2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R Gets Suspension, Brake, and Price Upgrades
Ford's 2020 Mustang Shelby GT350R gets longer-trail steering geometry.
New solid brake rotors add durability to the GT350R's brake system.
The new tweaks also add $5000 to the 2020 GT350R's price tag.
We've already told you about the 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R's revised steering geometry, which uses a revised front steering knuckle to increase caster trail and improve steering confidence and precision, but that was before we'd driven it. We've now driven two cars with the revised geometry and can say confidently that one of the Shelby's significant problems—a tendency to stubbornly follow road ruts on uneven roads—is much improved. On smooth surfaces, like the M1 Concourse track where we sampled the revised GT350R last week, the difference is smaller. And, in fact, in slow corners the steering didn't always telegraph understeer as quickly as we'd like. It's hard to say if the revised geometry is the culprit there or if, perhaps, our overeager right foot is to blame. Either way, despite some slow-corner mischief, the GT350R remains a slayer of all things sane when it comes to lapping quickly and with high levels of engagement.
Ford swapped the GT350R's previous cross-drilled brake rotors for solid rotors because they're more durable on the track and yield double the pad life, according to Ford representatives. Used with purpose, the brakes stink, but neither the pedal nor our braking distances weakened over multiple sessions.
The GT350R still gets the Australia-made Carbon Revolution wheels, which are a half-inch wider than the standard GT350's alloy wheels. The R is also blessed with more aggressive Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 rubber that is 10 mm wider at each corner (305 front/315 rear) than the base GT350. Its 526-hp 5.2-liter flat-plane-crank V-8 remains unchanged, as does its six-speed manual transmission.
But you're not getting these improvements for free. The GT350R's price goes up to $74,530 for the 2020 model year, an increase of $5000 over the 2019 model. The increase, no doubt, is thanks to continued consumer demand. Ford representatives told us the Mustang performance derivatives (Bullitt and GT350/GT350R) saw a 7 percent increase in the third quarter of 2019. Keep buying them, folks. And Ford will keep selling them.
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