Although the 2016 Shelby GT350R Mustang has been around for a few months now, we’d be apprehensive about using the phrase “old news” in describing the high-performance pony car.
After all, can a relatively affordable, track-bred American sports coupe with a high-revving, flat-plane crank V8 ever really be described as “old news?” We think not.
The folks over at StangTV would likely agree; they just had the opportunity to drive the 2016 Shelby GT350R on public roads for a few days, and their subsequent review was anything but dispassionate. As StangTV‘s Bradley Iger wrote, “the Shelby GT350R and its somewhat less-hardcore GT350 sibling are “Mustangs that serve as an authoritative answer to not only the fifth-generation Camaro Z28 but the sportscar ecosystem as a whole.”
Not that the Shelby GT350R isn’t without its faults, of course. As many others have noted, the 5.2-liter Voodoo V8 powering both the GT350 and GT350R is somewhat impotent below 3,000 RPM, according to StangTV. Beside that, the absence of creature comforts in the R-badged Shelby Mustang make it somewhat difficult to enjoy in average circumstances. As Mr. Iger wrote: “The prospect of listening the tire roar of those big Cup 2s on the freeway every day because the optional stereo isn’t capable of drowning it out effectively is a bit of a bummer, particularly when you’re dropping at least $67,000 for the privilege.”
Still, the conclusion ultimately drawn by the folks at StangTV, as well as most other publications who’ve had the pleasure of testing the Shelby GT350R, is that its faults are inconsequential when its high performance targets and innate “specialness” are taken into account. For the full scoop, check out the review on the StangTV website, and consider reading our own review of the GT350/R on Motrolix.
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