Yesterday the Ford faithful and general automotive enthusiasts received the good news on FoMoCo’s long-awaited performance Mustang, the 2016 Mustang Shelby GT350. However, the info released on this steed is only part of the story − we wanted to learn more. Here is more thanks to Road & Track:
- Ford engineers don’t consider the GT350 to be a replacement for the last-gen GT350.
- The 5.2L flat-plane-crank V8 will allow you to spin it up to 8,200 RPM (compared to the 6250 RPM for last year’s GT500 or the 7000 RPM for the current 2015 Mustang GT). Revs are good. Revs make us happy.
- Flat-plane crank V8s have balance and vibration issues, so the Ferrari California was benchmarked as an NVH target (it’s the only other front-engined vehicle with a flat-plane crank V8). However, the biggest hurdle was emissions since “a flat-plane crank engine will breathe better, and to take full advantage of it you want long runners—that means moving the catalytic converters downstream, where they take longer to heat up and become effective.”
- The GT350 achieves zero aero lift − the first Mustang ever to do so. To achieve that distinction, Ford developed a ducted belly pan, a front splitter, reduced the ride height, and lowered the hood, the latter requiring engineers “to construct a new short-strand nylon carbon composite brace that serves as the radiator core support and braces the front end.”
While we’re still not sure of the proper way to call the new car (yesterday we called it the “Shelby GT350 Mustang” per Ford’s video), we’ll be bringing you even more details once the Los Angeles Auto Show commences tomorrow.
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