• News
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • About
  • News
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • About
Sign up Now (For Free)

Sign up for our newsletter and receive the latest automotive news in your inbox!

Invalid email address
We promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Thanks for subscribing!
News
Read Now
  • All News
  • Automakers
  • Automobiles
  • Auto Shows
  • Business
  • EVs & Environment
  • Guides
  • Lawsuits/Legal
  • Regulatory
  • Ride-Sharing
  • Safety & Recalls
  • Technology
Recent
  • The Rearview Mirror: Ford’s High-End Failure
  • Ram Returning to Midsize Pickup Segment; Shows Dealers a Concept EV
  • Why Isn’t That EV Charger Working?
  • Ford Will Trust The Truck — The New One Built at BlueOval City
  • Cupra Could Be Headed to the U.S.
  • March New Vehicle Sales to Rise 6.2% Over Last Year
  • Hyundai, Kia Recall Warns Owners of 570K Vehicles to Park Outside
  • Ford Facing $3 Billion in Losses on EV Business for 2023
  • Higher Interest Rates, Bank Failures Pose Challenge to Car Business
  • General Motors to Face Class Action Lawsuit
Editor’s Choice
    Reviews
    Read Now
    • All Reviews
      • Feeder
    • Classic Cars
    • Concept Cars
    • Convertibles
    • Coupes
    • Crossovers/CUVs
    • Diesel
    • Hot hatches
    • Hybrids
    • Luxury Vehicles
    • Minivans
    • Muscle Cars
    • Pickups
    • Sedans
    • Sports Cars
    • Super Cars
    • SUVs
    Recent Reviews
    • A Week With: 2023 Infiniti QX80
    • A Week With: 2023 Genesis GV80 Prestige 3.5 Turbo
    • First Drive: 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T
    • First Drive: 2023 Dodge Hornet GT
    • First Drive: 2023 Genesis Electrified GV70
    • First Drive: 2023 Nissan Ariya e-4orce AWD
    • A Week With: 2023 Jeep Compass Limited
    • A Week With: 2023 Cadillac Escalade V-Series
    • A Week With: 2023 Volvo XC40 AWD Ultimate
    • First Drive: 2024 Subaru Crosstrek
    Editor’s Choice
      Guides
      Car Warranty
      • Endurance Warranty Reviews
      • BMW Extended Warranty
      • Extended Warranty For Cars Over 100k Miles
      • Extended Car Warranty Cost
      • Subaru Extended Warranty
      • CarShield Reviews
      • CarShield Cost
      • Aftermarket Car Warranty
      • CARCHEX Warranty Reviews
      • Reputable Extended Car Warranty Companies
      • Used Car Warranty Companies
      • Best Car Warranty
      • Is CarShield A Scam?
      • Mercedes Extended Warranty
      • CarShield Plans
      Insurance
      • How To Identify A Car Insurance Company
      • Geico Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
      • How Far Back Does A Car Insurance Company Look
      • Mechanical Breakdown Insurance For Used Cars
      • State Farm Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
      • Mechanical Breakdown Insurance From Progressive
      • Dollar A Day Insurance
      • Auto Insurance For SSI Recipients
      • Car Insurance Rates After A Suspended License
      • Auto Insurance For Salvage Vehicles
      • Average Cost of Dodge Ram 1500 Car Insurance
      • Car Insurance Florida
      • Full Coverage Auto Insurance
      • GrubHub Insurance
      • Amazon Delivery Auto Insurance
      Shipping
      • Car Shipping Companies
      • uShip Reviews
      • Auto Shipping From California To Hawaii
      • Montway Auto Transport Reviews
      • Cheap Car Shipping
      • Easy Auto Ship Reviews
      • Auto Shipping Miami
      • Auto Shipping To Alaska
      • Car Shipping Cost
      • Auto Shipping Hawaii
      • Auto Shipping Puerto Rico
      • Sherpa Auto Transport Reviews
      • Auto Shipping Atlanta
      • Auto Shipping Boston
      • Auto Shipping. Chicago
      About
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
      • Terms of Use
      • Privacy Policy
      • Affiliate Disclosure
      • Sitemap
      TheDetroitBureau.com

      More than just “another” place to find news, reviews, spy shots, commentary, features, and guides about the auto industry. TheDetroitBureau doesn’t stop with the press releases or confuse a few lines of opinion with insightful, in-depth reporting.

      Contact Us

      Like what you see? Have some ideas for making The Detroit Bureau.com even better? Let us know, we’d love to hear your voice.

        Media
        Listen Now
        • Headlight News: All Episodes
        More from TheDetroitBureau
        • Guides
        • Latest News
        • Auto Reviews
        • Podcasts
        Headlight News

        TheDetroitBureau.com’s Headlight News offers a look at the past week’s top automotive news stories, as well as what’s coming up in the week ahead. Check out the week’s top story and our latest review…along with a dive into the past with this week in automotive history.

        home > reviews > First Drive: 2019 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350

        First Drive: 2019 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350

        Power, handling, performance, new Shelby GT350 has it all.

        Paul A. Eisenstein
        Paul A. Eisenstein , Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
        May 14, 2019
        Ford's new Mustang Shelby GT350 lives up to the hype with stellar track performance and impressive fo

        By this late in May, it should be getting warm in Detroit, but despite the 50-degree chill and a depressingly leaden sky, at least the rain has held off as I strap on a HANS Device and helmet and head out to pit row at Pontiac’s M1 Concourse, where a 2019 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 is waiting for me.

        On the way, I pass a vintage version of the car, one of just a handful of original 1965 models that survive. It might look dated, but when it made its debut back in 1965 it transformed Ford’s little pony car into a wicked contender. With its tiny tires and live rear axle, it was a handful to drive but nonetheless raised the muscle car bar to new heights.

        Reviews You Can Trust!

        Today, the GT350 takes a back seat to the Shelby GT500, an all-new version of the 700-plus-horsepower monster set to roll out later this year. But for those who don’t need to go to the ultimate extremes – or who simply don’t have quite a large enough bank account, the latest update of the GT350 that rolled out in 2016 has plenty to offer.

        “Continuous improvement,” summarizes Mustang Chief Engineer Carl Widmann. And a closer inspection reveals that applies to a lot of things, starting with the GT350’s body.

        The original 1965 Shelby GT350.

        (Ford muscles up its “entry-level” Mustang. Click Here for the story.)

        When the Shelby team, known to aficionados as “the Venice Crew,” worked on the ’65 model, there wasn’t much known about aerodynamics. These days, it’s about as important as what goes under the hood, though it does pose some severe challenges. When Widmann’s team got to work they wanted to decrease drag to make the 2019 go faster, even while increasing downforce to ensure the car stays glued to the pavement. Virtually everything about the GT350’s body has been optimized to achieve one of those goals or the other – and, occasionally, both.

        The new Shelby GT350 in the pits at the M1 Concourse in Michigan.

        That starts with the complex front spoiler designed to reduce turbulence under the vehicle, and even the mask behind the front grille that sharply cuts back on lift. The 2019 version of the GT350 gets a new wing. While smaller than the one on the upcoming GT500, it still plays a significant role when you start approaching triple-digit speeds. And, for $850, a buyer can add the optional Gurney flap to make the wing even more effective.

        The GT350’s suspension has also been announced with stiffer springs up front and, somewhat surprisingly, slightly softer rear springs. There’s a beefier rear anti-roll bar, too. And the $850 wing upgrade also gets you optional camber plates.

        One of the most significant changes that came with the latest-generation Mustang was the switch to an independent rear suspension. But performance versions, starting with the GT, now have the added benefit of using MagneRide shocks. These are based around magnetorheological dampers.

        The Mustang Performance line-up is ready to roll.

        At their most basic, these use a special fluid with microscopic particles sensitive to magnetic current. That allows each damper to individually be varied from soft to rock solid in the time it takes to travel two inches at 60 mph. The dampers and software controls, like the overall suspension tuning, have been updated for 2019.

        Add to the package new wheels shod with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires that have been customized for the GT350, 295/35-19s up front and 305/35-19s in the rear.

        Then there’s the GT350’s beating heart. In 2019 trim, the 5.2-liter DOHC 32-valve V-8 makes an impressive, if not benchmark, 429 horsepower and 429 pound-feet of torque. Better yet, torque comes on almost instantly, as I discover as I release the clutch on the Shelby’s six-speed Tremec manual gearbox and launch onto the 1.5-mile M1 track. And it keeps coming on almost all the way up to the coupe’s 8,250 RPM redline.

        It’s a technical course, with corners that demand you set yourself up precisely, and straights that are equally demanding of your car’s brakes.

        The grille and spoiler on the new Ford Mustang Shelby GT350.

        (Click Here for more about the “electrified Mustang” coming in the near future.)

        For this run, I have switched to “Track” mode, reducing but not eliminating the role of nanny systems like electronic stability control. But if they’re kicking in as I take my first lap, misjudging the apex and exit of a couple corners, you wouldn’t know it. The old Venice Crew would likely be shocked at how responsive and precise the new GT350’s steering is, and how forgiving the coupe can be if you find yourself missing the ideal line.

        Lap after lap I find my groove, setting the car up more accurately while also pushing harder into each corner.  Of course, it helps to have a massive set of Brembo brakes to scrub off excess speed. Combined with the upgraded suspension, there’s never a sense of the tail trying to come loose as you launch into a corner.

        The new Shelby GT350 with Chief Engineer Carl Widmann.

        If the 2019 Shelby GT350’s track manners weren’t impressive enough, Widmann’s team has understood a fact that so many other sports and muscle car engineers miss: with rare exception, these vehicles will spend most of their lives on public roads. And this near-ultimate Mustang shows equal aplomb on the street – even the deeply potholed pavement in Michigan. It helps to have well-bolstered Recaro seats to keep you in place when you’re piloting the Shelby in anger, and to soak up bumps when you’re cruising the highway.

        There are other concessions to everyday life, including the latest Ford Sync-based infotainment system with useful additions like Apple CarPlay and an 8-inch touchscreen, as well as dual climate control.

        This snake puts out 700-plus horsepower.

        There’s also a switch on the center console that, if you really must, lets you tame that beautiful roar from the V-8. But we bet few owners will ever make the switch.

        (Mustang cracks 700-hp barrier with debut of Shelby GT500. Click Here for more.)

        For the package, expect to invest $60,235 before delivery fees and such useful add-ons as the Gurney flap. It’s a significant premium over the Mustang GT but, for those who will have the opportunity to do some track time, it seems a logical step up. The 2019 Mustang Shelby GT350 might be a step down from the ultimate GT500 coming later this year, or even the track-oriented GT350R, but it’s a heck of a package for the money.

        How to Care for Your Car

        Cheap Car Warranty

        Editor's Choice

        Best Extended Car Warranty

        Editor's Choice
        Recently Published
        2023 Toyota GR Supra 3.0 manual front driving

        A Week With: 2023 Toyota GR Supra 3.0 Manual

        March 10, 2023

        A Week With: 2023 Jaguar F-Type R Coupe

        Jan. 20, 2023
        2023 Nissan Z best

        A Week With: 2023 Nissan Z

        Dec. 16, 2022

        2 responses to “First Drive: 2019 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350”

        1. John says:
          May 15, 2019 at 7:16 am

          I’ll take the ’65.

          Reply
        2. JAE says:
          May 16, 2019 at 1:41 pm

          Ditto John, even the “continuation” cars the Venice Crew are building.

          While the new car develops more down-force, has better turn-in, handling, braking and such (which it should seeing it’s 55 years later) it’s too “boy-racer”.

          Reply

        Leave a Reply Cancel reply

        Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

        What Are You Looking For?

        See More
        Buying a car? See our recommended reviews and guides.
        Buying a car? See our recommended reviews and guides.
        Reviews and Resources For Car Buyers and Owners
        Collection
        Car Reviews and Guides
        Collection

        Car Reviews and Guides
        Recommends
        The Best Car Insurance Companies in 2022 (with Costs)
        Recommends

        The Best Car Insurance Companies in 2022 (with Costs)
        Recommends
        Best Car Warranties – 2021 Comparison (Factory & Extended)
        Recommends

        Best Car Warranties – 2021 Comparison (Factory & Extended)
        Recommends
        7 Best Car Shipping Companies: Consumer Guide (2022)
        Recommends

        7 Best Car Shipping Companies: Consumer Guide (2022)
        Close
        Reviews and Resources For Car Buyers and Owners
        Collection
        Car Reviews and Guides
        Collection

        Car Reviews and Guides
        Recommends
        The Best Car Insurance Companies in 2022 (with Costs)
        Recommends

        The Best Car Insurance Companies in 2022 (with Costs)
        Recommends
        Best Car Warranties – 2021 Comparison (Factory & Extended)
        Recommends

        Best Car Warranties – 2021 Comparison (Factory & Extended)
        Recommends
        7 Best Car Shipping Companies: Consumer Guide (2022)
        Recommends

        7 Best Car Shipping Companies: Consumer Guide (2022)
        Close
        Share this article:
        © The Detroit Bureau 2023
        • Guides
        • Privacy Policy
        • Terms of Use
        • Affiliate Disclosure
        • Contact Us
        • Sitemap
        Follow Us: