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2016 Shelby GT350 Mustang Quarter-Mile Record: 11.96 Seconds at 116.07 MPH

How fast is fast? For the 2016 Shelby GT350 Mustang and its flat-crank Voodoo V8 engine, it's real fast. More specifically, 11.96 seconds is all the track-focused pony needs to get to 116.07 miles per hour (186.79 km/h).
2016 Shelby GT350 Mustang Quarter-Mile Record: 11.96s at 116.07 MPH 4 photos
Photo: Screenshot from YouTube
2016 Shelby GT350 Mustang Quarter-Mile Record: 11.96s at 116.07 MPH2016 Shelby GT350 Mustang Quarter-Mile Record: 11.96s at 116.07 MPH2016 Shelby GT350 Mustang Quarter-Mile Record: 11.96s at 116.07 MPH
The red-painted 2016 Shelby GT350 with black stripes is the record breaker of the day. Owned by the peeps from Evolution Performance Inc., the non-R snake makes 447 RWHP and 382 lb-ft (518 Nm) RWTQ in stock form. That's a 79 HP and 47 lb-ft (63 Nm) loss from the crankshaft output.

But then again, that's seriously impressive for a naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V8 powerplant. Other than a set of 325/30 R19 Mickey Thompson ET Street S/S drag radials and BMR suspension components, the record-breaking 2016 Shelby GT350 Mustang hasn't been modded.

11.96 seconds at 116.07 mph doesn't seem like a lot for a quarter-mile drag race in this day and age, especially after we've learned that the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro SS with the 8-speed auto can post 12.21-second runs. Still, the 2016 Shelby GT350 Mustang would've been faster with optimal track prep and the carbon fiber wheels of the R model. Those wheels work wonders or so Ford is trying to tell everyone.

Compared to the 33-pound (15-kilogram) aluminum wheel, the R's carbon fiber wheel tips the scales at just 18 pounds (8.1 kilograms). If it had been equipped with the carbon fiber wheels, the lesser unsprung weight would've helped the record-breaking 2016 Shelby GT350 Mustang to start and accelerate faster by reducing wheel rotational inertia. Then again, you also have to take into consideration that the 5.2-liter motor and gearing have been specifically developed for road & track racing, not for straight line hardihood.

Even though the sci-fi wheels and drag-oriented gearing aren't on the muscle car's agenda, the GT350 Mustang will be getting more serious this week at the drag strip in Atco, New Jersey. With a little more seat time, 11.8 seconds are just around the corner for the good gentlemen over at Evolution Performance.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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