Shelby debuted the all-new, S650-based Mustang GT350 at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale.
We’re now about 18 months into the seventh-generation Ford Mustang’s life cycle. We’ve seen your standard S650 EcoBoost and your 5.0-liter GT, the new Dark Horse and even a crazy-and-eye-wateringly-expensive Mustang GTD. What we haven’t seen is, say, a new GT350. Well, that wait is finally over, as the Shelby GT350 and GT350R are officially back in action — though not directly through Ford’s direct channels.
Instead of being an OEM-spec Ford Performance model, this time around we’re getting the new GT350 models as a custom build through Shelby-selected Ford dealers. To be clear, Ford’s powertrain warranty still remains intact and Shelby adds on the industry standard 3-year/36,000-mile coverage on its own. You’ll just have to supply a Mustang GT as part of the process.
The GT350 is definitely no slouch…and the GT350R cranks it up another notch.
Depending on which V8-powered Mustang you buy directly from Ford, you’ll get between 480 and 500 horsepower. That’s potent enough for many folks’ needs, but “good enough” has never been Shelby’s claim to fame. To that end, just as it did with the first GT350 in 1965, you can get a tuned street version in a few different flavors.
Before we get into how much more power you get, each 2025 Shelby Mustang GT350 gets a set of tweaks and changes over your standard GT or Dark Horse. Standard GT350s get a Borla catback exhaust, for a start, as well as lowering springs and upgraded sway bars front and rear, an aluminum deep-draw hood with a center-mounted (and functional) vent, a revised front fascia with a Shelby-specific grille and brake ducts next to the lower grilles, a three-piece front spoiler, an optional rear ducktail spoiler, Le Mans-style striping and dark-tinted windows (in states that allow for it, at least). Manual models also get a a short-throw shifter. GT350 models further get a set of staggered Michelin performance tires on 20-inch wheels.
Inside, the 2025 Shelby GT350 has bespoke leather seats, a unique shifter ball on manual models, and special embroidered floor mats, door sill plates, engine cap set and puddle lamps (if you bought a Mustang GT with puddle lamps pre-installed).
If you just want more of a styling and handling package, you can just get the 2025 Shelby GT350R with the same 480-horsepower engine as the standard Mustang GT. I’m willing to bet a lot of folks won’t, though, and that’s where the optional 3.0-liter Whipple supercharger comes in…and that bumps up the grunt to a whopping 810 horsepower. And yes, that does make this the most powerful GT350 to-date (not to mention even more powerful than the old S550 GT500).
Then there’s the GT350R, which goes even harder and is limited to just 36 units. Go for this version, and. you’ll get 830 horsepower, as well as a host of additional modifications. You’ll get track-focused suspension with JRI race shocks and struts, chassis stiffening tweaks, a front and rear Alcon Racing brake package and Forgeline racing wheels in Gold Rush. Shelby also goes even harder with carbon fiber aerodynamic elements and trim, one of two stripes and graphics packages (gold/silver/black or blue and white) and embossed wing stanchions.
Inside, Shelby brings in a carbon fiber interior tub with Sparco racing seats and 4-point harnesses for driver and passenger, with the passenger seat being optional. A half-cage also helps chassis tiffness, and you get an AiM Solo 2 lap timer installed.
How much will the Shelby GT350 models cost?
In total, Shelby American only plans to produce 562 GT350s (including the GT350R), so they’ll definitely be a rare sight. Apart from the actual production limit, the supercharged GT350’s base price also starts at $109,999 — including the price of a donor manual transmission Mustang GT coupe. If you get the automatic version, a convertible or some other options, the price will inflate a bit from there.
Shelby didn’t mention entry-level pricing without the supercharger, nor did they mention a specific MSRP for the GT350R. Still, it is only about one-third of what Ford will charge you for a Mustang GTD.
The GT350’s return as a Shelby-built setup raises as many questions as it answers. Will Ford itself herald the return of a GT500 for this generation as an upgrade to the Dark Horse and an intermediate step between the GT350 and the GTD? How much power will that pack under the hood, and how much will it cost? As ever, we’ll have to wait and see what the future holds.
