With U.S. tuner SpeedKore developing lightweight carbon fiber parts for an array of home-grown muscle cars, it was none other than Jay Leno who got to review their latest and greatest project.
SpeedKore first came onto our radar at SEMA last year when they premiered a selection of carbon fiber-clad cars, including a 1970 Plymouth Cuda and a 1970 Dodge Charger. Recently, the company completed work on a 2016 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R, adorning it in carbon fiber bodywork, a transformation that would cost a customer about $70,000.
Leno estimates that between 400 and 600 lbs has probably been saved by ditching the standard body panels in favor of the carbon fiber ones, and beyond adding a unique visual touch to the car, the modifications also make the greatest Mustang ever that little bit faster and lighter on its feet.
For $70,000, a GT350R could be turned into a 2,000 hp behemoth for the drag strip, so from a performance perspective, adding carbon to a car doesn’t make all that much sense. However, SpeedKore expects prices of carbon fiber to drop significantly in the coming years as more OEMs begin to use it in mainstream models.
Who knows, in 10 years’ time, we may be replacing dented body panels with ones made solely from carbon fiber.