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Ford Shelby GT350 shows off HUD shift light [w/video]

We're getting pretty geeked about the upcoming Ford Shelby GT350 as Ford continues the slow trickle of news about the upcoming Mustang track beast. To review: 526 horspower, optional carbon-fiber wheels, and a wicked exhaust note from the flat-plane crank V8. And the latest piece is a programmable shift light that projects onto the windshield The head-up display, officially called Performance Shift Light Indicator, throws a line of amber lights in front of the driver's line of sight. Chevrolet uses a similar system on Camaro and Corvette models with an optional head-up display. While the GM HUD offers additional information like vehicle speed and a tachometer, the Ford system is more customizable. Depending on which of three modes, the lights flash in different patterns: Tach mode moves left to right, Track mode moves from the outside to the end until it makes a solid line, and Drag mode flashes all the light when the rpm limit is his. On the Shelby, the Performance Shift Light Indicator settings are programmed through menus in the instrument cluster's multifunction display. Stay tuned for more GT350 news next week, and check out the full press release below. View 6 Photos Ford Shelby GT350 Gets Racing-Inspired Customizable Shift Light Indicator to Help Drivers Optimize Track Time • Shelby GT350® Mustang features Performance Shift Light Indicator display with Track, Tach and Drag mode • Performance Shift Light Indicator provides the benefits of a shift light while allowing drivers to keep their eyes on the track at all times • Heads-up shift light was developed by reimagining existing hardware and is standard on all-new Shelby GT350 and Shelby® GT350R DEARBORN, Mich., July 23, 2015 – When driving the high-revving, 526-horsepower Shelby GT350® Mustang, drivers would do best to keep eyes on the road. So that's where Ford put the Performance Shift Light Indicator. For decades, race drivers have used shift lights that signal the perfect engine speed for the shift point for maximum acceleration and lower lap times during the intensity of on-track driving. Shift lights allow drivers to concentrate on the road in front of them rather than watching a tachometer. However, most shift lights either obscure the forward field of view or are located low in the instrument cluster where the driver must look down to see it. The Performance Shift Light Indicator is a heads-up display located in front of the driver.

First 2016 Ford Shelby GT350R rolls off the line in Flat Rock

Thursday was a big day for the hottest version of the current Ford Mustang as the first Shelby GT350R rolled off the line at the Blue Oval's Flat Rock, MI, factory. "This is a special day for all Mustang enthusiasts," said executive chairman Bill Ford. "We have taken the GT350 formula to the next level of innovation, style, and performance. Today the legend continues." Ford has been making headlines with the both versions of the GT350, highlighting its carbon-fiber wheels, HUD shift lights, and then announcing its reasonable starting price. At just $62,195, the GT350R significantly undercuts other track-focused offerings, including its arch-nemesis, the $75,000-Chevrolet Camaro Z/28. Scroll down for the brief press release from Ford. ALL-NEW FORD SHELBY® #GT350R MUSTANG ROARS OFF THE LINE AT FLAT ROCK ASSEMBLY PLANT One of the most iconic performance Mustang nameplates of all time the all-new Shelby® GT350R roared off the line today at Ford's Flat Rock Assembly Plant. The new GT350R Mustang is the most athletic Mustang ever, designed to tackle the world's most challenging roads and race tracks while creating an exhilarating experience for the driver. "This is a special day for all Mustang enthusiasts," said Bill Ford, executive chairman, Ford Motor Company. "We have taken the GT350 formula to the next level of innovation, style and performance. Today the legend continues." Click here for more information on the all-new Shelby® GT350 and GT350R Mustang. About Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Michigan, manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 195,000 employees and 66 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit http://corporate.ford.com. Related Video:

How that awesome Mustang R/C car chase vid was made

We've reported on a few R/C car chase videos in the past. One in particular that stands out as a favorite is Zach King's "The Cliché RC Action Chase." It featured a pair of Ford Mustang coupes racing through a cardboard city, plowing into outdoor patios and busting through construction zones. It was wonderfully creative and fun to watch, yet we know there was more to its creation than a bunch of guys fooling around with a camera one afternoon.
Turns out we were right, as evidenced by this video produced by Ford that takes us behind the scenes of Zach's creation. The young filmmaker explains why he chose the Mustang to star in his video, as well as how the cardboard sets were created, what equipment they used for shooting and what it was like when his video went viral. Ford found the young filmmaker and produced the followup as part of its Mustang Countdown video series, which will see a new video about the Mustang culture released every week until the original muscle car's anniversary on April 17, 2014.
Want to make an RC chase video of your own? Yeah, we do too. Watch the behind-the-scenes video below (you can refresh yourself on the mini feature film, too) before you get started.