The 2016 Shelby GT350R is a no-compromises, street-legal track weapon powered by a shrieking 5.2-L flat-plane-crank V-8. Besides eschewing superfluous items such as the rear seats, trunk liner, air conditioning and radio in favor of saving weight, what makes the Shelby GT350R tick?
Watch Emme Hall interview Jamal Hameedi, chief engineer, Ford Global Performance Vehicles, to find out almost everything you ever wanted to know about the 2016 Shelby GT350R:
Regarding changes over the base Shelby GT350, Hameedi stated that the GT350R’s enhancements focus mostly on the chassis and aerodynamics.
“The engine is very similar to the base GT350,” he said. “This car really focuses on the aerodynamics and the chassis, so we added things like carbon-fiber wheels…massive rear wing and front splitter for more downforce, and you’ve got light-weighting. Between all of that, this is a very, very focused track weapon.
Designed and engineered for use on the track, the 2016 Shelby GT350R also uses race-bred technology such as an air-to-oil cooler for its engine, a transmission cooler for its standard six-speed-manual box, and a Ford-tuned limited-slip Torsen differential with 3.73 axle ratio.
Pricing has not yet been released, but the 2016 Shelby GT350 is expected in showrooms by the end of 2015.
Watch the TFLcar live-stream debut of the 2016 Shelby GT350 and lots of other cars from the 2015 Detroit Auto Show (NAIAS 2015) here.
