New Shelby American GT350

[Lorne34]

I've never been a fan of Shelby America on the new S550/S650 platforms. Taking a standard Gt, Slap a super charger , badges, custom leather interior., etc..... that's all great until you get to the 100k price tag. It's just not marketed to the average enthusiast.
I am appreciating what Ford Performance accomplished with the S550 GT350 even more as time passes.. It is truly a unique, one of a kind vehicle that will most likely never be replicated again.
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[BombZombie]

I'll add my two cents since I used to have a 2017 Super Snake. Before I bought it, I had put in an order for a 2021 Mustang GT. While waiting for it to arrive, I saw the Super Snake sitting at a dealer and I said, "yep, this is what I want instead." The price tag was waaay higher than the Mustang GT, but I liked the styling of the Super Snake and the CSM attached to it.

I know some history of Shelby and Ford (I'm 37 so I don't have any first-hand or much hand-me-down knowledge) but I don't really know what the early Shelby American vehicles were like that made them so different from the S550 and up SA offerings. For me, Shelby American is a business first and foremost, and you're going to pay to play for the name.

The value of a Shelby American vehicle is an individual preference and will always be determined by the buyer. I would always choose a Shelby American product over a Mustang GT with equivalent bolts ons that were installed in a home garage or local performance shop.

In other rumors, apparently SA might sponsor a Formula Drift team

 

[Jasonb543]

Shelby clapping TF BACK PERIODT

 

[robvas]

"The Shelby team tenaciously researched every drivetrain option you could imagine"

Really? They didn't realize after 5 minutes they had no other choice than use the Coyote the car comes with?

You know your product is a flop when you have to do damage control on your social media accounts.

 

[526 HRSE]

Wow, so "say things we like or don't say them at all". Kind of reminds me of them college campuses banning political discourse because it was so triggering to their students.

 

[BombZombie]

"The Shelby team tenaciously researched every drivetrain option you could imagine"

Really? They didn't realize after 5 minutes they had no other choice than use the Coyote the car comes with?

You know your product is a flop when you have to do damage control on your social media accounts.

I'd have my doubts on how hard they actually researched different options considering the 5.0 Coyote/MT82/10R80 is perfectly up-to-the task for what most Shelby American products end up being - garage queens and weekend driven to car shows. There's no need to swap the engine or transmission. Even if they did, majority of people that bought one for $100k+ wouldn't be ripping it around a track enough to justify the need for a different powertrain....They'd be afraid of causing damage.

Considering most of these GT350s will already be allocated to specific high-end Ford dealerships, they'll get sold relatively quickly. I wouldn't consider these a flop in the traditional sense.

All of this speculation is based on my interactions with Shelby American vehicle owners. So many of these dudes are old and have free money to spend and don't care about the alternatives.

 

[Ahung12]

Shelby clapping TF BACK PERIODT

Wow. That is a very bad, no good look for SA. The focus on powerplants is interesting; seems to me that SA knew they'd get flak for sticking with the Coyote and wanted other options like the Voodoo or Aluminator. Neither are feasible, fair.

But that begs the question: After realizing that alternate engines are out of the question and performing whatever other homework, how did Shelby American decide to drop in a bone stock Coyote V8 to the base GT350? No cams, no headwork, no longtubes, not even a ported TB or intake manifold? Just... the base engine and a Borla exhaust? Even the original GT350 got an upgraded IM and headers. And Mustang GT owners are doing these mods every day.

That doesn't sound like tenacious research at all, to me. Sounds like someone was too lazy to put in the work to figure out what mods could safely and effectively boost the Coyote's output, then too afraid to make any modifications that would reduce the longevity aka Voodoo dejavu (deja-Voodoo?), and proceeded to smash the easy button.

 

[NPTR]

Reality is, they used the iconic GT350 label, and that’s what folks are upset about. If they called it the GT800 no one would care. Reminds me of how I felt when ford used the Mustang logo and brand name for the Mach E. Just call it something different and move on. I think that was their biggest mistake here…the 350s we own are worthy predecessors…now it’s time to move on and call it something else. But is what it is and I actually lost respect for them in posting that…looks defensive and guilty. Own what you made, ignore the BS and move on. Almost feels like an acknowledgement that they messed up…

 

[DopamineQuest]

"They spent an enormous amount of time and money to come up with a new car".

What new car? The Mustang GT with a whipple, some suspension, and a wing? WHAT?

It literally looks like every other s650 that's been lowered, has some wheels, and a wing...oh and some stripes and a "GT350" badge

 

[ChitownStang]

Shelby clapping TF BACK PERIODT

Pretty thin skin, SA.
Almost double the price of previous GT350 for a supercharged Mustang GT.
And not obtainable for any of us:
Come on

 

[MAGS1]

I think I mentioned in another post here, but I do like the looks of the Shelby GT, the Super Snake and some of the S550 special edition packages that are offered. I did consider sending my GT to them for the Shelby GT treatment but most of those parts are offered on their website now. Having a CSM on a car I daily drive doesn’t mean a whole lot to me, although it would be cool at car meets/shows (which I rarely have time for these days).

I’m kind of indifferent on the new S650 GT350. I think Ford and Ford Performance did such a good job on the S550 GT350 that it’s hard for myself (and many others it appears) to say this version carries on what S550 started. I know, two different companies so 2 different approaches especially since SA has to start with an already completed car, but I guess I was just underwhelmed, especially with the price tag it comes with.

It seems the name of the game these days is high horsepower, I’d prefer to see a lightweight NA car that sticks to a track surface like superglue like the Porsche’s do. Probably harder to do when you’re not building a car from the ground up though.

 

[NPTR]

Tough business with modern regulation and liability - they just can’t compete like they used to. Our cars licensed the name with some input, but leveraged Ford production and middle / back office and legal. This is just a different thing…and it’s not for me. They should switch gears and focus on “restomods”, prob a much more successful endeavor and something they could crush.

 

[MAGS1]

Also saw an S550 Shelby GT-H vert parked in the Hertz lot at ATL International yesterday. Will snap a pic if it’s there when I go back there in a few days. Either Carbonized Gray or Iconic Silver (couldn’t quite tell, it was dark outside) with gold stripes. I’m not a fan of the look of the vert with S550 (the top has a weird shape to it IMO) but I kept looking back at it as I was waiting for my car. Really love that hood, might have to splurge for one for my car.

 

[Ahung12]

It seems the name of the game these days is high horsepower, I’d prefer to see a lightweight NA car that sticks to a track surface like superglue like the Porsche’s do. Probably harder to do when you’re not building a car from the ground up though.

I think this was part of the success of the 997 GT3 RS 4.0. A little bit of a parts bin special, but an NA engine using existing architecture but upgraded internals, that is designed to perform well at the track because all its upgrades work in harmony. It helps that the car is so gorgeous it borders on being illegal.

Shelby American could have done something like this, or the same vein as you're suggesting. Instead they are offering the base GT350, which is an afront to enthusiasts, not an offering. And an afront to Ford as well, as there appears to be no effort made at all to honor heritage with this car.

 

[robvas]

Tough business with modern regulation and liability - they just can’t compete like they used to. Our cars licensed the name with some input, but leveraged Ford production and middle / back office and legal. This is just a different thing…and it’s not for me. They should switch gears and focus on “restomods”, prob a much more successful endeavor and something they could crush.

They haven't used anything but a stock engine (with or without a supercharger) in the last 25 years have they?

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