The very first Ford Shelby GT350R Mustang is set to be auctioned off today by Barrett-Jackson with all proceeds benefitting the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Also during the day, the first Shelby GT350 Mustang will be sold with funds also going towards JDRF.
The winning bidder of the Ford Shelby GT350R Mustang will be able to spec out their new American muscle car before customer deliveries begin later this year. The car will also be sold without a reserve.
Discussing the upcoming sale, Ford Group vice president of global product development, Raj Nair, said, “The Shelby GT350R is a world-class car, the best performing Mustang that we have ever built. We are thrilled to donate the first retail production Shelby GT350R to JDRF for auction. When this car crosses the auction block it should raise a tremendous amount of money for a great charity.”
As a reminder, the Ford Shelby GT350R Mustang is powered by the same 5.2-litre V8 engine using a flat plane crank and delivering 500 hp and over 400 lb-ft of torque as the ‘regular’ Mustang GT350. The car has then been outfitted with a limited-slip Torsen differential with a 3.73 axle ratio as well as an air-to-oil differential cooler mounted in the rear to maintain temperatures when the car hits the track.
In any track car, the wheels and tyres are key and as a result, Ford focused heavily on these elements. With this in mind, lightweight carbon fibre wheels come standard on the Ford Shelby GT350R Mustang which measure 19×11 at the front and 19×11.5 inch at the rear. They are approximately 6 kg lighter each over a standard aluminium wheel while also being stronger. Ford has opted for Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 performance tyres for the car.
