Monday is National Mustang Day, so Ford gave the model’s massive following something to celebrate.
Ford announced Monday it will prolong the Shelby GT350 and Shelby GT350R’s production runs through model year 2018, according to a press release.
Both will still be powered by a 5.2-liter V-8 that makes 526 horsepower and 429 pound-feet of torque, though Ford will introduce three new color options:Â Orange Fury, Kona Blue and Lead Foot Gray.
The two Shelby models are more at home on a track than any other Mustang to date, earning the GT350R the honor of Road & Track’s Performance Car of the Year in 2016. Though that emphasis on performance does come at the expense of some features we’ve come to expect from new vehicles, such as an infotainment system, rear seats and a backup camera.
However, Ford offers an Electronics Package on both variants, which adds Sync 3 with voice-activated navigation and a nine-speaker stereo. In addition, the GT350 has an available Convenience Package that comes with six-way power adjustable and heated seats, rather than the manually adjustable Recaros.
In October, Ford issued a recall and suspended sales of both the GT350 and GT350R to sort out an issue with the oil cooler tubes on select model year 2016 examples. The recall came as demand for the cars was still high, so it likely factored into Ford’s decision to sell the models for an extra year.
Ford said the 2018 Shelbys are expected to arrive at dealers this fall.
Thumbnail photo via Ford
