2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R first track drive | Sublime in Lime

Few things in this world are better than the 5.2-liter flat-plane-crank V8 in the 2020 Ford Mustang GT350R. Yeah, that's right, literally. If you doubt it, you just haven't experienced revving it to the 8,250-rpm redline shifted through a six-speed manual. The noise, the response, the power … did we mention the noise? It's shockingly been around for nearly five years now, yet the buzz has yet to wear off. It probably never will.

Of course, that V8 glory is found in the regular GT350 as well. The R variant stands taller with its lighter weight and greatly improved track capability and durability. Ford adds separate coolers for the engine oil, transmission fluid and differential fluid. The suspension is tuned to be slightly stiffer with heavy-duty springs. And then there are the wheels. All GT350Rs come with painted carbon fiber wheels as standard, a performance addition typically saved for supercars — don’t curb them. They save 60 pounds over the normal GT350 wheels and are not offered on the non-R. More weight savings come from the deletion of the backseat, and if you so desire, the A/C and radio as well. We recommend keeping those last two. Aero changes arrive in the form of an R-specific front splitter and large carbon fiber rear wing. Finally, Ford shod those carbon fiber wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires (now also available on the regular GT350). They don’t like the rain, or anything really, besides a nice, warm stretch of tarmac.

For 2020, Ford picked at the GT350R with a fine-toothed comb, plucking parts off the not-for-sale-yet GT500 to make the lower numbered GT just a hair more enticing. Changes are as follows: The high-trail steering knuckle coming to the GT500 was used to aid tramlining (when a vehicle excessively follows the contours of the road), and the front suspension has been massaged to improve handling. Ford swapped the drilled rotors for solid ones — engineers say they get better pad life out of the solid rotors, and we noticed zero fade out on track. The electric steering, stability control and ABS have all been re-tuned. Then, Ford added a few convenience items like blind-spot warning and a B&O audio system to the Technology package to make the car slightly more livable on the street.

Let’s set aside the convenience features for now, because the GT350R would be tested this day at a racetrack. M1 Concourse in Pontiac, Mich., to be specific, and just like a kid in a McDonald’s play structure, leaving was the hardest part. It's a track that rewards an excellent handling car more so than one with a ton of horsepower. One might think a Mustang would fall into the latter category, but that’s where the GT350R works its magic. No factory Mustang built by Ford is as capable on a road course as this Shelby, and the refreshed version of it impresses all the more.

After a few laps in Sport mode to get acclimated to the racetrack, the beast is unshackled and thrown into the extra-aggressive Track mode. It’s difficult to pick one area to start heaping praise on, because nearly every aspect of its track performance is top notch. It’s steady as a surgeon's hand under hard braking, with the rear end remaining planted right where it should be. We were running the cars hard all day long, and the rock-hard pedal never demonstrated extra travel or fade. The pedal feel itself is honestly one of the best things about the GT350R, inspiring the driver to go deeper and deeper into corners on each successive lap.

Ford uses those Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires on the GT350R, which are basically just road-legal slicks. Unsurprisingly, they stick. Even with a heavy curb weight of 3,703 pounds, the GT350R corners with anger. It can be tossed into high-speed sweepers with confidence, knowing the grip will be there. It’s neutral when being pushed toward its limit, as the rear end never feels twitchy or out of balance on track, which is quite the accomplishment given the Mustang’s layout. The magnetic dampers keep the body motions in check, too. Smooth is fast, and Ford made this car easy to be smooth in.

All that’s great, but what really makes the GT350R such a favorite is the glorious powertrain. Nothing about the 5.2-liter "Voodoo" V8 changed for 2020, and that's just fine. All 526 naturally-aspirated horsepower is made at a tantalizing 7,500 rpm, and its peak 429 pound-feet of torque comes on at 4,750 rpm. That kind of a power band makes for a spectacular track experience, and it’s becoming rarer these days in the age of turbochargers.

Power comes on in a predictable, linear fashion, and it revs high enough that you need to retrain your brain to not short-shift it. American muscle cars don’t share power band characteristics with exotics, but that’s exactly what Ford did by going the flat-plane-crank route. From about 3,000 rpm and upward, it shrieks like no other car on sale today, making otherworldly noises above 6,000 rpm. The combination of muscle car rumble and Italian car yowling is a uniquely beautiful harmony that will never get old. There are no manufactured crackles and pops, or make-believe noises piped through the stereo. It’s loud in the most pleasant, authentic way possible, and the sound is worth the price of admission.

Just like the specs suggest, the engine works on track, too. Unfettered by a turbocharger, throttle response is precise and the rear wheels aren't overwhelmed by torque. The aforementioned Track mode heightens this precision further, allowing you to feather the throttle to toe the delicate line between maximum grip and joyously sliding through corners. Sport mode, by contrast, neuters overzealous throttle applications coming out of corners and keeps that beast of an engine in check to make sure your overconfidence doesn’t end in a wall somewhere. Essentially, Track mode is for when Sport mode starts to become annoying instead of helpful. Big surprise that “Track mode” is superior on track, but hey, it’s nice to see the revised tuning Ford did works as intended.

Of course, Ford didn’t exactly reinvent the wheel here for the 2020 GT350R, making only minor improvements to the car. Upgrading from a previous model year is hardly necessary. Those from outside looking in, however, should by all means snap one up. Cars and engines like this don’t last forever. We hope Ford can continue to justify and build the 5.2-liter flat-plane-crank engine, especially as it exists solely in this low-volume Mustang variant. Icing on the cake is the new-for-2020 option of ultra-bright Grabber Lime and Twister Orange paint colors. For those who want even more color, there's a new red stripe you can tack on, too. 

With the Shelby GT500 launching soon, the ultra-expensive Mustang discussion is about to become even more difficult for the 2020 model year. While the GT350R goes for $74,530, a completely base GT500 starts at $73,995 despite serving up a whopping 760 horsepower. Output obviously doesn't tell the whole story, and the two cars serve separate purposes, but Ford still expects the more powerful GT500 to eat into GT350R sales. We’ll drive the automatic GT500 soon and have an answer about which expensive Mustang is the one to spring for, but we can already tell you that some Ford folks have secretly said they prefer driving the GT350R. We don’t blame them. The flat-plane-crank V8 is like a drug, tempting us for one more hit of luscious noise and acceleration right after we come down from the last. It’s best experienced on a track, and we recommend it just as highly for 2020 as we did when it originally hit the streets.