After being launched almost 50 years ago for the first time, Ford Shelby GT 350 is back, and the bang is louder than ever.
There are Mustangs and then there are Shelbys. Some even call them the AMGs of America. Ford revealed its latest Shelby yesterday ahead of the Los Angeles Motor Show and there is no denying the fact that this is the most naturally ‘aspirated’ Ford car ever. The new American-muscle has a flat-plane crankshaft, 5.2-litre V-8 which produces over 500 horsepower.
The new Shelby is meant to attack the city roads with as much ruthlessness as the track. This was also the principal reason behind the production of the first few Shelbys made in the 1960s. To make it more pure and real, Ford has decided not to put a turbocharged Ecoboost engine here, and instead put a high-revving V-8. No wonder the engine delivers a maximum torque of 542Nm.
Saying more about the car, Raj Nair, Vice President – Global Product Development, Ford Group said, “When we started working on this car, we wanted to build the best possible Mustang for the places we most love to drive – challenging back roads with a variety of corners and elevation changes – and the track on the weekends. Every change we made to this car was driven by the functional requirements of a powerful, responsive powerplant – nimble, precise handling and massive stopping power.”
To make it more human, it will come with a six-speed manual gearbox and a choice of five different driving modes which makes it highly eager to perform irrespective of the condition of the road (if there is any). 19” aluminium alloys, Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres, Brembo brakes, 15.5 and 15 inches of discs at front and rear respectively, increased downforce and better cooling airflow leave nothing to wish for. On the inside of it, the specially designed Recaro sport seats, a flat-bottom steering wheel and upgraded gauges to monitor performance just scream out loud that this car has been designed around the driver.
Adding more to what Nair said, Jamal Hameedi, Chief Engineer – Ford Global Performance Vehicles said, “The final product is essentially an all-new powerplant unique to GT 350 – and one that take true advantage of the new chassis dynamics of the Mustang platform.”
A lot of essential information hasn’t been revealed by Ford including the date onwards which the GT 350 goes on sale and the precise specifications, but most of these unanswered questions are expected to be answered in just a few days time at the Los Angeles Motor Show.
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