Ford Shelby GT350R Mustang driven: review

First impressions on-track are that the GT350R looks and sounds suitably intimidating. It may be a quarter of a tonne-plus heavier than the GT3 – and its less extreme, less track-focused GT350 stablemate is heavier still – but the way it surges forward as you hammer up through the six manual gears is simply staggering.

The muscular feel continues through to the dynamics. Unlike with the more elegant Porsche, everything about the Mustang feels massive, from the huge brakes to the formidable tyres. It’s big and brutal, but it’s entirely on your side – and it combines old-school tradition with 21^st century technology to perfect effect.

With adaptive shocks plus selectable drive modes that at their most extreme give a seriously race-car-like response, its drive is entertaining to the extreme. It simply reaches its goal in a different way to the Porsche.

The cheaper GT350 is better suited the UK’s highways than the R, thanks to narrower tyres and more road-biased suspension, not to mention the added practicality that comes from re-installing the rear seats missing from its stablemate. But it retains the best of its wilder brother’s features, including that bonkers engine and exciting on-track feel.

It’s that ‘best of both worlds’ character that would make this the perfect right-hooker. All that’s required is sufficient demand – and we can’t see that being a problem...

Ford Shelby GT350R Mustang

On sale: N/A

Price: £58,000 (est)

Engine: V8, 5163cc, petrol

Power: 526bhp at 7500rpm

Torque: 429lb ft at 4750rpm

0-62mph: 4.0sec (est)

Top speed: 175mph (est)

Gearbox: 6spd manual

Kerbweight: 1680kg

Economy: 22.0mpg (combined, est)

CO2 and tax band: 300g/km, 37% (est)