While the new Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 is the automaker’s flagship pony car, it’s worth remembering that the Shelby GT350 and GT350R models are equally as enthusiast-oriented and weapons in their own right. This clip will remind you of just how epic the GT350 is.
Filmed at the famed Virginia International Raceway, we get to see what the naturally-aspirated muscle car is capable of at the circuit. It also looks like an absolute joy to drive fast.
The 2019 Shelby GT500 is a weapon and although it has enough power and torque to spin the earth, we don’t think it’s supercharged engine sounds as good as the naturally-aspirated 5.2-liter V8 of the GT350 and GT350R that comes complete with a flat-plane crank. Rated at 526 hp and 429 lb-ft (581 Nm), we also think the GT350 models provided more than enough grunt for the vast majority of driving scenarios.
Read More: 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R Unveiled With GT500 Mechanical Upgrades
While the video actually cuts and skips forward, the official lap time as seen on the dash mounted timer and confirmed by a Ford spokesperson is 2 minutes and 57 seconds for the Full Course. It’s nice to see the track-focused animal being driven just how it was designed and engineered; to be pushed to its limits.
The Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 and GT350R were updated for the 2020 model year back in August 2019. A handful of changes were made. For example, the car sports redesigned suspension geometry and features a new high-trail steering knuckle. In addition, there is a new steering rack and recalibrated power steering control.
Correction: The car seen in the video is the 2019MY and not the 2020MY as wrongly listed in the title. We’ve also added the lap time as confirmed by Ford.