Shelby GT 350
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CH53Driver
Shelby GT500 owner
Whoa, I thought the 2011 Mustang GTs were going to stay around 3,500 lbs even with the new 5.0 (which weighs the same as the 4.6 from what I have read). Did Shelby add 400 lbs to this car?
on d bit
Well-known member
The 11 mustang gt is 3600lbs and maybe more with the bigger wheels and brakes. That said Shelby adds the blower/intercooler setup and all applicable equipment, then add a ton of extra(in my mind trashy) body work, plus a bunch of plaques and decals all over it. All together I would estimate Shelby is adding somewhere between 2 to 3 hundred lbs.:thumbsdow
CH53Driver
Shelby GT500 owner
Yeah, I guess that makes sense. Kind of a shame though that this car has gotten as heavy as the GT500. I was hoping it would stay at or below 3.5K lbs. Thanks for the info.
sandman
GT Owner
DataDale
Ford GT Team Alumni
Silverbullitt
GT Owner
I can wait for a streetable Boss. If I want to drive a badass car in the meantime I think I still have a FORD GT :banana:banana:banana
Hang in there Ralphie! :eek
My bro and sis in laws just bought a new condo by the golf course, so I'll give you a ring when we come up there next month.
Kevin/EJ -
You'll have plenty to play in!! :thumbsup Shot this pic over my back deck this morning - snow is halfway up the tennis court fences. :eek I clear the driveway and deck about 3 times a day. :frown It's supposed to clear up late Friday and over the weekend, then more snow on Monday & Tuesday. Needless to say, all ski races have been either cancelled or postponed.
:cheers
Copenhagen GT
GT Owner
Agree ... here´s my 06 Hertz Tasca Supercharged - doesn´t get much more beautiful than this :cheers
Impressions after actually seeing it.
Gentlemen,
As it is currently parked about 2 miles away from my home here in Scottsdale, I spent the better part of an hour on Thursday examining the new GT350 at Barrett-Jackson. Afterwards I had dinner with Mark McGowan, vehicle dynamics engineer and one of the head test drivers for the Ford Motor Company. Mark pirated a 2011 5.0L 32 valve V-8 Mustang GT from the Ford Proving Ground and brought it to the Ford GT owners Barrett-Jackson gathering I host every year so that we could examine it. He probably has more time behind the wheel of the new 5.0 Mustang and any other man and he absolutely raves about that power plant. He told me it only weighs 30 pounds more than the current 4.6L 24-valve V-8, and has a 7000 rpm redline with 8000 rpm possible!! Dig that! He then told me that it has a higher compression ratio than the 4.6 L motor so supercharging it is a little trickier. The Ford Racing Parts Division is doing extensive testing and I'm sure they will have that ironed out.
On Saturday night I returned and had about a 1/2 hour conversation with Amy (President of Shelby American) about the car.
Here's a rundown on my thoughts as I viewed the prototype GT350. First, the car looks a lot better in person than it does in the pictures. Especially the wheels which I hated in the photographs. Viewing them "in the flesh" on the car however, they looked outstanding. The grill and the hood look very nice. The open hood scoop flows cold air directly over the top of the Whipple supercharger exactly like the installation I designed and built for the Shelby GT. Obviously, I like that a lot.
Under the hood.......Off the charts beautiful. The selection of the black wrinkle finish Whipple is absolutely the right choice. The GT350 valve covers are really cool and correct the ugliest part of 4.6L Mustang engine which are those ugly scalloped unpolished aluminum valve covers. The underside of the fiberglass hood is well finished and the hood itself fits flawlessly. The radiator opening is fitted with an aluminum grille and there is an aluminum trim ring that surrounds it. Very nice.
Inside the car......The GT350 on display here has the optional upgraded Shelby interior which I thought was very tastefully done. The small red, white, and blue leather inserts in the seats and shifter boot combined with the black GT350 logo stitching on the seat backs gets a big thumbs up. The overdone tablet size Shelby plaque on the console door covering the cup holders is a badge too far and even Amy said that she did not like it and it will probably be eliminated. The CSM# plaque in front of the shifter is placed on an angled flat surface created for it and it looks a bit out of place there. Perhaps there's no other place for it. I would like to see a GT350 Cobra logo in the center of the steering wheel but I realize how tricky it is to modify anything on an airbag enclosure. The view from the drivers seat out over the functional hood scoop is nice and although I'm not a big fan of pillar mounted instruments, the three A pillar mounted gauges are clearly visible, nicely done, and do not impair visibility in any way.
How does it sound?........Amy was kind enough to fire the car up inside the tent while I stood behind to listen to the exhaust system developed specifically for this car. RIGHT ON!!!!!! Members might debate whether or not they prefer the center mounted exhaust or a more conventional looking system, but I can assure you that nobody will complain about the way this car sounds. The exhaust note conveys authority without being objectionably loud. Again, very well done.
Exterior appearance........Here, I'm going to have to eat some crow. When I first viewed the photographs, I was very critical of the cars exterior styling, I didn't like the front and rear facias, the rocker panel molding, or the wheels. When I walked up to the GT350 however, most of the items I found objectionable in the photos, looked pretty damn good on the actual car. The extreme lack of ground clearance on the prototype at the bottom of the front facia will inevitably result in damage no matter how careful the driver is. Driving across a typical rain gutter would result in contact with the pavement. Amy assures me that the production cars will have more ground clearance here and the molding at the bottom of that facia will be easily removable, replaceable and inexpensive. The front brake cooling ducts are functional and I assume that owners will be able to close them in cold or inclement whether. The ducts themselves appear to be a bit too large to my eye. I would prefer a slightly less aggressive front facia with a bit more ground clearance as I get a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach every time I hear the very low front facia of my Shelby GT or my Ford GT scraping asphalt when entering a driveway or crossing a speed bump.
The leading edge of the fiberglass hood and the front bumper/facia form a very attractive grill that integrates well with the headlights/turn signals. A complete change from the standard Mustang grill that integrates so well that it looks like it was designed to be that way in the first place. Again, well done here. Amy told me that the redundant GT350 badges mounted on the front fenders will either be eliminated or replaced with a "Powered by Ford" badge or something else. And finally, the GT350 badging in the hood stripes looks better on the actual car than it does in the photos. I am no longer certain that it should be removed.
The rocker panel molding that I didn't like at all in photos, looks very nice on the car itself. The one thing I find objectionable about it is the very narrow slit opening that feeds cold air to the rear brakes. The opening needs to be made somewhat wider as that very tiny narrow slit does not look like you could feed enough air to do much good. The air coming through that slit is supplemented by additional air coming from underneath the car.
The rear end styling........I still don't like the Shelby letters on the surface of the back bumper. I would relocate them someplace else or eliminate them entirely. The coolest thing on the entire car is the vintage GT350 Shelby American Cobra logo in the center of the rear facia. That logo on a genuine Shelby is the Holy Grail for all Mustang enthusiasts who grew up dreaming of owning one some day. Amy tells me that about a month ago the company formally changed it's name from "Shelby Automobiles" back to it's original 1960s moniker "Shelby American". I like that. The center mounted exhaust looks very nice and as I've already mentioned, sounds even better. The backup lights in the bumper that I abhorred in the photographs, are still not particularly attractive on the actual car, but they're not as noticeable and not nearly as objectionable on the actual car either. They are actual backup light lenses from a 1967 GT350, which is very cool. I would make the porthole ridges that surround those lenses slightly less pronounced, and leave them in place. The rear spoiler has undergone wind tunnel testing and both looks right and aids aerodynamics.
The bottom line........And trust me on this one, you can't judge this car from the photographs. I was a big critic of the GT350 after viewing the photos. I was wrong. I can't remember another automobile that I disliked in photos but liked a lot after I viewed the actual car. I'm not saying that I like everything about it, but I definitely like the total package. Shelby American is listening and some changes will be made before final production specifications are settled so I'm sure that the finished product will be even better than the prototype displayed at Barrett-Jackson this week.
Shelby American has sold a couple hundred of these in just a few days here at Barrett-Jackson. Obviously, many others who have examined the car up close and personal are quite impressed with it as well.
You can't judge a book by it's cover, and it appears I am not talented enough to have judged the new GT350 by photographs of it. I really believe that a lot of other members whose first impression was negative based upon pictures, will also like the car a lot when they finally view it. All the best.
Chip
Gentlemen,
As it is currently parked about 2 miles away from my home here in Scottsdale, I spent the better part of an hour on Thursday examining the new GT350 at Barrett-Jackson. Afterwards I had dinner with Mark McGowan, vehicle dynamics engineer and one of the head test drivers for the Ford Motor Company. Mark pirated a 2011 5.0L 32 valve V-8 Mustang GT from the Ford Proving Ground and brought it to the Ford GT owners Barrett-Jackson gathering I host every year so that we could examine it. He probably has more time behind the wheel of the new 5.0 Mustang and any other man and he absolutely raves about that power plant. He told me it only weighs 30 pounds more than the current 4.6L 24-valve V-8, and has a 7000 rpm redline with 8000 rpm possible!! Dig that! He then told me that it has a higher compression ratio than the 4.6 L motor so supercharging it is a little trickier. The Ford Racing Parts Division is doing extensive testing and I'm sure they will have that ironed out.
On Saturday night I returned and had about a 1/2 hour conversation with Amy (President of Shelby American) about the car.
Here's a rundown on my thoughts as I viewed the prototype GT350. First, the car looks a lot better in person than it does in the pictures. Especially the wheels which I hated in the photographs. Viewing them "in the flesh" on the car however, they looked outstanding. The grill and the hood look very nice. The open hood scoop flows cold air directly over the top of the Whipple supercharger exactly like the installation I designed and built for the Shelby GT. Obviously, I like that a lot.
Under the hood.......Off the charts beautiful. The selection of the black wrinkle finish Whipple is absolutely the right choice. The GT350 valve covers are really cool and correct the ugliest part of 4.6L Mustang engine which are those ugly scalloped unpolished aluminum valve covers. The underside of the fiberglass hood is well finished and the hood itself fits flawlessly. The radiator opening is fitted with an aluminum grille and there is an aluminum trim ring that surrounds it. Very nice.
Inside the car......The GT350 on display here has the optional upgraded Shelby interior which I thought was very tastefully done. The small red, white, and blue leather inserts in the seats and shifter boot combined with the black GT350 logo stitching on the seat backs gets a big thumbs up. The overdone tablet size Shelby plaque on the console door covering the cup holders is a badge too far and even Amy said that she did not like it and it will probably be eliminated. The CSM# plaque in front of the shifter is placed on an angled flat surface created for it and it looks a bit out of place there. Perhaps there's no other place for it. I would like to see a GT350 Cobra logo in the center of the steering wheel but I realize how tricky it is to modify anything on an airbag enclosure. The view from the drivers seat out over the functional hood scoop is nice and although I'm not a big fan of pillar mounted instruments, the three A pillar mounted gauges are clearly visible, nicely done, and do not impair visibility in any way.
How does it sound?........Amy was kind enough to fire the car up inside the tent while I stood behind to listen to the exhaust system developed specifically for this car. RIGHT ON!!!!!! Members might debate whether or not they prefer the center mounted exhaust or a more conventional looking system, but I can assure you that nobody will complain about the way this car sounds. The exhaust note conveys authority without being objectionably loud. Again, very well done.
Exterior appearance........Here, I'm going to have to eat some crow. When I first viewed the photographs, I was very critical of the cars exterior styling, I didn't like the front and rear facias, the rocker panel molding, or the wheels. When I walked up to the GT350 however, most of the items I found objectionable in the photos, looked pretty damn good on the actual car. The extreme lack of ground clearance on the prototype at the bottom of the front facia will inevitably result in damage no matter how careful the driver is. Driving across a typical rain gutter would result in contact with the pavement. Amy assures me that the production cars will have more ground clearance here and the molding at the bottom of that facia will be easily removable, replaceable and inexpensive. The front brake cooling ducts are functional and I assume that owners will be able to close them in cold or inclement whether. The ducts themselves appear to be a bit too large to my eye. I would prefer a slightly less aggressive front facia with a bit more ground clearance as I get a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach every time I hear the very low front facia of my Shelby GT or my Ford GT scraping asphalt when entering a driveway or crossing a speed bump.
The leading edge of the fiberglass hood and the front bumper/facia form a very attractive grill that integrates well with the headlights/turn signals. A complete change from the standard Mustang grill that integrates so well that it looks like it was designed to be that way in the first place. Again, well done here. Amy told me that the redundant GT350 badges mounted on the front fenders will either be eliminated or replaced with a "Powered by Ford" badge or something else. And finally, the GT350 badging in the hood stripes looks better on the actual car than it does in the photos. I am no longer certain that it should be removed.
The rocker panel molding that I didn't like at all in photos, looks very nice on the car itself. The one thing I find objectionable about it is the very narrow slit opening that feeds cold air to the rear brakes. The opening needs to be made somewhat wider as that very tiny narrow slit does not look like you could feed enough air to do much good. The air coming through that slit is supplemented by additional air coming from underneath the car.
The rear end styling........I still don't like the Shelby letters on the surface of the back bumper. I would relocate them someplace else or eliminate them entirely. The coolest thing on the entire car is the vintage GT350 Shelby American Cobra logo in the center of the rear facia. That logo on a genuine Shelby is the Holy Grail for all Mustang enthusiasts who grew up dreaming of owning one some day. Amy tells me that about a month ago the company formally changed it's name from "Shelby Automobiles" back to it's original 1960s moniker "Shelby American". I like that. The center mounted exhaust looks very nice and as I've already mentioned, sounds even better. The backup lights in the bumper that I abhorred in the photographs, are still not particularly attractive on the actual car, but they're not as noticeable and not nearly as objectionable on the actual car either. They are actual backup light lenses from a 1967 GT350, which is very cool. I would make the porthole ridges that surround those lenses slightly less pronounced, and leave them in place. The rear spoiler has undergone wind tunnel testing and both looks right and aids aerodynamics.
The bottom line........And trust me on this one, you can't judge this car from the photographs. I was a big critic of the GT350 after viewing the photos. I was wrong. I can't remember another automobile that I disliked in photos but liked a lot after I viewed the actual car. I'm not saying that I like everything about it, but I definitely like the total package. Shelby American is listening and some changes will be made before final production specifications are settled so I'm sure that the finished product will be even better than the prototype displayed at Barrett-Jackson this week.
Shelby American has sold a couple hundred of these in just a few days here at Barrett-Jackson. Obviously, many others who have examined the car up close and personal are quite impressed with it as well.
You can't judge a book by it's cover, and it appears I am not talented enough to have judged the new GT350 by photographs of it. I really believe that a lot of other members whose first impression was negative based upon pictures, will also like the car a lot when they finally view it. All the best.
Chip
Last edited:
THamonGT
GT
I talked to Rick Titus on Friday after the in troduction at BJ amd ask him if the GT-350 is for real in his eyes and he said YES YES. He has driven the car and is wild about it. He doesn't like the stack gauges but because of the small configuration of the dash he said "there is no extra room". He said no one likes them and they are trying to come up with something else before production. He's wild about the engine, its power and its future. He does like the styling but told me a lot of the styling came from toy people involved with Carroll and Amy. He'll get one of the first produced due to his relationship with his Father and Carroll. I ask him about Carroll and how he looked and he said "Hell you know Carroll he looks worn out and barely getting around until you call him to the poduim then he's like the energized bunny" as he was on the interview on Speed TV during BJ live on Sat.night. Shelby "when you drove one of the original 289 Cobras they were so light and rough you needed a little perparation H". They threw away the mold. Rick told me the GT-350 will be very limited with many Ford dealers not getting one. Unlike some I do like the looks and it does remind me of our 108 GT-350 we raced with Ricks dad. Those wewe the days. :thumbsup Tomy Hamon
fjpikul
GT Owner