Ford’s brand boss for the high performance Shelby models, Jim Owens, has confirmed yet more details of the wild forthcoming Mustang Shelby GT350.
During a Q&A session held at Texas World Speedway, the senior Ford exec announced that the Mustang Shelby GT350’s new flat-plane 5.2-litre V8 will produce more than 100hp-per-litre.
This means the ultimate Mustang will produce at least 520hp – more than the 500hp Ford stated at the Detroit motor show, and almost 390kW in our money.
Owens went further to say the new Shelby V8 would also rev to a stratospheric 8250rpm and that it could be on sale as soon as this summer in some markets.
Pricing will be “inexpensive for a performance standpoint, but not cheap” according to Owens, leading to speculation that the top-shelf Mustang will cost around $US70,000 ($A88K) in the States.
The bad news is Australian buyers are likely to be denied both the GT350 and the racer-for-the-road GT350R .
"The GT350R is a great looking vehicle but is specifically a limited-volume, left-hand drive-only vehicle." said Ford Australia's Brand Communications Manager, Neil McDonald, earlier this year.
"Our more immediate focus is on the launch of the Mustang in Australia at the end of the year," he noted.
As well as the flat-plane crank V8 – Ford’s first ever – all Shelby models will come with Magneride adaptive dampers and revised bodywork that includes a massive carbon-fibre rear wing.
The limited-production 'R' goes even further, cutting a substantial 58kg thanks to such exotic items as carbon-fibre 19-inch wheels – which are shod with GT350R-specific compound and construction Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 semi-slicks.
Named in honour of legendary tuner Carroll Shelby, the GT350R is one of 12 cars the new Ford Performance division will offer by 2020, including the Focus RS revealed at Geneva and the LHD-only GT supercar that was also unveiled at Detroit.