>> Continued From the Previous Page <<
The GT350/TA packs over 830 horsepower from a supercharged 5.0 liter V8, supported by an extreme cooling system and a high flow four tailpipe exhaust. Only 70 units will ever be built, each assembled in Michigan through a partnership with Turn Key Automotive, a builder approved for Trans Am race vehicles.
Shelby did not cut corners. The car is loaded with true Trans Am inspired hardware including upgraded sway bars, a race ready rear differential, fully adjustable struts, and remote reservoir shocks designed for serious track abuse.
Carbon fiber is everywhere. The front splitter, dive planes, hood extractor, mirror caps, and tail panel are all engineered for weight reduction and downforce rather than showroom flash.
Inside the cabin, the focus remains on purpose. A chromoly four point roll cage surrounds leather performance seats stitched with Shelby branding. Carbon fiber trim reinforces that this car was built to be driven hard, not admired quietly under dealership lights.
Forgeline VX1S Racing Wheels wrapped in Pirelli P Zero tires handle grip duties, while an Alcon braking system brings the chaos to a halt when needed.
And then there is the decision that truly lit the fuse.
The GT350/TA is manual only.
Chevrolet’s ZR1X does not offer that option. Its eight speed dual clutch automatic is mandatory, largely because the hybrid system requires constant computer oversight to manage the electric front motor and twin turbo V8.
When Chevy moved the Corvette to a mid engine platform with the C8 generation, the manual transmission quietly disappeared. That move infuriated longtime enthusiasts, especially as Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Maserati also abandoned stick shifts, leaving Porsche as one of the last defenders of driver involvement.
The numbers do not lie. Only 24 new cars in the United States still offer manual transmissions for 2026. Two decades ago, there were hundreds.
Volkswagen has eliminated the manual GTI. Kia dropped its last stick shift entirely. The BMW Z4 and Toyota GR Supra are nearing the end of production, and with them go even more manual options.
Automakers argue that modern dual clutch systems are faster, more efficient, and objectively better.
Enthusiasts do not care.
They care about the bond between driver and machine. They care about timing a shift perfectly, feeling the clutch bite, and earning speed rather than having it delivered by software.
Shelby understands that. Carroll Shelby understood it too.
The GT350/TA exists for drivers who want “complete control” and who reject being reduced to passengers while computers handle torque vectoring and hybrid coordination. It rejects performance designed for “spec-sheet warriors” and instead celebrates skill, focus, and mechanical connection.
The ZR1X will almost certainly post faster lap times. It will dominate drag strips and magazine comparisons.
But Shelby’s message is clear.
Horsepower alone does not define performance. Engagement does.
When those 70 GT350/TA owners fire up their supercharged V8s and row through the gears on a mountain road or race circuit, they will experience something many modern supercars no longer offer.
Real involvement.
That is the bombshell that has Corvette fans fuming and the industry squirming.
Shelby did not build a car for algorithms.
Shelby built a car for drivers.
