It seems Ford’s performance division is a bit on a roll at the moment. Not only have we seen the unveiling of the new GT supercar, but the company also used the Detroit Auto Show to unveil the “most track-capable production Mustang” to date.
Called the GT350R, it offers several upgrades over the standard Mustang. There are lightweight carbon-fibre wheels (the first manufacturer to offer this as standard equipment), 19×11-inch wheels at the front and 19×11,5-inch at the rear. Several items have been removed in pursuit of making the car lighter. These include the air conditioning system, rear seats, trunk floorboard and carpet, backup camera and emergency tire sealer and inflator.
Ventilation and aerodynamic improvements include bonnet vents, underbody belly pans, rear diffuser, vented wheel wells, fender vents and side skirts. Up front there is also a new splitter and at the rear a carbon-fibre wing.
Under the engine bonnet is the 5,2-litre, V8, flat-plane crankshaft. The result is that this engine is the most powerful naturally-aspirated production Ford engine to date, delivering more than 373 kW and 542 N.m. A Torsen limited slip differential is used to put all this power down to the road efficiently.
The new Ford Mustang is arriving later this year in South Africa, although it is unclear if the GT350R will form part of the lineup.
