The Shelby GT350 Mustang is back
Words by NZ Autocar magazine
The Shelby GT350 Mustang debuted 60 years ago and now it’s back again. It’s a product from Shelby American, so not an official Ford Performance machine but don’t let that put you off.
This GT350 has a few more horses under the bonnet than the original, thanks to a supercharged five point oh making 604kW.
“Sixty years ago, the Shelby GT350 marked a new chapter in performance and motorsports history,” said Joe Conway, CEO of Shelby American. “It was Shelby’s first model based on the Ford Mustang, the perfect follow-up to the ground-breaking Shelby Cobra. Shelby American poured its performance expertise into the 1965 Mustang, turning it into an iconic international sports car. We followed the same strategy for 2025 and collaborated with industry leaders to create this very special Shelby car.”
Read our 2016 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 review
Shelby American says it has tuned and upgraded the suspension, exhaust and styling of the Mustang GT to turn out the GT350. If you think 810 horsepower is too much (what are ya?), you can opt for a GT350 with a naturally aspirated V8 making 358kW. You also get the option of either a six-speed manual or a ten-speed auto.
On the upgrades, a Shelby rep said: “We increased horsepower by almost 70 percent, tuned the suspension, opened up the exhaust, smoothed the aerodynamics and gave it more sex appeal. The styling is based on functionality, giving the Shelby GT350 a purposeful look. However, the suspension is still supple enough to drive every day without sacrificing comfort.”
Shelby will make 562 of these 2025 GT350s, which is the same total of 1965 models it made.
If that’s not enough, Shelby is making 36 ‘street legal’ GT350R models. These are track tuned, get 830 horsepower, are manual only and come in white (like the original). They feature more carbon fibre trim and body parts, including the big rear wing. CF race seats are standard, as is a roll cage. Numerous chassis updates include fully-adjustable JRI race struts and shocks with remote reservoir and ProSystems Alcon racing brakes.
