Ford
Mustang Shelby GT350R
Ford
unveiled the new Shelby GT350R Mustang, the most track-ready road-going
production Mustang ever built.
Arriving
later this year, the new Shelby GT350R has been designed and engineered in the
same spirit, delivering never-before-seen track capability from a Mustang -
thanks to innovations in aerodynamics, chassis engineering and light-weighting.
Carbon
fiber wheels have been offered on only a handful of exotic supercars and will
benefit Shelby GT350R performance by shaving critical unsprung weight and
reducing rolling inertia. The 19x11-inch front and 19x11.5-inch rear wheels
provide approximately 13 pounds of unsprung weight reduction per wheel and
offer higher levels of stiffness than equivalent aluminum wheels.
The
lightweight wheels will be shod in Michelin's top-shelf Pilot Sport Cup 2
high-performance tires with rubber compound and a construction unique to Shelby
GT350R. This combination of incredibly stiff and light wheels with bespoke
tires offers customers exceptional steering feel and levels of performance.
Ford
engineers delivered against aggressive targets for weight reduction on the
Shelby GT350R. If a part did not make the car faster around a road course, it
was considered for deletion. Items removed include air conditioning, the stereo
system, rear seats, trunk floorboard and carpet, backup camera and emergency
tire sealer and inflator. Exhaust resonators also have been removed for weight
savings with the benefit of creating a sharper exhaust tone.
Shelby
GT350R is more than 130 pounds lighter than the Shelby GT350 Track Pack model,
which has proven its durability in multiple 24-hour racetrack tests.
For
customers seeking more comfort in their Shelby GT350R, Ford is offering an
optional Electronics Package. Included is dual-zone air conditioning, 8-inch
touch screen with navigation, seven-speaker audio system, turn signal mirrors
and more.
Shelby
GT350R has been optimized for aerodynamic excellence. Details including the
hood vent for heat extraction and lift reduction, underbody belly pans front
and rear, an aggressive diffuser, vented wheel wells and turbulence-reducing
fender vents, wheel air curtains and side skirts all remain on Shelby GT350R,
but the car's downforce capability has been increased.
Revisions
to the front splitter maximize downforce, while an all-new high-efficiency
carbon fiber rear wing has been added in anticipation of competition. The wing
moves the vehicle's center of pressure rearward while improving downforce and
lift balance - ideal for high-speed track work.
The
new 5.2-liter dual-overhead-cam V8 engine is the first-ever production V8 from
Ford with a flat-plane crankshaft - an architecture typically found only in
racing applications or exotic European sports cars.
Unlike
traditional V8s, where the connecting rods are attached to the crankshaft at
90-degree intervals, this design evenly spaces all crank pins at 180-degree
intervals to optimize high-speed engine breathing. It is the most powerful
naturally aspirated production Ford engine ever, with more than 500 horsepower
and more than 400 lb.-ft. of torque.
An
air-to-oil engine oil cooler typically found only on race cars maintains engine
temperatures under the most severe conditions, as does a standard cooler for
the six-speed manual transmission.
A
Ford-tuned limited-slip Torsen differential with 3.73 axle ratio is optimized
for cornering grip and straight-line traction, while an electronically
modulated rear-mounted air-to-oil differential cooler maintains ideal
temperatures during track driving.
The
limited-production Shelby GT350R will be available in the United States and
Canada in late 2015, and is one of more than 12 new Ford Performance vehicles
coming by 2020.
