Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R crowned as Road & Track Performance Car
Howling engines and smoking tires are the salt and pepper of any Performance Car of the Year contest. It couldn’t be otherwise as guys from Road & Track had on their hands cars like Bentley Continental GT3-R, Cadillac ATS-V, Chevrolet Corvette Z06, Dodge Viper ACR, Ferrari 488 GTB, Mercedes-AMG GT S, and Porsche Cayman GT4. But the Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R came on top, according to them. "With a flat-plane crank and Sport Cup 2 tires, the GT350R is a Mustang turned up to 11," said Larry Webster, editor-in-chief of Road & Track. "Not only does the car have soul and harness so much firepower with such ease, but the real achievement here is that it’s so approachable. It’s a car you can’t help but love."
The Mustang Shelby GT350R, with its 526 horsepower 5.2-litre V8, was the winner by a runaway vote. The most expensive of the cars tested was the Ferrari 488 GTB price of $347,942, which is five times more than the Shelby. The magazine goes on to say that the GT350R is the Mustang that all Mustangs have been waiting to become. To be eligible for the Performance Car of the Year honour, a car must be new for this year or feature significant functional changes and live at the very top of the street-car performance pyramid with a competitive lap time. Additionally, cars must connect with the driver on both road and track and engage a visceral, emotional reaction in the man or woman holding the steering wheel.
Cars Tested
