Barrett-Jackson Northeast Day 3
ConneticutFriday, June 28, 2019
Photos by: Bob Warenda
Friday morning at Barrett-Jackson Northeast began with a Ford Performance Motorsports media event led by Ford Motor Company Mustang & Shelby Marketing Manager Jim Owens and Ford Performance Motorsports Marketing Manager Jeannee Kirkaldy. Key performance features of current Ford Performance vehicles and the upcoming 2020 Mustang Shelby GT500 were discussed, but the bonus that motivated me to get to Mohegan Sun Casino before 8 AM was a promised ride in the Ford GT. But that wasn’t all, because Ford had a brand new Shelby GT350 for us to sample as well. It had been more than ten years since I last rode in a new Mustang, so I was anxious to see if the new GT350 could live up to its iconic heritage. It took about 10 seconds in the passenger seat to convince me that the 2019 GT350 deserves its name. Acceleration was fierce and braking was superb. The GT350 engine, with its signature flat-plane-crankshaft exhaust wail, produces a more than adequate 526 horsepower and 429 pound-feet of torque, but next year’s supercharged GT500 will up those figures by another 40% or so.
On to the Ford GT. I never thought I’d get to touch the door handle of a Ford GT, yet here I was sitting in the passenger seat, doing my best to get my camera, second lens, spare batteries, and strobe out of the way so the door could close. The car is Refined Mayhem. No drama, just acceleration that pins you to the seat back, slot-car cornering, and braking like you’ve never before experienced. Not one squeak or rattle was heard. The Ford GT is a superbly engineered American supercar for a lucky few. Thank you for the ride, Ford Performance Motorsports.
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