2017 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350

Long-Term Test: When the tires get worn and the factory warranty runs out, that’s where we come in. Car and Driver is your source for the 40,000-mile evaluation.

- David Beard

Say “voodoo” and people tend to think of pins stuck into dolls, animal sacrifice, and other dark rituals. But this ancient religion has a lighter side, a white magic believed to be capable of casting a spell so strong it can bind souls together for eternity.

We were entranced by our first exposure to the Mustang Shelby GT350’s voodoo, both its literal and figurative varieties. The former is Ford’s Voodoo V-8, a hand-built, flat-plane-crank 5.2-liter screamer that sets spines a-tingle with its 8250-rpm redline. The latter relates to the Shelby’s other worldly chassis balance and fluidity, the ease with which the GT350 tears up a mountain road or a racetrack, and its ability to then cover a few hundred miles home. It’s as though Ford conjured a spell specifically for us.

We did keep our wits about us for one critical decision when ordering our long-termer. Although we were curious about the durability and performance of the extreme GT350R’s carbon-fiber wheels, our acne-riddled roads and the wheels’ replacement costs—$4175 apiece for the fronts and $3517 for each of the rears— shook us out of our reverie. We ordered the $57,045 GT350, which includes a $1300 penalty from the Man for consuming too much fuel, and selected only a few extras. We opted for the $3000 Electronics pack, which adds Ford’s Sync 3 infotainment system, turn-signal mirrors, navigation, and dual-zone climate control. We also chose the no-cost Grabber Blue paint, a head-turning shade of awesomeness, and white over-the-roof racing stripes to pay homage to Shelbys of the past—only $475, but a decision we would later regret. All in, our Ford ran $60,520.