Shelby Introduces 2011 Mustang GT350

Hey, do you remember that one special edition Mustang? You know, the one with the vinyl stripes and stickers and the loud exhaust that was really rare?

...yeah, that doesn't narrow it down.  I know, I know, they all look the same.  But ol' Carroll himself picked this year's Barrett-Jackson auction as the place to debut his latest tape-and-stickers-and-go-faster-goodies Mustang special, and it actually seems like it's gonna rock.  Called the GT350 (original!), it's a faster and harder version of the 2011 Mustang GT, retuned for a little more face-punching power and grip.

Starting with the brand new 5.0L Ti-VCT 32v V8, Shelby decided that 412bhp wasn't enough, and the GT350 is fitted with a Ford Racing supercharger setup, with a claimed output of 500+bhp.  This is definitely stepping on the toes of the big-dog GT500, with it's heavy 32v iron-block 5.4L supercharged V8 - so perhaps the GT350's powerplant is a sign of things to come.  Who wouldn't mind a GT500 with tons of power, but a lighter, more responsive front end?

Other performance goodies include a Ford Racing suspension setup, Borla exhaust, huge Baer brakes, and a set of gigantic Cragar alloys.  And unfortunately, there's all the Shelby body-goop: huge front bumper with splitter, hood scoop, rear decklid fill panel, side quarter window fill panels (because Mustangs weren't hard enough to see out of already) and a center-exit exhaust setup.  The mechanical setup sounds pretty solid (and that engine is beautiful) but the whole package comes off as sort of cobbled-together and slightly amateurish.  Especially some of the "upgrades" on the inside, like the slightly ricey 3-gauge A-pillar pod.  Yuck.

So really, besides the neat supercharged 5.0L, it's business as usual for Shelby- well, sort of.  The GT350 will only be a post-sale upgrade for 2011 Mustang GT's, and with a pricetag of $33,995 (plus a new Mustang GT!) it's not going to be cheap.  In fact, it's going to be even more expensive than the GT500 - which isn't cheap to start with.  But you know these blue-over-white GT350's are still going to empty the wallets of all sorts of Mustang nuts.  The world continues to turn.

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