New Ford Shelby GT350 Could Be Just Around The Corner: Report

The most powerful naturally aspirated Mustang that Ford currently sells is the Dark Horse. Equipped with a 5.0-liter V8, it delivers a respectable 500 horsepower and 418 pound-feet of torque. Rewind to 2015, and it was possible to buy a naturally aspirated GT350 and Shelby GT350R with 526 hp and 429 lb-ft. Thankfully, Ford doesn't appear to have forgotten how to make a great atmospheric V8 and, according to a new report, is preparing to launch a successor to the legendary GT350 that should easily out-muscle the Dark Horse.

Like many other brands, Ford appears to have been sucked into the horsepower wars with the Mustang, selling it in Dark Horse SC and Mustang GTD guises with supercharged 5.2-liter V8s delivering 795 hp and 815 hp, respectively. With the standard Dark Horse capping out at 500 hp, this gives Ford plenty of room to launch a new GT350.

Ford Authority understands this new model will hit the market with either a 5.2-liter or 5.4-liter V8 and notes that a peak horsepower figure of around 650 hp would nicely split the difference between the Dark Horse and the Dark Horse SC. As much as we'd love to see an all-motor Ford Mustang with 650 hp, we're not holding our breath for it to be that powerful. Such a figure would come close to the 670 hp of the current Chevrolet Corvette Z06, which has the most powerful naturally aspirated V8 ever fitted to a road car. Its 5.5-liter V8 was honed on the racetrack, revs to 8,600 rpm, and uses a flat-plane crank, and we'd be shocked if Ford tried to build a rival to this engine.

Even if the GT350's successor launches with close to 600 hp, or even 550 hp, that'll be enough to differentiate it from the Dark Horse. There's no word on whether the V8 will have a cross-plane crank like the current Coyote engine or a flat-plane crank like the old GT350's Voodoo V8. Arguably more important than the peak power figure is speculation that the car will be sold with a Tremec six-speed manual transmission.

Several other upgrades are tipped to be made. Ford could give the car the same upgraded brakes, suspension components and extra cooling over the Dark Horse, ensuring it thrives on the racetrack while still being usable on the street. It's also reasonable to assume that several aero upgrades will be made, and the car could even come as standard with the lightweight carbon fiber wheels that are an option on the Dark Horse.

It's unlikely this new addition to the Mustang lineup will be called the GT350. Shelby American currently uses the GT350 nameplate for one of its supercharged versions of the Mustang. A possible name is Dark Horse Boss, which was trademarked by Ford in early 2025. Ford Authority reports the new model is slated to arrive in late 2027 as a 2028 model.