Photo: CarPix
Our carparazzi spotted a heavily camouflaged prototype of the upcoming 2016 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 cruising around the Santa Monica Pier at the foot of Colorado Avenue. But is this really the next iteration of the brawny Shelby GT500?
Insider information indicates that the Blue Oval's next SVT Mustang is likely to drop the Shelby GT500 nameplate in favor of the GT350 moniker. Even though the name is currently used by an aftermarket model sold directly by Shelby American, the upcoming GT350 will most probably be offered as a standalone model in the all-new Ford Mustang lineup.
Further more, Mustangs Daily reported a little while back that the Mach 1 moniker is also in the pipeline for the 2016 model year. Because info on this subject is kind of scarce at this moment, we presume that the 2016 Ford Mustang Mach 1 might be offered as a highly collectable special edition car. Until further notice, let's head back to the Shelby GT350 prototype and try to undress the secrets it hides under the heavy exterior and interior camouflage.
The first visual aspect that caught our attention is the beefy power bulge throning atop the hood. Even though a busy summer day's Santa Monica isn't the best time to covertly test a Mustang prototype, Ford camouflaged the vehicle in question like crazy. The engineers went to such lengths that even the rims are masked by black discs in order to hide the design of the wheels. All we can tell is that this prototype was wearing Michelin Pilot Super Sports summer performance rubber. The final exterior detail that's worth mentioning is that the exhaust system features a quad-tip double-barrel design integrated in a quite sporty styled diffuser.
According to our spy photographers, this 2016 Ford Mustang GT350 sounds pretty loud and throaty in real life. And that made us wonder if the engine is a reworked version of the 2014 GT500's supercharged 5.8-liter Trinity V8 or an all-new unit. If the current-gen GT500 develops 662 horsepower and 631 lb-ft (855 Nm) of torque, then slightly bigger figures are expected from the upcoming model, big enough to give the recently unveiled 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat a run for its money.
However, the big news comes from the cabin. Compared to the 6,250 rpm redline of the 2014 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, the upcoming king-of-the-hill model indicates a 6,500 redline. According to our spy photographers, the tachometer also features an over-rev region topping at 7,000 rpm, just like the 2014 GT500 does. Also on the menu there are sporty looking Recaro bucket seats and a manly six-speed stick shift transmission.
Whatever name it'll actually bear in production guise, Mustang enthusiasts are certainly in for a damn big treat.
Further more, Mustangs Daily reported a little while back that the Mach 1 moniker is also in the pipeline for the 2016 model year. Because info on this subject is kind of scarce at this moment, we presume that the 2016 Ford Mustang Mach 1 might be offered as a highly collectable special edition car. Until further notice, let's head back to the Shelby GT350 prototype and try to undress the secrets it hides under the heavy exterior and interior camouflage.
The first visual aspect that caught our attention is the beefy power bulge throning atop the hood. Even though a busy summer day's Santa Monica isn't the best time to covertly test a Mustang prototype, Ford camouflaged the vehicle in question like crazy. The engineers went to such lengths that even the rims are masked by black discs in order to hide the design of the wheels. All we can tell is that this prototype was wearing Michelin Pilot Super Sports summer performance rubber. The final exterior detail that's worth mentioning is that the exhaust system features a quad-tip double-barrel design integrated in a quite sporty styled diffuser.
According to our spy photographers, this 2016 Ford Mustang GT350 sounds pretty loud and throaty in real life. And that made us wonder if the engine is a reworked version of the 2014 GT500's supercharged 5.8-liter Trinity V8 or an all-new unit. If the current-gen GT500 develops 662 horsepower and 631 lb-ft (855 Nm) of torque, then slightly bigger figures are expected from the upcoming model, big enough to give the recently unveiled 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat a run for its money.
However, the big news comes from the cabin. Compared to the 6,250 rpm redline of the 2014 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, the upcoming king-of-the-hill model indicates a 6,500 redline. According to our spy photographers, the tachometer also features an over-rev region topping at 7,000 rpm, just like the 2014 GT500 does. Also on the menu there are sporty looking Recaro bucket seats and a manly six-speed stick shift transmission.
Whatever name it'll actually bear in production guise, Mustang enthusiasts are certainly in for a damn big treat.
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