Well, what have we here…
Ford has been caught testing the 2019 Shelby GT350 in the US, and while images of the heavily-cladded test mule aren’t a huge revelation, the vehicle that Blue Oval engineers are benchmarking the halo Mustang against certainly is: the Porsche 911 GT3.
Motoring.com.au’s US spy photographers spotted the pair testing in Detroit, Michigan this week. And in separate shots, we've also seen what looks to be the upcoming Shelby GT500.
Long considered the sports car king of them all, the 911 is one hell of a vehicle to benchmark the new Pony car – or in the spirit of Shelby, Cobra car -- against.
The GT3 variant of the 911, in particular, is widely revered as the finest road-registerable racer – one that has scored comprehensively well during our in-house testing.
Like the 911 GT3, the Shelby GT350 is expected to continue with a naturally-aspirated engine. Currently, the car’s 5.2-litre V8 makes a credible 392kW and revs to high heaven thanks to a flat-plane crank.
The replacement is expected to raise those power outputs while maintaining a six-speed manual transmission. There is talk a new automatic transmission is in the works.
The underbody changes will be accompanied by requisite styling updates inside and out.
Ford is yet to confirm a start date for the updated model, but there are whispers it could be shown as early as the LA motor show or the Detroit motor show.
Also rumoured to be in the works is the heavily anticipated Mustang GT500, pictured below. Touted as Ford's answer to the SRT Hellcat and Camaro ZL1, the GT500 is set to use a supercharged version of the 350's 5.2-litre V8 for absolutely mental power and torque outputs.
The big unknown is whether the 2019 GT350 or GT500 will be produced in right-hand drive. Given the limited production volumes, we’re tipping that like the current GT350, it’s highly unlikely.