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LxMike

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https://www.yahoo.com/autos/ford-officially-discontinues-mustang-shelby-100000530.html

Ford officially discontinues the Mustang Shelby GT350 and GT350R
Thu, October 1, 2020, 6:00 AM EDT

Just like the leaked product information indicated, the Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 and GT350R won’t be returning in 2021. With the pair goes the 5.2-liter flat-plane-crank V8 and its exotic soundtrack. We asked Ford about this engine’s future, but were provided the standard, “no future product talk” response. So for the time being, Ford’s 8,250-rpm masterpiece has no home.

As a side, Ford let us loose for a day with the GT350 Heritage Edition last week when it delivered the sad news to us. You can read about that experience here.

Ford also provided the following statement on the discontinuation of the model:

“With the 760 horsepower Shelby GT500 now in full stride, we will finish production of Shelby GT350 and GT350R this fall as planned. This makes the way for new additions to excite our passionate Mustang fans for 2021 model year – including the limited-edition Mach 1.”

The 2021 replacement is the Mach 1, a car we haven’t driven yet, but have high hopes for. It steals a number of parts from the GT350, but the engine isn’t one of them. To be fair to Ford, this generation of Mustang probably isn’t long for the world anyway. The latest scoop from Automotive News about the next-gen Mustang pegs it as a 2022 reveal with 2023 being the first model year it’s available. Still, we’ll miss the GT350 in the 2021 and 2022 Mustang lineup.

Ford quietly and subtly updated the GT350 and GT350R over the years. Our most recent drive in the car was in the GT350R on track. Now we know that this updated (for 2020) GT350R only has one year of life in it, making it a serious catch if you find yourself lucky enough to own one.

With the GT350 and GT350R out of the picture, the uber-expensive and fast GT500 is the only Shelby-branded Mustang left in the lineup. Seeing as it’s still a new product, we imagine it’ll stick around right up until Ford calls it quits on this Mustang. For now, we bid the GT350 goodbye, and thank it for its delightful service.
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fpGT350

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Went through the same thing with Vipers over the years. Not what I wanted to hear. This on again - off again loyalty to an iconic brand like Shelby is very disappointing to me. Perhaps this is a new opportunity for Shelby American to step up. Sorry, Mach 1 doesn't do it for me.
 

Tribefan

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They're not ending Shelbys overall, just the GT350. The GT500 will continue on, probably at the very least until the S650 platform comes out in a couple more years. It was never really feasible for them to continue running both Shelby models for an extended time. Not to mention the 350 was only supposed to be around for like 3 years originally, so we ended up getting double that. And we got one model year of both being sold side by side. Not too shabby if you ask me.
 

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Well we knew it was coming, as far as the Mach 1 as a replacement I don't see it, I guess new Mustang manual transmission buyers will have to figure if they want a new Mach 1 or a used GT350. I only hope the GT350’s will go up in value over time as Fords only Flat Plane Crank specialty car. I feel lucky to be able to own this unique vehicle and the driving experience it provides.
 

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Please explain this statement.
Of course Ford could produce both at the same time for an extended period.
Easy, it's simply too expensive when you need to keep production of a complex engine going for just one model, especially when you also have two alternative offerings just under and above the product, which wasn't the case when the GT350 came out first.

Apart from that part of the appeal of these cars is their limited production and limited years of availability. If they were mass produced for 56 years straight they would be as special as a GT.
 

Tribefan

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Please explain this statement.
Of course Ford could produce both at the same time for an extended period.
There were already 350's that had been sitting on lots for much longer than they were the first few years before having a 500 to compete for those sales. (Different price points, of course, but still mostly compete against each other for buyers I'm sure.)

Having the two halo cars would likely negatively impact the company's CAFE standards (or whatever they call it) averages regarding MPG averages across the company, and they probably wouldn't sell enough of both cars to warrant keeping both around,. This as opposed to discontinuing one so that the other can take over as the king of the hill. I suppose a solution to that would be to only sell a couple thousand of each and continue them being offered together, but I'm guessing Ford would rather sell 5000-7000 GT500's per year than a couple thousand of each.
 

The Rooster

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Please explain this statement.
Of course Ford could produce both at the same time for an extended period.
Theres not enough volume of sales (aka profit) in these cars to justify building both.
I think were going to see a "purists" GT500 on the option sheet next year with the 6-Speed manual, that'll fill the void thats going to make some of us reluctant to but the 500.
As for me.. Im not upset that production is ending on the 350. These cars are special, and will (eventually) likely become one of the most sought after mustangs produced.
 

Meateater

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With the relative "rareness" this creates, makes a guy rethink heavy track use.... something to ponder.
 

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cactus_kid

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Went through the same thing with Vipers over the years. Not what I wanted to hear. This on again - off again loyalty to an iconic brand like Shelby is very disappointing to me. Perhaps this is a new opportunity for Shelby American to step up. Sorry, Mach 1 doesn't do it for me.
Gotta agree ............ The 5.0 just doesn't do it for me. Nothing can match the 5.2, be it the Voodoo or, the Predator.
 

Twin Turbo

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“With the 760 horsepower Shelby GT500 now in full stride, we will finish production of Shelby GT350 and GT350R this fall as planned. This makes the way for new additions to excite our passionate Mustang fans for 2021 model year – including the limited-edition Mach 1.
This has me intrigued. More than one new Mustang for the '21MY? I do hope the other one they're referring to isn't the Mach-E as there are very few passionate Mustang fans that will be excited by that!
 

cactus_kid

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There were already 350's that had been sitting on lots for much longer than they were the first few years before having a 500 to compete for those sales. (Different price points, of course, but still mostly compete against each other for buyers I'm sure.)

Having the two halo cars would likely negatively impact the company's CAFE standards (or whatever they call it) averages regarding MPG averages across the company, and they probably wouldn't sell enough of both cars to warrant keeping both around,. This as opposed to discontinuing one so that the other can take over as the king of the hill. I suppose a solution to that would be to only sell a couple thousand of each and continue them being offered together, but I'm guessing Ford would rather sell 5000-7000 GT500's per year than a couple thousand of each.
Ford may have the ability to produce the numbers but until the dealer network gets their collective heads out of their a** on ADM, it won't happen. I am truly hoping the C8 Z06 is a TT FPC. With the majority of the bow tie dealers selling at MSRP, that alone should be a wake up call. If it isn't, the Ford dealers will eat the GT500's on their lots. Nothing would make me happier.
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cactus_kid

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This has me intrigued. More than one new Mustang for the '21MY? I do hope the other one they're referring to isn't the Mach-E as there are very few passionate Mustang fans that will be excited by that!
The E will be a big seller on the west coast. That is if there is anyone left that can afford one. :) Can you hear that sucking sound ? It's all the big money migrating back to the deep southern states like TX.
 

cmxPPL219

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Easy, it's simply too expensive when you need to keep production of a complex engine going for just one model, especially when you also have two alternative offerings just under and above the product, which wasn't the case when the GT350 came out first.

Apart from that part of the appeal of these cars is their limited production and limited years of availability. If they were mass produced for 56 years straight they would be as special as a GT.
Yup, exactly true. :thumbsup:

Also, I didn't see mentioned anywhere that Ford pays Carroll Shelby Licensing Inc., in order to use the name "Shelby" on these variants of the Mustang.
So there's a cost associated with continuing to pay licensing fees, where Ford pays Shelby a per vehicle and volume licensing fee.
With 2 Shelbys coexisting, it also got pretty expensive for Ford.

The original run for 3 model years for the GT350 was prenegotiated and licensing fees obviously factored into the budgets. There was an extension somewhere down the line, is my understanding, to push production up until MY2020.
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