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A Bit About the Shelby GT350’s Handling

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2016 Shelby GT350 Mustang

2015 Shelby GT350 Mustang

Much has been made about the new Ford Shelby GT350 and its powerful flat-plane crankshaft V8 engine, but Ford wants to point out some of the other features that make it a superlative performer before it hits the market in a limited 2015 model year run and a larger 2016 model year run.

To do this, Ford points out how much the new Shelby GT350 and Shelby GT350R improves upon even the Performance Pack-equipped 2015 Mustang GT as far as handling goes. The Shelby GT350 and GT350R feature the first-ever use of the continuously variable MagneRide dampers on a Ford vehicle. MagneRide uses wheel position sensors to monitor various vehicle data thousands of times per second in order to make changes every 7 milliseconds when necessary in order to provide a flawless ride.

“When we started working on this car, we wanted to build the best possible Mustang for the places we most love to drive—challenging back roads with a variety of corners and elevation changes, and at the track on weekends,” said Raj Nair, Ford group vice president, Global Product Development. “Every change we made to this car was driven by the functional requirements of a powerful, responsive powerplant—nimble, precise handling and massive stopping power.”

Also contributing to this smooth-ride formula are the best brakes ever put on a production Mustang, comprised of two-piece cross-drilled iron rotors clamped by six-piston Brembo calipers. The Shelby GT350 wears 19-inch cast aluminum-alloy wheels, and the GT350R wears 19-inch carbon fiber wheels—making Ford the first full-line automaker to equip a vehicle with wheels made from the ultra-light, ultra-strong material.

Ultimately, these parts and a stiffer, lighter chassis all add up to the best-handling Mustang ever built. How will it feel on the track? We will have to wait to see for sure, but our best bet is that it will be awesome (because of course it will be awesome).