Some cars are fast. Some cars are clever. And some cars burrow their way into your brain and refuse to leave. For Engineering Explained, the 2018 Shelby GT350 is very much the latter.

Nearly ten years ago, after the very first drive, there was a lingering suspicion that Ford had created something genuinely special. And after a decade spent driving everything from absurd supercars to technological marvels, the GT350 still stands tall as one of the finest driver’s cars ever made. Back in 2016, Engineering Explained ended the review with a simple conclusion: “Buy one.” Well, now that advice has finally been taken.

Of course, this particular GT350 comes with a bit of history. Before landing in the driveway, the original Voodoo V8 decided it had had enough of this mortal realm. The dealership technician’s report reads less like a service invoice and more like a crime scene investigation.

So yes — the engine is new. Which, in GT350 terms, is rather like discovering your pet tiger has recently been fitted with a fresh set of teeth.

And that matters because the heart of this thing — the glorious flat-plane-crank Voodoo V8 — is what transforms the GT350 from “Mustang” into something altogether more exotic. It shrieks to 8,250 RPM like an angry Italian supercar, yet still looks like it should be doing burnouts outside a diner in rural America.

Then there’s the Tremec six-speed manual, which feels mechanical in the best possible way. The Torsen differential claws at the pavement with malicious intent. The MagneRide suspension somehow delivers both track precision and road-trip civility. And the Brembo brakes are powerful enough to rearrange your internal organs.

This isn’t just a great Mustang. It may well be the greatest Mustang Ford has ever built.