Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R | Spotted
Ford will bring the new Mustang Dark Horse to the UK next year - expect it to pale in comparison to this
Remember when we used to laugh at how muscle cars would fall over the moment they came across a corner? America certainly does and it’s spent the last few years putting things right with a string of superb sports cars and the odd Nurburgring record. The push has been so effective that the age of ham-fisted muscle cars with live rear axles will soon be a distant memory. If it isn't already.
You could argue endlessly about where this shift in focus all began, though certainly it's easy to recall the C6 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 being one of the first US performance cars to be widely praised by the UK media. Another was the car you see here, the Ford Mustang Shelby GT350. Although we’ve been treated to right-hand drive Mustangs for the best part of a decade now, and have even been graced with the odd special edition here and there, Ford decided that we couldn’t handle GT350 and so kept it for its home market. Or it couldn’t be bothered to go through the lengthy and expensive type approval process.
True, the Bullitt and Mach-1 did at least satisfy our need for more driver-focused Mustangs - something we’d never had before - but the GT350 was on a whole other level. So much so that it did away with the 5.0-litre Coyote V8 found in the GT and replaced it with its then-new 5.2-litre ‘Voodoo’ engine. Granted, the latter is based on the former, though the switch from a cross-plane to a flat-plane crankshaft allowed the engine to rev all the way up to 8,250rpm – nearly 2,000 revs more than the GT. It sounded completely different, too, with the Mustang’s signature rumble making way for something more, er, sophisticated, while its output went from 420hp in the GT to 530hp in the Shelby.
This isn’t a ‘normal’ GT350, however. It’s the even wilder GT350R. Power remains the same as the non-R, only now you get a completely overhauled suspension with lighter components, along with standard carbon fibre wheels that save nearly 7kg at each corner. The removal of the rear seats helps bring the total weight saving to 59kg, while a larger carbon fibre wing forms part of a revised aero package that (apparently) generates 300kg of downforce at 120mph. This comfortably made the GT350R the most capable Mustang ever made back in 2016 and served as further proof that America had found the cheat codes for a track-honed sports car.
Admittedly, it’s been a while since we’ve driven one, and even then we only got to sample it on the terrifyingly fast sweepers at Thruxton. “The car feels 300kg lighter and ten per cent smaller than it really is, which means you can start flinging it around and flicking it between direction changes like a purpose-built sports car”, said Dan P. Doesn’t sound much like a Mustang, does it? But that’s all part of the GT350R’s brilliance. You go in expecting a brawny muscle car, and come away having sampled Ford’s answer to a Porsche GT product.
Naturally, the GT350R found a fan base on this side of the pond and some have gone through the arduous job of importing them. This example was first registered in the UK some 18 months ago, two years after leaving a Ford showroom somewhere in the States. Amazingly, it’s only covered 457 miles in that time, so there should be plenty of bite left in those Michelin Cup 2s. Granted, the £109,950 is a hefty premium over what it would have cost in the US - especially with the prospect of the new Dark Horse early next year - but at least you won’t need to muck about with importing the thing. This one looks ready and raring to go. Maybe it’s time to find out just how far the muscle car has come...
SPECIFICATION | FORD MUSTANG SHELBY GT350R
Engine: 5,163cc V8
Transmission: six-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 533@7,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 429@4,750rpm
MPG: 16
CO2: N/A
Year registered: 2020
Recorded mileage: 457
Price new: $74,600
Yours for: £109,950
proofing' the engine. What's the inherent weakness with these, is it that the oil filter likes to back itself off and spray oil everywhere during high-RPM track sessions? Can't recall now, not looked at them for a while 
And yeah, I'd be concerned about engine parts availability. That noise though...
From what I've read and watched, this car has barely no resemblance to a regular Mustang (just as well, they're no sports car), so you can't compare.
Just had a look on Bring a Trailer and, to be fair, yeah I guess this is not a bad price for a UK-landed car. Just doesn't work for me though if you can get a 991 GT3 for the same money.
The only one that'd tempt me to LHD would be the GT500 and even then I'd still rather it was converted (heresy I know!)
Suspect the 350R is also brilliant, but never tried one.
The only one that'd tempt me to LHD would be the GT500 and even then I'd still rather it was converted (heresy I know!)
Suspect the 350R is also brilliant, but never tried one.
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