Why Shelby GT350 Mustang Has the Best Handling Ever?

Did you know that Ford Shelby GT350 has been built on Carroll Shelby's original idea of changing the Mustang from an everyday to a road racer? Then it is no surprise that the new 2015 Mustang now receives a GT performance pack, which comes to offer the best in terms of technologies and components. The goal is to create the most athletic pony car ever!

Suspension

The first thing to mention about this beautiful car is that its suspension has been tuned for maximum performance on road and track. It has been thoroughly revised in order to improve the cornering performance of the car. Precisely, the new Shelby Mustang is fitted with stiffer and lighter aluminum front knuckle, hub and bearing assemblies.

The rigid bushings help in the steering feedback because they control the arms and subframes. In addition, the heavy-duty bearings are added for increased lateral stiffness. The diameter of the front and rear antiroll bars has been increased so that there is better body control. The side of the rear suspension has new rear spring and rear control arm.

 SEE ALSO: Limited Run for Shelby Mustang GT350 and GT350R

MagneRide Suspension

This is the name has been applied for the first time in a Ford vehicle. The continuously variable MagneRide dampers are actually filled with a hydraulic fluid that features iron particles. This allows near-instantaneous adjustment of the suspension. In fact, changes can be made to each corner every 7 milliseconds.

Brakes

This Shelby Mustang features the most powerful brakes ever fitted to a production Mustang. The brake system comprises of two-piece cross-drilled iron rotors with aluminum hats. They measure 394-millimeter at the front and 380-millimeter at the rear, and are a floating-type and reduce heat transfer to the bearings.

The rotors are also accompanied by Brembo calipers. At the front they are with integrated caliper bridges, while at the rear they are with four-piston units. Additional ducting helps in cooling the brakes for optimum performance.

Wheels & Tires

The new Shelby GT350 rides on 19.0-inch alloys that are 10.5 inches wide in front an 11.0 inches in the rear. They are fitted with Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires. What is the difference with the GT350R version? The latter rides on hand-laid wheels, which are 19.0 inches in diameter, 11.0 inches wide at the front and 11.5 inches at the rear. Each wheel is fitted with custom formulated Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires. This combination shed 50 pounds of unsprung weight compared to the previous mentioned.

Chassis

The last change is in the chassis. It has been made stiffer, being the strongest platform in the history of the Mustang. In addition, the GT350 adds bracing to improve the overall stiffness. There is also a new lightweight aluminum tower brace, which links the shock towers and firewall, thus making better the front end stiffness.

The hood is lower for aerodynamic performance; the grille openings have been also reengineered and reinforced with carbon, thus making the overall weight of the chassis 24% lighter than the pervious generation one.

Ford Shelby GT350 Mustang (2015)

Source: Ford