Ford Shelby GT350 Mustang Packs More HP, Less TQ than Camaro Z28

When the Ford Shelby GT350 Mustang was introduced last year, no exact power figures were offered. Instead, Ford Motor Company simply promised that the new Shelby Mustang’s flat plane 5.2L V8 would deliver at least 500 horsepower and 400lb-ft of torque. There has been a great deal of speculation over how much power the new GT350 would offer, with many estimates hovering around 525hp and 450lb-ft of torque. With yesterday’s announcement, that speculation is put to rest, as we know now that both the GT350 and the GT350R will pack 526 horsepower and 429lb-ft of torque.

GT350 VS Camaro Z28
The key competitor in the domestic market for the new Ford Shelby GT350 Mustang is the Chevrolet Camaro Z28, which is powered by a 7.0L engine that produces 505 horsepower and 481lb-ft of torque. The new Shelby Mustang’s output of 529 horsepower gives the GT350 a significant advantage on that end of the sheet, but with just 429lb-ft of torque, the Camaro has the advantage on the other side. However, the high revving flat plane V8 in the new Mustang GT350 should offer incredible power delivery, with peak horsepower coming around 7,500rpm and peak torque arriving at 4,750rpm. When combined with the redline of 8,250rpm, the power curve of the new GT350 should be ideal for road course use, bringing in big torque on the lower and middle range of the revs while the peak horsepower comes when the new engine is really screaming.

Another area where the new Shelby GT350R Mustang will likely have a solid advantage over the Camaro Z28 comes in weight, as the newest generation Mustang is lighter than the 2015 Camaro and while we don’t know the official weight for the new Shelby, we can expect that it will be lighter than the 3,820lb Camaro Z28.

Of course, as we reported earlier, the new Shelby GT350 Mustang will have a pretty healthy price advantage over the 2015 Camaro Z28. The “normal” GT350 starts at $47,870 while the higher performance GT350R starts at $61,370, which is substantially more affordable than the Camaro Z28 that starts at $75,000.

Listen to the Shelby GT350 Roar
The video below came out a few days ago and it offers our best chance to hear the new Shelby GT350 Mustang in action, with plenty of expertly recorded sound clips. Crank up your speakers and enjoy!