Taking the 2015 Ford Mustang and making the Shelby GT350 was a no-brainer, but the Shelby GT350R shown in Detroit puts the car in a slightly different light.

Predictably, the sound is pretty good. And the story with the GT350R is about the more aggressive flares and the lack of pounds over the standard GT350, all of which are supposed to make it leaner and meaner.

Especially in Ford Performance’s official blue color scheme, the GT350R casts a more serious look than the classic muscle car costume of the GT350. The carbon fiber wheels on the GT350R also contribute to its rather clean appearance.

I’m not totally sold on the wing, though. It’s fine on its own, but in some profiles it makes the car look very Nissan GT-R. Which doesn’t sound like a bad thing, but it isn’t very American Muscle Car-ish. 

Still, it also makes the car easily identifiable as one-up from the already one-upping GT350. And easy clues to show you have the better version are so important among cars like this.

Photos: Zac Estrada/Carscoops.com

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