2016 Mustang Shelby GT350R does the Nurburgring in 7:32

I've read one or two interviews before with Ford that discussed Nurburgring lap times and why there aren't any for the various performance models over the years. I think it was Jamal Hameedi and he said that he didn't like posting Nurburgring lap times even though they test cars there. The reason why was because a lot of parameters aren't consistent between manufacturers so they are meaningless when it comes to comparing cars. Someone close to Ford seems to not have got the memo, though.

According to a Horsepower Kings' source, the Shelby GT350R laid down a very impressive lap time of 7:32.19 at the Nurburgring. Not only that, the number also wasn't a hero lap, it was easily repeatable. Even more impressive, the standard GT350 (presumably with the Track Pack) was within a few seconds despite being on much more street friendly tires. That would put the GT350 neck and neck with the Camaro Z/28's 7:37.4 lap time, although it is worth mentioning that the Z/28's time was on a somewhat damp track so it might have a few seconds to give.

This should come as no surprise since the Z/28 was one of the cars that were benchmarked during the development and I'm sure its lap times were somewhat of a target. The incredible lap time also puts it ahead of cars like the Porsche 911 GT3 RS (997), which put down a best lap time of 7:33.0 in 2010 according to Fastest Laps.

The Shelby GT350 is thoroughly overhauled compared to a standard Mustang. You can read plenty of details here (A Legend Returns: The 2016 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350) but in summary, it gets a unique 5.2 litre V8 engine with more than 500 naturally aspirated horsepower, improved aerodynamics through a splitter, side skirts, rear spoiler, underbody panels and a sculpted hood, chassis stiffening parts and an upgraded suspension. The engine features a flat plane crank, a redline of more than 8,200 rpm and more than 500 naturally aspirated hp and will push power through a six-speed manual transmission and then through a Torsen differential. The suspension gets revised front and rear tracks, revised springs and bushings, and magnetic-fluid filled shocks and wider wheels and tires. The GT350R further improves on the GT350 through more aggressive suspension and aerodynamics and a weight saving regime (Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R).

There's no mention of whether or not Ford is changing its strategy about publishing Nurburgring lap times for performance models but one thing is clear; the Shelby GT350 will put a few cars to shame when it starts hitting tracks.