Ford’’s Latest Mustang Race Car: Shelby FP350S

Dec 10, 2016 01:16 AM EST

There are many kinds of tiers in life when it comes to products and services. Some of the higher end products would require you to pay through your nose in order to achieve that kind of level which very few will be able to enjoy. However, majority of us would be on the lookout for something that is on the middle ground, offering as much bang for our hard earned buck as possible. If you have dreamed about owning an all American muscle car such as the Ford Mustang, what are your options? Should the new Mustang GT4 remain out of your budget’s reach, fret not. Ford has an alternative that is easier on your wallet, and yet packs quite a punch in terms of performance: the entry level Mustang race car known as the Shelby FP350S.

The Shelby FP350S debuted over at an event in Indianapolis on Thursday this week, and it intends to fill a very unique niche in the market. This ride happens to be a turnkey racer which has been specially designed with SCCA, NASA, and Trans Am racing clearly in its sights. Needless to say, the Shelby FP350S is not a street legal ride such as the Shelby GT350 upon which it finds itself based on. However, the beauty of the Shelby FP350S lies in the fact that armed with enough cash, you can simply walk up to any Ford dealer and place your order as though it is another ordinary Mustang ride.

Sure, the Shelby FP350S from Ford pales in comparison to the Ford Mustang GT4 which was released earlier in the year, but that is because the Mustang GT4 happens to be a Shelby G350R-based turnkey racer that was built from ground up in order to go against the like of other GT4 beasts from Porsche and McLaren, among others. GT4 cars tend to be one of the more affordable racing sports cars, but affordable here is a relative word. After all, prices for GT4 racing sports cars start from a cool $250,000 onward, which means you obviously need to have deep pockets in order to be able to enjoy one.

Back to the Shelby FP350S. The Shelby FP350S happens to be different from the different kind of Mustangs since it would be on the receiving end of a slew of upgraded hardware that will make it more than ready to hit the race tracks at any time. For instance, you will definitely be thrilled with the 5.2-liter V8 engine underneath the hood made available by Ford Performance, a roll cage, a carbon fiber rear wing, and a Motec data acquisition system. There is also a six-speed Tremec manual to keep it old school for some heel-toe-shifting goodness.

Being classified as one of the most track-capable road cars that can be purchased at the moment, there is no word on pricing for the Shelby FP350S as at press time although common sense dictates that this car will priced in a manner where more folks are able to jump aboard the Mustang racing bandwagon.