Report: Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 to be Axed, Plus One Good News

Published on April 2, 2020 in News by Guillaume Rivard

Despite getting a series of upgrades and an Heritage Edition for 2020, the Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 will not survive much longer, according to Ford Authority, which cites “sources familiar with The Blue Oval’s product plans.”

This includes both the GT350 and the track-focused GT350R. Without saying when exactly, the website claims the two cars “will be discontinued in the near future.”

As high-performance variants of the standard Mustang, the pair features a 5.2-litre V8 that cranks out 526 horsepower and 429 pound-feet of torque via a six-speed manual transmission. Pricing starts at $76,425 and $92,420, respectively.

The latter is barely cheaper than the all-new and almighty 2020 Shelby GT500 ($94,675), whose supercharged 5.2-litre V8 unleashes 760 ponies along with 625 pound-feet of torque through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The sound effects are not the same and no manual option is available here, but the performance gap is quite substantial.

Ford won’t be confirming this report until a later date, of course. VIN-decoding searches shared by the Mustang6G and Mach-E Club forums arrive at a similar conclusion, however.

The good news is that the same information suggests the return of the Mustang Mach 1 is not just a rumour.

That model would arrive as early as next year, slotting above the Mustang GT as a permanent replacement for the Bullitt special edition. The V8 is expected to produce about 480 horsepower, maybe more, which would somewhat justify killing the GT350.

Keep in mind that Ford intends to build a new range of models around the Mustang. You already know the Mustang Mach-E electric crossover. The next addition could very well be the Mustang Mach 1.