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2016 Ford Shelby Mustang GT350R First Ride

Ford Performance Chief Engineer Jamal Hameedi was in China when he received an interesting text. Half a world away his team was shaking down the newest Shelby Mustang at Grattan Raceway in rural Michigan. The news was encouraging. The GT350R was keeping pace with a Porsche 911 GT3, even nosing ahead of it during time trials, while the GT350 was running about even with a 911 Carrera S and a Chevy Corvette Stingray. "That was a good text to get," he recounted a week later as we chatted alongside the track at Grattan. On this scorching summer day, there were no Porsches or Stingrays to be found, but we've come to preview the track-focused GT350R. Ford drivers are at the wheel, and we're riding shotgun. After several hot laps, we're left with a predictable observation: The GT350R is wicked fast and quick as hell. Much of this is thanks to the 5.2-liter flat-plane crank V8 that pumps out 526 horsepower and 429 pound-feet of torque. It's the most powerful naturally aspirated road-legal engine in Ford's 112-year history. To help the engineering process, Ford bought a Ferrari 458 Italia and ripped apart its V8. The GT350's engine ended up being 10 pounds lighter. For the coup d'grace, Ford's mill also revs to a Ferrari-like 8,250 rpm. As formidable as all of that looks on paper, it sounds even more imposing in real life (see the related video below). The engine in our GT350R crackles, growls, and opens up to a flat-out roar as we explode onto the track, gripping the door pulls to calm our nerves. Grattan is a challenging, twisty course. The corners are tight, and the elevation changes quickly. At one point, our test driver aggressively tackles a curve and we're briefly airborne. During the first stint, we reach about 140 miles per hour. But the GT350R isn't about straight-line speed or pure power. It's designed to get around a track as rapidly as possible. That means Ford took the 'base' GT350 – which should be more than at home on the track itself – and re-tuned the suspension and aerodynamics. There's a larger front splitter and rear carbon-fiber spoiler. The 19-inch carbon-fiber wheels are stiffer and lighter than comparable aluminum rollers, and they're wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 high performance rubber. Additionally, Ford ripped out the back seats, air conditioning, trunk floorboard, stereo, backup camera, and anything else that wasn't necessary.

Cheap gas has Ford investors nervous over 2015 F-150

Gasoline in the US continues its weeks-long descent with prices down about 13 cents a gallon over last week to $2.544, which is lower by around 69 cents/gallon from this time last year, according to the US Energy Information Administration. Many drivers are welcoming the lower bills at the gas station as a fantastic holiday gift, but Ford investors are somewhat spooked over the potential sales implications for the 2015 F-150. Market analyst Rod Lache of Deutsche Bank recently downgraded Ford's stock from a buy to hold, according to TheDetroitBureau.com, and his report to investors may have played a part in a drop in the company's share price. Lache praised the truck's powertrain and lightweight technology, but wrote, "We question whether consumers will pay the price for this content with $2-$3 gas," in his report, according to the website. Whether buyers actually turn away from the F-150 is mostly speculative at this point because it only recently began production. With around 700 pounds of weight loss thanks in parts to its new aluminum parts, the latest Ford pickup offers up to 26 miles per gallon on the highway, plus segment-best payload and towing ratings. Prices are up somewhat in part to pay for additional standard features, though. Still, any further dip in Ford's stock is bad news this year. According to TheDetroitBureau.com, the company's shares are down about 7.5 percent this year. On December 15, the price fell to $14.28, the lowest since November 10. Related Video:

Is that the Ford GT Le Mans racer in the background of this Forza video?

Shortly after the reveal of the new Ford GT in Detroit a couple of weeks ago, Microsoft announced that it was putting the new American supercar on the cover of the upcoming sixth installment of the Forza Motorsport video game series. Now it has put out a video of the process of digitizing Dearborn's latest. Whether you're into Detroit steel (or carbon fiber and aluminum in this case), exotic supercars or video games, the video is worth a watch in and of itself. But our eyes were focused on something else. In the background of one shot (around the 1:49 mark) you can see a design board with renderings of what looks to be the rumored racing version of the GT – complete with reshaped air intakes, deeper side sills, a bigger rear wing and a central rear fin like you'd find on the latest LMP1 racing prototypes. It wouldn't be the first time we've caught wind of the prospect of the Blue Oval's new supercar going racing. We first heard of the plans last October, further reinforced in December with reports of the new GT coming to Detroit. And as we reported just a couple of weeks ago following the supercar's reveal, a return to Le Mans could be in the cards – which would be fortuitous timing, since next year will mark the 50th anniversary of the original GT40 scoring its landmark 1-2-3 finish in the 24-hour race.