Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 Test Mule Spotted With a Bizarre Hood Bulge
The last time we saw something like this, it was a dragster. This looks to be something different.
We know an all-new S650 Ford Mustang is just around the corner, but what Ford's doing with this recently spotted test mule is a wild-looking mystery. It's not uncommon to see wild aerodynamics or fender flares on camouflaged prototypes, though it's safe to say this isn't that. Then again, I don't know what it is.
Spotted by spy photographers is a car even they describe as "a rather bizarre Ford Mustang prototype." Most of it appears to be a current-gen Shelby GT350 but it's got a very conspicuous, defining feature: one hell of a hood bulge. Actually, I feel like that's underselling it. It's more of a hood... protrusion.
It's black and looks tacked onto the hood in order to conceal something rather than it being an actual part of the car. It also appears to be completely closed-off so any sort of blower or intake here wouldn't be doing the car much good.
Interestingly, there is precedent to Mustang mules sporting weirdly bulbous hoods. Way back in 2011, a previous-gen Mustang was spotted with a similar-shaped forehead. That car turned out to be a Cobra Jet dragster, something that quickly became obvious given the fact that it was riding on drag-style wheels and tires. This new car, however, has none of that. It just looks like a GT350 with stock (albeit scuffed up) wheels and the biggest of hood lumps, which begs the question: What the hell is this thing?
Is Ford experimenting with sticking tiny four-cylinders on top of the Voodoo V8? Are there a bunch of hamsters on hamster wheels under there as part of Ford's new initiative to provide alternative mobility solutions that don't rely on outrageously expensive gasoline?
In all seriousness, there's a small possibility that this could be related to hybrid tech. We hear the next-gen 'Stang could reportedly get an electrified all-wheel-drive powertrain, so maybe it's a makeshift enclosure for battery components. Or maybe it's something entirely different. Regardless, there's no way a production model would ever have a reverse cowl like this.
If you actually have an idea of what's going on here, don't hesitate to reach out.
Got insider info for the author about this Mustang mule? You can reach him here: chris.tsui@thedrive.com.
