Mystery Solved: Here’s Why the Shelby GT350 & GT500 Won’t Get a Facelift
While standard Mustangs got a new front end in 2018, the Shelby GT350 and GT500 soldier on with the same face. And the reason is simple.
Although the S550 Mustang saw a facelift in 2018, detail-oriented Mustang enthusiasts will notice that those changes didn’t carry over to the GT350. In fact, the upcoming GT500 will still have the pre-facelift front end when it’s released later this year.
According to Ford Authority, there’s a good reason for it. Ford’s official line is that the Shelby cars represent “the purist’s performance model.” The Ford representative they spoke to clarified further: “The team focused their time addressing what customers wanted most, including improved grip and suspension upgrades.”
That quote hardly tells the whole story, and, frankly, it seems like deflection to us. Thankfully, Ford Authority did some digging and came up with a much more logical answer.
Apparently, both the Shelby GT350 and Shelby GT500 are fitted with a carbon composite front subframe. This makes the car less nose-heavy, with the added benefit of increased rigidity up front.
Less weight and a tighter, more responsive front end have been goals of Ford performance engineers for decades. Anyone who has owned a 1990s SVT Cobra will remember the four-point strut brace that came stock on some SN95 Cobras.
That brace is a popular aftermarket upgrade for Mustangs that didn’t come with a brace from the factory. The aftermarket has also stepped in to offer tubular K-members. These reduce weight and offer provisions for tubular control arms and coil-over suspension.
Ford’s carbon composite front subframe manages to kill two birds with one stone, but it didn’t come cheap. The development and production of the carbon composite subframe cost Ford a pretty penny.
The carbon composite subframe would have to be re-engineered to accept the facelifted front sheetmetal seen on 2018 and up Mustangs. Ford decided to just keep the 2015-2017 front end on the Shelby GT350 and GT500 to keep costs down. You won’t hear any complaining from us.
Photos: Ford Motor Company
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