Ford Shelby GT350 Mustang revealed

The wraps have finally come off the Ford Shelby GT350 Mustang after its teaser campaign, revealing a lower, wider, faster and more powerful version of the all-new sixth generation 'Stang.

Set to make its public debut on November 19 at the 2014 Los Angeles motor show, the aggressively-styled coupe has been designed for road and track use says Ford, thanks to a thoroughly overhauled chassis and a thumping new 5.2-litre V8, the most powerful naturally aspirated production engine ever built by the company.

The new engine features a flat-plane crankshaft, a first for a Ford production engine, most often used on race cars or in exotic vehicles. It enables a higher power output than regular crankshaft layouts due to improved breathing, in this instance developing about 50kW more than the Mustang GT's 324kW.

When motoring.com.au asked Ford Australia's Brand Communications Manager, Neil McDonald, if the Shelby 350GT would be built in right-hand drive or be considered for Australia, he was non-committal.

"We don’t have anything to report on the GT350. We’re focused on rolling out the Mustang EcoBoost and V8 for our market in 2015," said McDonald.

The new sixth generation Ford Mustang is expected to arrive in Australia in about 12 months, or very late in 2015.

The Ford Shelby GT350 Mustang bangs out "more than 500 horsepower" says Ford, which is around 373kW so we could see rear-drive beast belt out 380kW. Although Ford has not spoken about power curves or rev limits, expect the new FoMoCo donk to be a big revver, generating its extra 50kW thanks to a higher rpm ceiling.

By comparison, the regular Ford Mustang GT's 5.0-litre V8, which has been confirmed for Australia, develops 324kW/542Nm. According to the official documentation, the new Shelby Mustang GT350 appears to develop similar torque to the regular GT's 542Nm.

A "lightweight" six-speed manual transmission will transfer power to the rear wheels via a Ford-tuned Torsen limited slip differential, intended to improve cornering traction. The GT350 will be on sale in the US sometime in 2015.

As well as the power hike, the new Shelby GT30 gains significant chassis upgrades, which will ensure it's one of the best-handling Ford Mustangs ever built, claims the company.

Big ticket upgrades include the fitment of MagneRide adjustable dampers, another Ford first, which allow the car to constantly adapt its damping settings every 10 milliseconds by changing the viscosity of the damper fluid. Bigger Brembo brakes are added, which "the most track-credible brake system ever offered on a Ford" says the company. The big 394mm front rotors are worked by six-piston Brembo stoppers, which the rear rotors are 380mm with four-pot callipers.

The front end of the car features completely new bodywork and has been stiffened via the use of injection-moulded carbon-fibre panels and an optional tower-to-tower brace adds more rigidity again. Ford claims torsional stiffness has increased 28 per cent over its predecessor, while subtle adjustments to the (now wider) front track, spring rates and bushings – not to mention a 50mm lower ride height – will deliver further gains in cornering speeds.

The shape of the car has been massaged for improved air flow at high speeds, with a low front splitter and a deep rear diffuser added. Chris Svensson, Ford design director, the Americas, says "Everything we changed on GT350 is purely functional-driven design, with the goal of improving the overall performance of the car."

"We optimised the aero shape of the car, and then fine-tuned what was left to increase downforce and cooling airflow," noted Svensson.

Specially developed Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres with a special tread face and compound are wrapped around 19-inch aluminium alloy wheels, measuring 10.5-inches wide at the front and 11-inches at the back, to deliver increased grip.

Other upgrades include a re-profiled aluminium bonnet that improves aerodynamics, along with vents to improve thermal dynamics in the engine bay, and a rear lip spoiler.

Inside, the GT350 gets a number of premium sports car features, including Recaro bucket seats to hold bodies tight, a flat-bottom steering wheel to make entry and exit easier, and a new high-performance instrument cluster.

"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," said Raj Nair, Ford group vice president, Global Product Development.

"Every change we made to this car was driven by the functional requirements of a powerful, responsive powerplant – nimble, precise handling and massive stopping power," he added.

Although the hardcore Mustang features Ford's most powerful naturally-aspirated production V8 model to date, there is still scope for a supercharged V8 Pony car from the Blue Oval in future, not unlike the 465kW Mustang King Cobra displayed at the 2014 SEMA show in Las Vegas.

Nonetheless, Ford is promising the new Shelby GT350 will deliver massive road presence, as Jamal Hameedi, chief engineer, Ford Global Performance Vehicles, observed.

"Make no mistake, this is an American interpretation of a flat-plane crankshaft V8, and the 5.2-litre produces a distinctive, throaty howl from its four exhaust tips," he said.

The Ford Mustang celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2014, with more than 9.2 million of the iconic sports car sold since 1964.