with effortless, Euro influenced elegance. It looks like a proper GT car now, wide, hunched front and rear quarters and a graceful roofline making it more grown up than its mother would like to admit. Set it next to the original GT350 and you'd say this is properly retro, capturing all of the right details and modernising where necessary. How it'll do against the next batch of revived American muscle car is going to be interesting.