MOTOR RIVALS

One of the most iconic performance Mustang nameplates of all time is returning, Ford confirmed today with the reveal of the all-new Shelby® GT350 Mustang.

The new GT350 builds on Carroll Shelby’s original idea – transforming a great every-day car into a dominant road racer – by taking advantage of a dramatically improved sixth-generation Mustang to create a truly special driving experience. Driving enthusiasts behind the wheel of a Shelby GT350 can expect to be treated to the most balanced, nimble and exhilarating production Mustang yet.

Powertrain

Early in development of the GT350, it was decided a high-revving, naturally aspirated V8 engine would best suit a track-focused Mustang.

The new 5.2-liter engine is the first-ever production V8 from Ford with a flat-plane crankshaft, an architecture typically found only in racing applications or exotic European sports cars. Unlike a traditional V8, where the connecting rods are attached to the crankshaft at 90-degree intervals, this design evenly spaces all crank pins at 180-degree intervals.

The result is the most powerful naturally aspirated production Ford engine ever, at more than 500 horsepower, with a torque peak above 400 lb.-ft. The track capability is enhanced by the output characteristics of the engine – the 5.2-liter V8 features an exceptionally broad torque curve. Combined with its high-revving ability, the flat-plane 5.2-liter V8 gives drivers an enormous amount of performance and flexibility within each gear of the lightweight six-speed manual transmission. A standard Ford-tuned Torsen limited-slip differential optimizes cornering grip and straight-line traction.

Chassis

The new Mustang platform is the strongest in the history of the brand, with torsional stiffness increased 28 percent over the previous model. That stiff structure ensures the suspension geometry remains consistent, even under hard driving on back roads and tracks. Front stiffness is further improved on GT350 with a cutting-edge injection-molded carbon fiber composite grille opening and optional lightweight tower-to-tower brace. The front track has been increased while spring rates and bushings have been recalibrated all around, with ride height reduced compared to Mustang GT.

Due to the significant speeds the car can develop, GT350 features the most track-credible brake system ever offered on a Ford vehicle in terms of absolute stopping power, fade resistance and brake pedal feel. The brakes are two-piece cross-drilled iron discs mounted to aluminum hats. At the front are massive 394-millimeter rotors clamped by Brembo six-piston fixed calipers with integrated caliper bridges, while 380-millimeter rotors at the rear utilize four-piston calipers.

Ultra-quick responsiveness to changing conditions is provided by the first-ever Ford application of continuously controlled MagneRide dampers. The dampers are filled with a hydraulic fluid impregnated with iron particles; when an electric current is passed through the fluid, a near-instant adjustment of the suspension performance can be made. With wheel position sensors monitoring motion thousands of times per second combined with other vehicle data, changes can be made to each corner independently every 10 milliseconds for optimum handling performance. This is a system designed not just to make the car handle better but to instill greater confidence in even the best driver.

Technology

The advanced technology inherent to Mustang has been deployed for duty in the Shelby GT350. An all-new integrated driver control system allows selection of five unique modes that tailor ABS, stability control, traction control, steering effort, throttle mapping, MagneRide tuning and exhaust settings, depending on driver preference, to achieve maximum performance. Drivers are invited to test them all.

Drivers interested in comfort, convenience and entertainment upgrades may select the Tech Pack, which includes power, leather-trimmed seats; Shaker Audio; 8-inch MyFord Touch® LCD touch screen; and dual zone electronic temperature control, to name a few features.

After garnering more than 20 industry awards in 2014 and earning another spot on Car and Driver’s coveted 10Best list for 2015, the Corvette Stingray powers ahead for 2016 with appearance, connectivity and technology enhancements that offer customers more personalization choices and convenience features.

Powertrain

Along with all that’s new with the 2016 Corvette Stingray, it carries over an unmatched combination of performance and efficiency. Power comes from the 6.2L LT1 V-8 rated at an SAE-certified 455 horsepower (339 kW) and 460 lb-ft of torque (624 Nm) – and 460 horsepower (343 kW) and 465 lb-ft (630 Nm) with the available performance exhaust system. The LT1 engine is offered with a seven-speed manual transmission with Active Rev Match and a paddle-shift eight-speed automatic transmission that offers quick shifts on par with the world’s best dual-clutch transmissions – delivered with the smoothness unique to a transmission with a torque converter.

Corvette Stingray’s powertrain enables manual-transmission Z51-equipped models able to accelerate from 0-60 in 3.8 seconds – 3.7 seconds with the eight-speed automatic – and run the quarter-mile in 12 seconds at 119 mph, while the Corvette’s chassis and suspension features contribute to 1.03g in cornering grip and stop from 60 mph in 107 feet.

The Corvette Stingray backs its performance capability with the greatest efficiency of any sports car on the market with more than 450 horsepower, delivering an EPA-estimated 17 mpg city driving and 29 mpg on the highway with the seven-speed manual transmission.

Technology

New for Corvette Stingray in 2016, Chevrolet’s new MyLink system with an 8-inch-diagonal color touchscreen is compatible with Apple CarPlay, which puts iPhone features (iPhone 5 and later) on the display in a smart, simple manner, allowing drivers to make calls, send and receive messages and listen to music right from the touchscreen or by voice via Siri. That helps drivers spend more time with eyes on the road and hands on the wheel.

At the core of the Corvette Stingray’s driver-focused technologies is the cockpit-mounted Driver Mode Selector, which allows drivers to optimize the car for their driving preference and road conditions via five settings: Weather, Eco, Tour, Sport and Track.

The two eight-inch screens offer excellent visibility in direct sunlight, with 650 cd/m2 of brightness for the one integrated into the instrument cluster and 1,000 cd/m2 of brightness for the one in the center stack, making them among the brightest screens in the industry. The screen in the center stack also features touch-screen control with gesture recognition and can be lowered to reveal a hidden storage compartment that includes a USB input for device charging or uploads.

Performance Data Recorder
The award-winning, industry-first Performance Data Recorder – or PDR – enables users to record high-definition video, with telemetry overlays, of their driving experiences on and off the track. It was developed with Cosworth, the motorsports-engineering company that supplies the Corvette Racing team’s data acquisition and telemetry electronics system.

Chassis

A racing-proven short/long-arm suspension design is used front and rear, with lightweight complementing components that include hollow lower control arms and aluminum rear toe links.

Dampers – includes standard 35mm-piston Bilstein monotube shocks that connect to dual-path aluminum shock mounts that separate the shock rod and shock body load paths. The Z51 Performance Package comes with 45mm-piston Bilstein dampers for more aggressive body control and track capability. Z51 is available with the third-generation Magnetic Ride Control, which features a twin-wire/dual-coil damper system that reacts 40 percent faster than previous generations, enabling improved ride comfort and body control.

Magnetic Ride Control is also available on non-Z51 Stingray models (requires 19-/20-inch wheels).

Steering – Electric power steering offers variable ratios and variable effort to tailor responsiveness and feel for each driving situation. It also delivers precise control and feedback to the driver, along with great variability of effort for high-performance driving, as well as excellent on-center sensitivity and linearity.

Axle – A smart electronic limited-slip differential (eLSD) is included in the Z51 Performance Package and continuously makes the most of the torque split between the rear wheels. The system features a hydraulically actuated clutch that can infinitely vary clutch engagement and can respond from open to full engagement in tenths of a second. It shifts torque based on a unique algorithm that factors in vehicle speed, steering input and throttle position to improve steering feel, handling balance and traction.

Brakes – Standard Brembo brakes, with four-piston fixed calipers derived from racing, deliver exceptional stopping power on the street or track. System highlights include: