It all started with a look back.
Ford’s upcoming Mustang GT350 is one of the most highly anticipated cars of the year, so the American automaker has launched a five-part teaser series to preview the vehicle’s unveiling next week.
The first film dropped on November 3rd, commencing a historical overview of Ford’s storied racing past. From the legendary GT40 galloping around the track, to a rally-spec Focus gallivanting through the dirt, to a 24-hour endurance racer holding a tight line, it was all there. Consider the groundwork for the new Mustang GT350 laid.
“[The car is] very driver oriented, it’s very track oriented, and that’s been the heritage of this vehicle,” said Raj Nair of Ford Global Product Development. “We knew we wanted to be extremely free-revving; we wanted to have low inertia. Obviously [we wanted to] develop a lot of horsepower, and develop a lot of horsepower-per-liter so be efficient. And also be lightweight.”
The latest video, the fourth of five, harkens back to the iconic GT40 to explain the new car, which should be enough to send classic Ford enthusiasts into a nervous frenzy.
“When you look at the front end, and the nose, and what we’ve done with the hood and the front end styling, it just says to you: I’m mean, I’m raw, and I want to go,” said Joe Hinrichs, Ford Executive VP.
While the company doesn’t mention the GT350 by name in the video, only calling it “a new performance sports car coming soon from Ford,” the race-bred Mustang has been rumored for months.
In September, we reported that Ford had developed an entirely new engine for the car, a 5.2-liter flat-plane crank V8. The powerplant is expected to produce something in the ballpark of 600 horsepower, and allows for quicker revving and higher top-end thrust.
The Shelby-designed muscle car looks to focus on handling and track prowess over straight-line speed as well, so put it all together and it’s pretty clear that this isn’t your average Mustang. Stay tuned for more updates as we race toward the car’s November 17th reveal.
