Shelby to offer 2011 GT350 with naturally aspirated 5.0, automatic transmission

[89FiveO]

(Examiner.com)
Shelby American made headlines when they took their supercharged 5.0-powered 2011 Mustang GT350 to Barrett Jackson Auto Auctions earlier this year and on Wednesday they announced more options for the 2011 GT350. Along with the standard GT350 unveiled in January at BJAA that is powered by a 500hp Whipple-supercharged 5.0, Shelby American will is now offering the 2011 GT350 Mustang with a naturally aspirated (N/A) 5.0 engine offering the same 412 horsepower as the standard 2011 Mustang GT. Also, in accordance with the demands of their customers, Shelby is also offering the 2011 GT350 with an automatic transmission.

The decision to offer an N/A 2011 GT350 stems from the rules of the Sports Car Club of America. Since the GT350 is a post-title build, the supercharged engine pushes the original 2011 GT350 into a different class, so the N/A version will make the car ideal for SCCA competition. Shelby states that the automatic transmission option is designed to go hand in hand with the new N/A models, citing issues with the auto trans having issues with the “stresses of a forced induction” high performance car.

The 2011 Shelby GT350 N/A models still come with the enlarged braking systems with components from Eradispeed and Shelby, Ford Racing suspension and 19” Goodyear tires as well as the distinct physical upgrades inside and out. All of the 2011 GT350 models will come with a full interior dress up and the cars will all be finished in white with Guardsman Blue stripes.

More good news is that the N/A package costs only $26,995 - plus the cost of the 2011 Ford Mustang GT bringing the total price to $56,995 (based on an MSRP of 30k for the 2011 Mustang GT). This new version does offer a price cut of $7,000 for those who don’t need the extra horsepower and if you really want a 500hp 2011 GT350 you can probably do some work of your own with the 7 grand saved… so long as you don’t plan to run any stock SCCA classes.

Check out the gallery below for a better look at the 2011 Shelby GT350 and stay tuned to your Detroit Autos Examiner for all of your breaking news on Detroit’s pony cars!