Flat-Out Fast
The Shelby GT350 returns with a 5.2-liter V-8, a flat-plane crank, and over 500 all-natural horsepower
By Steve Turner
Photos courtesy of Ford Motor Company and by Stacy Stangz
History will repeat itself again as Ford pulls back the covers on one of the most anticipated, most Internet-leaked Mustangs in history—the Shelby GT350. Based on the vaunted, new S550 platform the latest Shelby GT350 looks to carry the name proudly into the future thanks to the performance-oriented transformation orchestrated on the latest Mustang by Ford’s engineering team.
“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 weekends,†Raj Nair, Ford group vice president, Global Product Development, said. “Every change we made to this car was driven by the functional requirements of a powerful, responsive power plant—nimble, precise handling and massive stopping power.â€
Stealing most of the headlines will be the 500-horsepower, 5.2-liter engine birthed to deliver the high-revving power worthy of a track-tuned specialty Mustang. This engine achieves stratospheric 8,200-rpm redline courtesy of a technology successfully applied by European exotics for years—a flat-plane crank. It is proclaimed as the most powerful naturally aspirated V-8 built by Ford to date.
“The final product is essentially an all-new powerplant unique to GT350—and one that takes true advantage of the new chassis dynamics of the Mustang platform,†Jamal Hameedi, chief engineer, Ford Global Performance Vehicles, enthused.
This crankshaft design differs from traditional, American V-8 dogma by placing the connecting rods along the crank at 180-degree intervals, rather than the more traditional 90-degree positions. Doing so sets up the firing order to alternate between cylinders, which reduces exhaust overlap. Combined with numerous other improvements we are sure to learn in the near future, this technology contributes to the engine’s robust 500-plus horsepower and 400-plus lb-ft of torque ratings.
Of course, those European flat-plane-crank engines typically offer up an unusual exhaust note, which might not play well to the more traditional Mustang audience, but having heard the car in the videos, it’s not hard to believe it will sound great in the Shelby GT350.
“Make no mistake, this is an American interpretation of a flat-plane crankshaft V8, and the 5.2-liter produces a distinctive, throaty howl from its four exhaust tips,†Jamal added.
While it won’t grab quite as many headlines as the powerful, new engine, the GT350’s revised suspension brings a welcome technological boost that Brand X cars have benefitted from for several years—magnetically adjusted dampers. Dubbed MagneRide by Ford, these dampers are filled with hydraulic fluid laden with iron particles. When an electric current is applied at the behest of the PCM, the personality of the struts and shocks can be altered in an instant in response to changing conditions and vehicle dynamics. And, we mean instantly. Each corner can be independently adjusted every 10 milliseconds.
“Everything we changed on GT350 is purely functional-driven design, with the goal of improving the overall performance of the car,†Chris Svensson, Ford design director, The Americas, said. “We optimized the aero shape of the car, and then fine-tuned what was left to increase downforce and cooling airflow.â€
Combined with a lower ride height, an increase in front track width and a revised spring-and-bushing package, the GT350 promises to deliver the pinnacle of S550 handling. It will also have the braking horsepower to back up its precision and power thanks to two-piece, 15-inch rotors fore and aft. Biting down on those iron, cross-drilled rotors mated to aluminum hats are six-piston Brembo calipers in the front and four-piston calipers in the rear.
Speaking of the front and back, the Shelby GT350 is the first Mustang to receive a serious wheel and tire package. It is legit, with the front wheels clocking in at 19×10.5 inches and the rears measuring an astounding 19×11 inches. These aluminum wheels are shoed with unique GT350 Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires featuring a sidewall, tread, and compound specific to this car.
With all that technology lurking beneath, the Shelby GT350 couldn’t look like any other Mustang either. Clearly the reputation of the original was about performance and style, and these two characteristics are blended in the latest version. It looks great, but the changes were made with performance in mind.
The new Shelby GT350 wears a completely revamped front clip highlighted by a lower hood featuring heat extractor-style venting, which lets heat and air pressure escape. It sits between bulging aluminum fenders that house the car’s 35mm wider track. Like the hood, they feature air-management designed to maximize its aerodynamics. The lightweight fenders are vented to draw air out of the wheel wells and direct it under the car to reduce turbulence.
Not to be out done, even the interior of the Shelby GT350 is equipped with numerous unique upgrades. Most noticeable is the race-car-inspired flat-bottom steering wheel, but even the cloth Recaro seats were built just for the GT350 to balance comfort and on-track support. The trans is a “lightweight” Tremec 3160 six-speed manual, and engineers even tweaked the gauges to reduce glare so the driver can focus on the road.
From that updated cockpit, drivers are said to be able to adjust the ABS, stability control, traction control, steering effort, throttle mapping, MagneRide tuning, and exhaust settings via an integrated driver control system.
“We took the best Ford Mustang yet and massaged every aspect of the car that affects the performance driving experience,†Jamal said. “We tested endlessly on the most challenging roads and tracks in the world, and we believe serious drivers will love the Shelby GT350 Mustang.â€
Shelby GT350 Gallery
Shelby GT350 Reveal Gallery
Saweet!!
SHIT YES!
Whats the trans set up?
They aren’t saying anything beyond what you read in the release – yet.
They haven’t said yet. They just describe it as “lightweight.” I am sure we will learn more soon.
Looks bad ass! Can’t wait to see this thing modded
That popping sound was my brain shorting out from the awesomeness overload. Now all we need is a price tag 🙂
Says lightweight 6 speed trans.
What a massive let down.
Thanks Ford.
Far from a let down in my book but rather a solid foundation that may have already dated the rest of the ’15 Mustang fleet.
10.5 in front and 11 in rear? Later z28
Far from a let down in my book but rather a solid foundation that may have already dated the rest of the ’15 Mustang fleet.
Do want.
I cant wait to know pricing and full specs. i need to know if I can afford it and cancel my 15 order.
Trans is good.
I bet that is going to have one hefty price tag attached to it.
Don’t double down on that bet just yet…
Excellent job by Ford to build a true world class Mustang here. This car will be a blast and looks like I am selling my Vette and coming home. This is the Mustang that I have been waiting for, something thats like the E9X M3’s and Z/28’s of the world.
The only thing they could have done here was a DCT setup but overall it hits the nail on head. Looking forward to final hp/tq specs, tire sizes and pricing info. My guess is more than the last Boss but less than the GT500.
Im not sure this is going to be enough to take down a z28 with mpss, it would at least sport cup tires. I love my mpss, car grips and rips like no other. However, when the z28 is packing the closest thing to a slick (trofeo R). This mustang better come with some track shoes too. Oh well, we’ll see. I hope this car lives up to its name.
They said 500hp, i hope thats at the rear wheels!!! 🙁
Well, the Z28 is over 3800 pounds. It SEEMS like Ford actually paid attention to weight loss on this GT350. So it probably will outperform the Z28. And with 10.5″F/11″R, I’m guessing the tires are going to be 295F/315R.
Well what were you expecting? LOL We knew there would be complaints, but about the trans? you don’t even know WTF kind of trans it is yet and already complaining! SMH
Shocking, people complaining…lol
I am already in line for this car.
Says it is getting it’s own flavor of Michelin Super Sports not just off the shelf stuff.
“GT350 makes use of extra-stiff 19-inch aluminum-alloy wheels – 10.5 inches wide in front, 11.0 inches in the rear – clad in state-of-the-art Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires with GT350-specific sidewall construction, tread face and compound. The custom tires are designed to deliver maximum grip on the road or at the track.”
Where’s the line? I’ll take one!
lol when have they ever rated cars by their rwhp numbers?
Maybe I’m behind on what these new 5.0/5.2 engines can offer, but isn’t 500rwhp kinda pushing it for them, while still being reliable*?
*From factory anyways.
5.Bro question, but I thought they were pretty reliable especially with Boss internals and now the 2015 update. Who knows with the new architecture though.
You’re correct Scott, why should I complain. I’ve never even owned a SVT product.My opinion was based off what I read about the lightweight six-speed manual trans. If indeed they are offering a auto, then I retract my statement. Time will tell.
SVT/Shelby products have always been manual trans only. And they should be. Autos are for women 😛
This looks like an amazing car. I’m sure it’s going to be the best performing Mustang of all time on the track. If I had to guess I’d say $50k. This engine is probably cheaper than the 5.8 GT500 engine, right?
This is a completely new engine…
Thanks. Should of realized that since it was a flat crank design it wouldn’t be the same. But even for FC engines, how much could you get out of it NA?
Here are my thoughts:
Been reading up on the GT350. Not sure where pricing will be with it, thought I’m sure the FPC 5.2L adds significant cost to the whole thing. That’s likely an entirely new engine. The Boss’ price reflected that they could essentially use most of the remaining engine. They can’t use that to keep the cost down on this. The R&D, pieces needed to maintain reliability when it turns as high as it does all need to be accounted for.
Not sure if they’re planning on taking on the ZL1 or the Z/28 with this, but my guess is the latter.
I just don’t see it beating the Z/28. They’ve said over 500hp (Z/28 has 505hp) and over 400ft lbs (Z/28 has 481). The FPC 5.2 I’m sure is going to be cool, but they don’t have very linear power and it’ll probably be peaky. Plus I have a feeling they’ll break things winding as high as it will and be expensive to fix. Kinda like BMW’s M cars.
It’ll likely be lighter than the Z/28, so it has that going for it. But it has Magnetic ride shocks. The Camaro’s DSSV’s are probably going to outperform in that area. Plus the brakes. It looks like the Mustang has standard steel rotors with 6 piston calipers, versus the Camaro’s Carbon rotors. And again, the tires. Granted, at least they’ve gone up from the P Zero’s, but the Michelin Pilot Super Sports aren’t going to be in the same league as the Trofeo R’s.
At least from the pictures, it doesn’t look like a lot of effort was put into the aero package.
Overall, I don’t know that it’s meant to match up to the ZL1, and I don’t think it has enough for the Z/28. Although, it could surprise me and be significantly lighter weight and just be put together in a way that it all works together.
I just hope Ford benchmarked the Z/28 if it was their goal to compete with it, but to me, it seems like they didn’t want to compete with it.
I’m going to go out on a limb that within a week of the actual release we’ll see the z-28 and gt350 track numbers
Is it just me or are no photos of the actual car present? These all seem like renderings?
Camaro has been second since day one. With this track editions, Ford had the Boss 302, then Chevy brought the z28 out. Why would they not build a car to beat the z28 especially with a new engine? The 305’s on the Camaro really help its track times, remember the boss has small tires. The article says 10.5 on the front and 11 on the rear, that’s going to take a lot of tire to cover.
It will beat the z28.
I’m not so sure. Why are you so gung ho about 10.5’s and 11.5’s? If they have a staggered set up, it will likely understeer. That’s why the 1LE and Z/28 both have square set ups. Also, the Z/28 has 19×11 and 19×11.5.
And why would they not benchmark the Z/28? People asked the same question about why the 2015 PP GT couldn’t beat the 1LE either. Only Ford knows the answer.
Facts are this. Z has better tires, better brakes, better shocks. It will likely have significantly more torque.
What makes you so sure it will beat the Z/28?
pretty sure it said the mustang is going to use 15″ Brembo front brakes and 15″ rears along with the magnetic ride control. Both used on the z/28. Tires seem to be the limiting factor.
Z/28 uses carbon brakes, like what’s used on exotics. They’re both better in performance and significantly lighter. And the Z/28 uses DSSV shocks. Closer to what’s used in F1 racing. The Mag ride is used on the ZL1, which doesn’t perform as well.
It will probably not beat the Z/28. The Z has those insane dampers, Trofeo Rs, and other stupid expensive stuff to justify its $75k price tag. This is an evolution of the Boss not an evolution of the Cobra R. There may be something like that in the pipeline to compete with the Z/28, but the GT350 will probably be priced like the ZL1 and beat it in performance.
The SVTP article reads a bit wrong, doesn’t it?
Ford’s own news release doesn’t mention exact hp/tq ratings, simply saying “more than 500hp… and above 400tq”…
https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/news/2014/11/17/shelby-gt350-mustang-the-legend-returns.html
…yet the SVTP article gives exact figures.
The carbon brakes are also much lighter. The brakes on the Z/28 saved over 20lbs in unsprung rotating mass. Rule of thumb is that for every pound of unsprung rotating weight you save, it gives you the performance equivalent of 4 pounds of sprung weight. Part of the reason it performs on par with the Ferrari 458 despite the Ferrari weighing about 600lbs less and having 65 more HP.
HP/weight isn’t everything.
We get it, you really like the Z28.
I think those insanely sticky tires boost performance numbers a lot more than people are aware. I’d live to see someone throw a set of street tires like the MPSS on the Z28 and then compare times with the Boss and others.
Motor Trend actually did a 1LE – Z/28 tire swap and tested it to see if the tires made that big of a difference. Truth be told, it doesn’t. The 1LE with Z/28 tires generally doesn’t even match the performance of the Z/28 with 1LE tires.
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/coupes/1409_on_chevrolet_camaro_do_the_tires_make_the_car/viewall.html
And yes, I do like the 1LE and the Z/28. They’re both performance oriented cars built for the enthusiast. I also enjoy Mustangs, having owned a Cobra personally. However, it seems as though recently Ford has forgotten about besting the competition in true performance in favor of making it more comfortable for the masses. That’s exactly what I don’t want to see.
And yes, I do like the 1LE and the Z/28. They’re both performance oriented cars built for the enthusiast. I also enjoy Mustangs, having owned a Cobra personally. However, it seems as though recently Ford has forgotten about besting the competition in true performance in favor of making it more comfortable for the masses. That’s exactly what I don’t want to see.
I wouldn’t necessarily say ford has forgotten about besting the competition, I think its just a game of the manufacturers playing leap frog with each other, one upping each other. When the coyote s197 debuted it destroyed the Camaro ss(and challenger for that matter) on the roadcourse and the drag strip. It really rattled GM’s cage which in turn made them get more serious about their Camaro. Well GM fired shots back with its excellent Z28 and 1LE, now its fords turn to fire back. I honestly think the GT350 will outperform the z28 on a roadcourse.
Then GM will retaliate again, its a vicious cycle and I love it :).
Ferrari, for example, makes 597hp out of just 4.5L. I think ford will easily be making around 550hp with this 5.2L.
3 easiest ways to make more hp is forced induction or increase displacement or increase rpm. Increasing rpm is where flat plane crank v8 will shine!
That’s also a problem. There’s a reason Ferrari makes 3.0L-4.5L V8’s. It’s not because they want to hold back power. It’s because FPC engines are extremely susceptible to second order vibrations and it’s difficult to keep them in check. That’s why they run super light weigh components and run a super short stroke. It keeps the vibrations in check so the motor stays together. Also, keep in mind the maintenance involved in those vehicles not to mention the fact that longevity is generally much shorter than what you’d expect for an “every day” car like a Mustang. I’m curious to see how that all plays out.
I’m pretty sure Ford is well aware of all that, they knew what they were getting into when developing this engine. It’s called research and development.
QUOTE
^ This. Michelin is well known to make 2 different tires with the same name & size, but one has a different manufacturer part number because it is the OE-spec tire that 1 carmaker requested. Another Mustang specific website showed a picture of one of the front tires & the size was P295/35ZR19. That size is probably going to be on all 4 corners on the car because any other size won’t match the proper overall diameter.
My guess is no, and not by a long shot. The high end components and the sheer amount of R&D needed to make this work puts it far beyond that of the SC 5.8L. Not to mention the fact that this motor probably uses entirely new everything which can’t be used across platforms/models which would lower the price due to volume manufacturing.
I bet it hovers around $60k or more.
All that and they couldn’t run the cars around a track? That comparo basically sums up that the 1LE isn’t much better with super sticky tires. Doesn’t really come to any conclusion about the Z28 without the Pirellis. I’d like to see a direct comparison of lap times of the Z with and without R compound tires. See exactly how many seconds are gained just from a tire upgrade on that car only. Then throw the Trofeos on something like a Laguna Seca Boss to see how it stacks up if Ford had done the same thing instead of a more road friendly Pzero Corsa.
At Motown mile it did.
Damn thats nasty
QUOTE
So ForcFed, for a follow up on this thread. After seeing the gt350R, do you still think the z28 is going to be faster? It is a direct comparison, no ac etc. 305 front tire, 315 rear tires with carbon ceramic brakes in the front and carbon fiber wheels/body panels.