Photo: Ford
Long before the Ford Motor Company presented the sixth-generation Mustang, sources close to the automaker were giving hints about a very different engine for the Shelby GT350. Taking inspiration from the world of motorsports and Italian supercars, the Voodoo V8 rolled out with a flat-plane crankshaft and a stupendous redline of 8,250 revolutions.
There is, however, a bit of a problem with the go-faster pony car. Base and Tech models from the 2016 model year are known to overheat when driven hard, an issue that triggers limp mode even when the vehicle isn’t tracked.
Many owners have reported this problem, which is why a class-action lawsuit was filed in 2017 with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. These owners claim that Ford has failed to disclose the absence of transmission and differential coolers in their track-focused cars, coolers that were made standard on subsequent model years of the GT350.
After briefing the evidentiary issues related to expert testimony, the initial trial for the class-action lawsuit has been scheduled for September 2021. It’s up to the justice system to determine if the Ford Motor Company failed to disclose the consequences of driving hard without transmission and differential coolers, but if you ask me, the Blue Oval may get off scot-free.
On the one hand, customers who were intent on tracking the GT350 should’ve opted for the Track package, and on the other hand, the GT350R is the better car for tracking. It’s also worth highlighting that tracking means many things to just as many people because the cornering forces, shifting intensity, and temperature of the asphalt are variables instead of constants.
Discontinued at the end of 2020 in preparation for the Mach 1, the Shelby GT350 remains one of the best all-American driver’s cars out there. General Motors will follow suit next year with the Corvette Z06, which is going to feature a 5.5-liter V8 with a flat-plane crankshaft in addition to Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires that measure 345/25 by 21 inches out back.
Many owners have reported this problem, which is why a class-action lawsuit was filed in 2017 with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. These owners claim that Ford has failed to disclose the absence of transmission and differential coolers in their track-focused cars, coolers that were made standard on subsequent model years of the GT350.
After briefing the evidentiary issues related to expert testimony, the initial trial for the class-action lawsuit has been scheduled for September 2021. It’s up to the justice system to determine if the Ford Motor Company failed to disclose the consequences of driving hard without transmission and differential coolers, but if you ask me, the Blue Oval may get off scot-free.
On the one hand, customers who were intent on tracking the GT350 should’ve opted for the Track package, and on the other hand, the GT350R is the better car for tracking. It’s also worth highlighting that tracking means many things to just as many people because the cornering forces, shifting intensity, and temperature of the asphalt are variables instead of constants.
Discontinued at the end of 2020 in preparation for the Mach 1, the Shelby GT350 remains one of the best all-American driver’s cars out there. General Motors will follow suit next year with the Corvette Z06, which is going to feature a 5.5-liter V8 with a flat-plane crankshaft in addition to Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires that measure 345/25 by 21 inches out back.
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