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Back before the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 landed, rumors circulated that the track-prepped trim would outright replace the Shelby GT350 and R. And after staying mum on the GT350’s future for months, the Blue Oval confirmed Thursday morning to The Drive that the GT350 will bow out after model year 2020—but also that its phenomenal “Voodoo” V8 isn’t yet in the dirt.
“With the 760-horsepower Shelby GT500 now in full stride, we will finish production of Shelby GT350 and GT350R this fall as planned,” stated a Ford spokesperson. “This makes the way for new additions to excite our passionate Mustang fans for 2021 model year—including the limited-edition Mach 1.”
Something of a cross between the Mustang GT Bullitt and the Shelby GT350R, the Mach 1 combines the former’s uprated 5.0-liter Coyote V8 with a wealth of the latter’s aero and cooling enhancements. One place where it can never compare, though, will be the engine, as the GT350 and its R variant were the only Fords to tout the naturally aspirated, 5.2-liter “Voodoo” V8, one of the largest V8s ever produced with a flat-plane crankshaft. This gave the GT350 a distinctive, howling exhaust note, a sky-high redline of 8,250 rpm and, of course, 526 horsepower and 429 pound-feet of torque.
Naturally, the GT350’s discontinuation leaves the Voodoo without a home, and in an era where the sun is setting on the V8, that would seem to spell its doom. When pressed for comment on the Voodoo’s future, however, Ford declined to comment in any capacity.
At bare minimum, that would at least suggest Ford hopes to reuse the Voodoo elsewhere, even if it can’t guarantee doing so quite yet. Smart money would be on some sort of cameo in the F-150, though an appearance in the GT (or better yet, the Bronco Raptor-slash-Warthog) wouldn’t be unwelcome either.
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