There is a question hovering over every car lover’s mind, and it has to do with the ongoing shift from cars to crossovers and SUVs. While brands such as Chevrolet and Ford have already built an inventory of large and small crossovers, others will be forced to join the party inadvertently and a little late. This continued shift notwithstanding, it might be quite a long time before there is a total demise of the small car. If this were to happen, the likes of Ferrari and Bugatti, Aston Martin, and Lamborghini would all need to reinvent their business. They are among brands that haven’t fully ventured into the SUV market.
When such thoughts cross our minds, we think of the fate of the adored and dear Ford Mustang. Will it withstand the ongoing purge? We hope it does. We’ve already learned that manual transmission GT350 and GT350R are slated to exit, and it is to be replaced by the supercharged GT500, producing 760 hp.
Discontinued nameplates are no rarity in this heavily dynamic field. The now-discontinued Ford GT350 will certainly be missed and is bound to become a collector’s favorite. We gathered some little-known facts about the Ford GT 350 to have something to remember it by.
9 Debuted At The 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show
The precise date of the first appearance of the GT 350 is January 27, 1965. The sports car was named the Shelby GT 350 and carried a V-8 engine churning out 306hp. It was the very first contribution by legendary gearhead Caroll Shelby to Ford. If you land on a piece of this gem, you have a precious treasure worth keeping.
In 2014, Ford decided that the GT350 is better revisited than made to vanish. This time the Blue Oval company raised everything several notches higher, fitting the GT350 with a naturally aspirated V8 5.2-liter engine. It hit finally hit the market in 2015.
8 It’s Fit For The Track And The Streets
Ford has for several years used its engineering prowess to build cars that are suitable for the road and track. The Ford Focus RS, which is spiced with Track and Drag mode, is a good example of the double-edged Fords.
The Ford GT 350 raised debate as to whether it’s a muscle car or simply a sports car. To a great extent, it perfectly ticks the box of an ordinary everyday sports car enhanced with track performance specs. The redefined chassis is the most important of this kit as it gives firm support to the hefty engine.
7 The Powerful Engine Was Code-Named “Vodoo.”
We love Mustang engines because none of them is done in a rush. They are built to impress and keep everything lively and fun.
The highly responsive engine on the Mustang GT350 is code-named the “Voodoo.” It takes up the DOHC(dual overhead cam) design and was specially built in-house for this car. This engine is part of a wide range of Ford Modular engines found in the company’s trucks, SUVs, and cars.
6 Exit Celebrated with a special Heritage Edition
As this spectacular marvel exits the scene, Ford celebrated with a special edition dubbed the Heritage edition. At the cost of $1,965, you get these special edition packs whose main attraction is the exclusive Wimbledon White alongside the Guardsman Blue side and over-the-top racing stripes. It’s undoubtedly a sportier look that dates back to the heydays of Ken Miles raced the first GT 350 in 1965.
The Heritage Edition doesn’t have overwhelming distinct looks inside and outside, but it adds up special dash badges. If this package is fitted on the GT350R, you also get black seats replacing the standard ones.
5 Replaced by the GT500 that has supercharged aspiration
What comes after the GT350? It will be replaced by a more ferocious car, the GT500. It is an equally provocative and capable machine that packs even more power. The GT500 is given a supercharged V-8 engine punching a hefty 760horses.
The Ford GT500 is poised to be Ford’s most potent production car and possibly the icing on all Mustangs ever built. Clearly, the GT500 is a good replacement for a dazzling car that’s a dream of many gearheads.
4 Carried only a six-speed manual transmission
For the period that the GT350 has existed(since 2015), Ford twined it exclusively to a six-speed manual transmission. Ultimately, sport-oriented drivers love the engaging, personalized, and participatory enthusiasm of manual transmission. The GT350 could be the last manual Mustang.
The exit of manual transmission may be a dose of sad news, but the incoming GT500 is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. This gives Mustang lovers a reason to throw a party, but the manual will be hugely missed.
3 Available In A Wide Range of Colours
Ford Mustangs are more recognizable from the famous grabber blue exterior paint. This paint is often substituted by its close cousins, such as the lightning blue and the deep impact blue.
For the five years of the Ford 350, a wide range of colors came along. Each year saw an addition or a slight change in the available color code. When they finally become expensive collectibles of the future, this will certainly be of significant influence on prices.
2 The Ford Mustang GT350R is the race-focused trim
The Ford Mustang was born with an identical twin named the GT350R. You’d think the beastly talents of the GT350 were not amusing enough and needed a special race-tailored version.
The GT350R is a competition-ready car that rides on the same engine found on the GT350. The main difference between the two is that the GT350R is certainly a better performer on the track. Tested against each other, the GT350R is reported to have scored 3.9 seconds from 0-60mph while the GT350 achieved 4.1 seconds. In a race, any second counts, and this is a significant difference.
1 Five Driving Modes Makes It Fantastic
Sports cars rock a range of fascinating driving modes. It’s part of what makes them a tad different from everyday cars whose work is to move you from point A to B simply. The GT350 is given in five driving modes; Normal, Sport, Weather, Track, and Drag.
The Normal mode, is the default mode and it's set for everyday driving and ordinary use. You can use the Sport mode on the normal roads, but it gets sharper, funnier, and ultimately more interesting to engage and handle. The driver is expected to increase engagement with the vehicle’s entire driving system. Weather mode will get you out of rain and wet situations with much ease. The vehicle does this through increased stability by the dampers and the steering system. Wheelspin is more controlled in Weather Mode. Finally, the Track mode is not a track-only mode but rather usable on a normal road course. Here, the exhaust gets louder and can be heard from a good distance. Dampers while traction and stability remain unperturbed.
Drag Mode: Throttle response gets swifter on drag mode and the dampers adapt to drag mode shifting the weight between front and rear. The exhaust gets louder as well. It’s pure fun on Drag Mode.