Anastasia Chernyavskaya’s Supercharged 2017 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350
For young Anastasia Chernyavskaya and her breathed-upon Shelby GT350, it’s all about going fast …
“My passion for cars started when I was a kid growing up in Russia,” [Anastasia said]. “I had a huge love and respect for cars in general but the first time I saw Eleanor in “Gone in 60 Seconds” (the 2000 movie), I fell in love with the style, body lines and sound of a pure American V8. Since then, I’ve read, watched and explored everything about Mustangs. Unfortunately, my hometown didn’t have a lot of Mustangs due to huge import taxes. Recently people have started to import them more often and there is a big Mustang club in Moscow.
“Growing up in Russia might be challenging but I kept love and appreciation for Eleanor, great driving and beautiful cars forever in my heart. I spent all my available time racing and building cars in the Need For Speed video games and dreaming about someday owning one.
“Fast forward 15 years, I had the opportunity to buy my first car in the United States. It was a 2011 Mazda 6, a beautiful sedan that was needed at the moment. It was a great car but I always felt a need for something sporty and fast … so I got my first Mustang, a 2015 with a V-6, automatic, Guard Metallic, cloth seats. That car was everything to me. I tried everything I liked amongst available visual mods and ended up with a custom vinyl wrap featuring Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, 20-inch Rohana wheels, MB Quart sound system with two 12-inch subwoofers, Eibach lowering springs, GT brakes conversion, Cervini spoiler and side scoops, and JLT CAI. I loved that car to death but I was hungry for more – more power, better handling, more aggressive looks.
“In 2018, I wasn’t able to afford an Eleanor so I turned my attention to GT350s and after one look at an Avalanche Gray GT350, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Hunting for the perfect car for several months, sleepless nights, saving up money for the down payment, unstoppable calls to dealerships and I was finally able to secure a 2017 Avalanche Gray GT350 with Convenience and Tech packs (bigger radio screen and heated/cooled leather seats) and get it delivered all the way from Arlington, Texas, to Arlington, Virginia, where I lived at the time.
“I named the car ‘Akela’ after the Alpha wolf in Jungle Book. The car stands out with its looks but stays humble. It’s one of a kind (at least for me) and it treats me well. I have been on many adventures and trips with it, and it never failed or disappointed me. You probably want to ask me, ‘So if it was so perfect, why did you supercharge it?’ It’s a fair question and the answer is simple for me. I felt that the car has so much potential and can really shine in all possible ways (roll racing, track events, spirited driving, etc.) if I do one simple thing: add boost.”
The list of other upgrades that Anastasia has made is a long one that includes a billet OPG and timing gear, twin-disc Mantic clutch, MGW short-throw shifter, UPR no-wheel-hop suspension kit and oil separators, Archetype racing aero components (carbon fiber front splitter and racing canards), full carbon fiber interior, 305Forged wheels and a resonator-delete X-pipe from Lethal Performance.
“I have had my car supercharged for more than a year now and I fall in love with it more and more,” said Anastasia. “It’s fast, beautiful and reliable. It looks innocent and cute but when that supercharger kicks in at 3,500 RPM, you’d better hold on to something, because it’s going to be an amazing ride!”
(photo credit: Ford Performance)
