2017 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R in White Paint

Owner Randy Smalley waited two full years to get his hands on this 2017 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R in white with blue and red stripes, and when asked why he had to have this particular car, his answer was simply, why not. Underneath the understated paint sits a flat-plane-crank Voodoo V8 built for the track, not the driveway. Watch to hear that engine come alive.

White paint on a performance car usually signals restraint. Nothing about this particular Mustang is restrained once the engine fires up. This 2017 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R, finished in a clean white with blue and red stripes, sits in a suburban driveway in Mesa, Arizona, looking almost understated until the exhaust note makes it very clear that this is not a car built for quiet Sunday drives. What is it about this specific combination of engine, chassis, and stripes that made one owner wait two full years to finally get his hands on it?

Two Years of Waiting for the Right Mustang

As the host of My Car Story explains while walking around the car, the owner, Randy Smalley, had been thinking about a GT350R since 2015 but did not actually take delivery until this white example landed in his driveway in early 2017. When asked the obvious question, why go through the trouble of waiting two years for this specific car, Randy’s answer was refreshingly simple: why not. That kind of patience for a single model tells you something about how dedicated GT350R buyers tend to be.

⚑ Featured Gear

Start Car Conversations →

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

The Track-Focused Details That Set the R Apart

The GT350R distinguishes itself from the standard GT350 through a genuinely track-focused approach rather than just a badge and a spoiler. Ford stripped weight wherever possible, added carbon fiber wheels as a factory option, a first for any American production car at the time, and tuned the chassis specifically around road course performance rather than street comfort. The result is a Mustang that trades some daily livability for genuine on-track credibility.

A Voodoo V8 That Sounds Nothing Like an American Engine

Underneath all of that sits Ford’s flat-plane-crank 5.2 liter Voodoo V8, an engine that gives the GT350R its signature high-revving, almost exotic-sounding exhaust note, a sound the video captures in full as the engine is put through its paces. Flat-plane crankshafts are common in Ferrari and other exotic V8s but were a genuine rarity for an American V8 at this price point, which is exactly why the GT350R’s engine note became such a talking point among enthusiasts.

Why This Channel Finds the Best Owner Stories

The GT350R has held its value unusually well in the years since, with clean, low-mileage examples like this one commanding a premium over standard GT350s specifically because of the carbon wheel package and the car’s genuine track pedigree. Cars built around a specific, uncompromising mission tend to age better than cars built to please everyone, and the GT350R is a clear example of that principle in action.

What Carbon Fiber Wheels Actually Buy You

My Car Story with Lou Costabile has built a loyal following specifically by tracking down owners like Randy in ordinary suburban driveways rather than at polished auctions or dealer showrooms, letting the actual owner explain their own reasoning rather than reciting a spec sheet. That format gives viewers something auction coverage rarely captures: the genuine, sometimes irrational enthusiasm that drives someone to wait two years for one specific color combination on one specific car.

No Back Seat, No Compromise

The GT350R’s carbon fiber wheels alone represent a meaningful chunk of unsprung weight savings compared to the standard GT350’s aluminum wheels, a detail that translates directly into sharper turn-in and quicker direction changes on track. Ford’s willingness to offer that kind of motorsport-grade technology on a production Mustang, rather than reserving it for a limited-run halo car, is part of why the GT350R still gets singled out as one of the most engineering-focused Mustangs Ford has ever built.

A Two-Seat Mustang Built for One Job

The GT350R was also a strictly two-seat proposition, deleting the rear seats entirely to save additional weight, a choice that underscores how single-mindedly Ford pursued lap times over practicality with this particular trim. Buyers who wanted a back seat simply bought the standard GT350 instead, leaving the R version as a genuinely uncompromising choice reserved for enthusiasts who cared more about a stopwatch than carrying passengers.

Watch the full video and share your thoughts below.

Republished by Blog Post Promoter