The last in the triumvirate of totally ridiculous cars that Ford unveiled at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show is a superlative version of a car revealed late last year. When Ford showed up at the Los Angeles show with the new Shelby GT350, most people fell upon their knees, kissing the ground that Mark Fields walks upon and thanking him for making every Mustang owner’s dreams a reality.
But then there were the people in the back of the room, leaning against the wall with their arms folded, trying their best to look unimpressed. “This is a pretty great consumer product,” they said, “But what about us? What about the people who don’t want to just drive the car? What about the people who want to put it on the track?”
“Relax,” said Ford, “and wait your turn.”
It’s their turn now, and the 2016 Shelby GT350R is proof of that. It still uses the same 5.2-liter flat-plane V8, but this super snake gets rid of all the frivolous comforts that the rest of us might want in our cars.
There’s no back seat. There’s no radio. There’s no backup camera. There’s no air conditioning. There’s no trunk liner. There’s no tire inflator. Basically, if it doesn’t help the car go fast, it isn’t in the car.
We can tell you there are some additions made, such as the ginormous rear wing and the carbon fiber wheels – a first for any non-exotic vehicle. It also has revised aerodynamics and it rides lower to the ground, plus there’s all sorts of upgraded and intensified stuff going on underneath. You can read a detailed breakdown on Car and Driver or an official press release on Autoblog.
Remember, this isn’t a car for everyone, but it’s a car that anyone can buy, and that says a lot about the Ford Motor Company.
The Ford Mustang GT350R will be available at Ford dealerships later this year, just like Leith Ford near Raleigh.