2018 Ford Shelby GT350: The Brand’s Street Legal Performance Car

Highlight: The 6-cylinder engine faded away in the Mustang, during the 2017 model year. Only a 4-cylinder or an 8-cylinder engine will be available in all of the iconic pony vehicles.

Test Vehicle’s MSRP: $61,440 (Base Price: $58,045)

Seating Capacity: 4

Standard Safety Features: airbags; ABS; automatic headlights; Brembo brake calipers; a rearview camera; and an electronic stability control system

Standard Equipment: 19-inch aluminum wheels; a 6-speed manual transmission; a performance shift indicator light; a capless fuel filler door; hood vents; a quad tip dual exhaust system with active valves; a rear spoiler; a rear diffuser;  an automatic dimming rearview mirror; a Shelby trim package; spilt fold rear seats; a manually operated tilt/telescopic steering wheel; a remote keyless entry; track Apps; a 3 axle ratio; Recaro cloth/Miko suede seats; manually operated front seats; a manually operated tilt/telescopic flat bottom steering wheel; and a perimeter alarm system

Optional Features On Test Vehicle: Ruby red exterior paint; an over the top racing stripe; a dual zone electronic a/c; single CD; a 9-speaker audio system with Sirius radio; an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment screen; a navigation system with a voice activated touch screen; white exterior stripes/w black accents; two smart charging USB ports; and a gas guzzler tax

Other Trim Level:

Shelby GT350R
Mustang 2.3-liter EcoBoost
Mustang V6
GT 5.0-liter

Standard Audio On Test Vehicle: a 6-speaker AM/FM/CD audio system

Bluetooth Connectivity: Yes

USB Connectivity: Yes
                                                                                                        
Bumper-to-Bumper Warranty: 3 years or 36,000 miles

Powertrain Warranty: 5 years or 60,000 miles

Standard Engine/Horsepower: 5.2-liter turbo, 8-cylinder/526-hp

Recommended Fuel: Premium

Standard Fuel Mileage:
14-city/21-hwy

What’s New: With the exception of three new exterior colors, this high performance coupe is basically a carryover for the 2017 model year.

Why: Ford has decided to extend the production run of the Shelby GT350 to the 2018 model year. The 2018 Shelby GT350, with its fire breathing grille, is designed for those seeking fun, fun and more fun. There is nothing like being behind the wheel of a Mustang Shelby GT350. You won’t find any electrification here. This street racer is a great substitute for any negative addictions one might have. It can also serve as a great stress reliever too!

This track ready sports car is designed to be driven. The Shelbly GT350 is powered by a 5.2-liter, 8-cylinder engine, which pushes out 526-horsepower and 429-lb ft. of torque. In fact, every Shelby GT350 engine is hand-assembled.  

And in order to reduce wear and tear on the manual transmission, Mustang’s most powerful pony to-date has a shift indicator light that displays on the windshield. The indicator light alerts the driver, when it is time to shift through one of six available gears.

Besides aiding the driver by playing ‘Big Brother’ with the shifter, there are also a number of Apps built in to the vehicle, allowing the driver to measure such racing features as launch control and the like. Unfortunatley, for those who are only skilled in driving an automatic, they’ll have to forego the Shelby GT350. However, there is room to ride along as a co passenger in the front seat.

Both the steering and the driving dynamics of the vehicle can be altered independently. In fact, the pitch of the engine sound can be altered, when the driving dynamics are adjusted.  Depending upon the neighborhood one resides either they can make an impression with the neighbors as the entering or exiting. Well on the other hand, they could be annoying a number of them too.

Moreover, for those yearning to squeeze more excitement from their Shelby, they can opt for the limited edition GT350R. For a cool $7,500, this racing machine, which also rides on 19-inch tires, can be altered directly at the factory to save as much weight as possible. With the R Package, here are just a few of the features eliminated from the car to serve as a weight saver:  the rear seat, the back up camera, the a/c, auxiliary gauges, the tire inflator kit and the audio system.

So, just in case you’re wondering, how to stop this power rocket, when it is up and running and being pushed to the limits. Ford’s engineering team outfitted both the Shelby GT350 and Shelby GT350R with vented 15.5 inch, two piece rotors and six-piston Bembro calipers.

Lastly, for those seeking to add a dash of luxury to the sports car, Ford’s interior design team has made the following features available as an option: power front seats, leather seats, heated and cooled front seats and memory reclining driver seats.

But: With the manually operated Recaro seats, we found it difficult to find an ideal driving position. We’re not sure if the optional power operated seats would have made a difference in aiding us in finding the optimal postion.

Moreover, for those who aren’t skilled at driving a manual transmission, they’ll have to step down to the Mustang GT, which has a new optional 10-speed automatic transmission in the 2018 model year.

And, since the 2017 model is essentially a carryover, it does receive all of the styling updates and the safety driving aids as the current 2018 Mustang.

Lastly, the Shelby GT350 nemesis, the Camaro ZL1, pump out a whopping 650-horsepower, for about the same price.

Verdict: Ford continues to offer variations of both the Mustang and the Shelby for its super loyal following. The iconic vehicle has created a substantial customer base over the past 50 years. In order for the Mustang to remain competitive with such high performance vehicles as Dodge’s Hellcat vehicles, a 2019 Shelby GT500, which is slated to pump out a whopping 700 plus horsepower. There is nothing like driving a Shelby.

Competition: Chevy Camaro ZL1 and Dodge Challenger SRT