Investing In A Legend

Some people aspire to raise horses with dreams of having hundreds of picket-fenced acres to accomplish this goal. They'll probably start off slow—maybe buy a few ponies or, if they're well staked, several dozen. This would require an investment bigger than the annual budget of most Third-World countries. The smart ones, however, will buy 500 horses and corral them under the hood of a Ford Mustang. The proper name of this "ranch" is the 2007 Ford Shelby GT500.

SHELBY'S KING OF THE ROAD

Forty years ago, legendary race car driver Carroll Shelby collaborated with Ford Motor Company to develop the first GT500 (and its muscle-bound little brother, the GT350). The goal was to build the most powerful and capable Mustangs of the day. The ultimate Shelby Mustang at the time was the GT500KR (KR for "King of the Road").

The original GT500KR was powered by a big-block 428-cubic-inch "Cobra Jet" V-8. The car was one of the most powerful and memorable muscle cars of that era. When Shelby Mustang production ceased in 1970, it had built a total of 14,559 units.

Decades passed and Shelby went on to do other things, including undergo heart-transplant surgery and sell lots of chili. For a time, he was physically curtailed, but someone forgot to mention that to his brain, since he still had his hand in developing a multitude of vehicles. Shelby teamed up with his old boss at Ford Motor Company—Lee Iacocca—who, by that time, was CEO at Chrysler. Shelby's efforts advanced from simply putting stripes and decals on a Dodge Charger to developing a full-fledged "Skunk Works" factory in Whittier, California, which transformed Dodge Omnis, Chargers, Lancers, Shadows, and Dakota pickups into lean, mean, street machines. Shelby was also the inspiration for development of the Dodge Viper. Chrysler selected him to drive the Viper when it was the pace car for the Indianapolis 500—the second time he was chosen by Chrysler.

BIRTH OF THE SHELBY GT500

Far from the standard Mustang V-8 with GT500 markings, the new Shelby is one of the most fearsome-looking vehicles on the road, from the distinctive "take-no-prisoners" grille with the Cobra logo positioned in place of the galloping pony, found on more "mundane" Mustangs, to the rear spoiler reminiscent of the classic GT500 and the Ford GT-inspired strakes on the rear fascia. Although the fuel-tank door is located on Mustang's traditional left side, a Cobra gas-cap emblem is situated on the deck lid, midway between the tail lamps.

The stripes come in four colors— Performance White, Vista Blue, Tungsten, and Satin Silver. With the exception of Vista Blue (which can only be paired with a Performance White exterior), stripes can be matched with at least three of the seven available exterior colors—Torch Red Clearcoat, Alloy Clearcoat Metallic, Vista Blue Clearcoat, Performance White Clearcoat, Tungsten Grey Clearcoat, Grabber Orange, and Ebony Clearcoat.

PACKING A PUNCH

Now that everyone knows what it looks like, it's time to describe the power that makes it a GT500. The engine is a 5.4-liter (330 cubic inches), 32-valve V-8 that puts out an amazing 500 horsepower. It uses a cast-iron engine block that borrows from Ford's GT program aluminum four-valve cylinder heads, piston rings, and bearings. ("Powered by SVT" camshaft covers add a nice touch.) Torque is rated at 480 lb.-ft. @4,500 RPM and redline is 6,250 RPM. Because this engine is supercharged, the static compression ratio is 8.4:1.

An all-new low-profile intake manifold allows for packaging the entire induction system under the GT500's special air-extractor hood. Camshafts and valve train are specific to the Shelby GT500.

To handle the high torque load generated by the supercharged engine, the proven heavy-duty performance TR6060 6-speed manual transmission was selected. It's operated by a short-throw gearshift lever, ergonomically positioned for any size driver. Rear-end ratio is 3.31:1.

GT500 ROAD TEST RESULTS

What a difference 40 years of technology makes. Comparing the current GT500 statistics with the 1967 GT500 is telling. The 1967 engine was 428 cubic inches with a maximum horsepower of 355 and maximum torque of 420 lb.-ft. at 3,200 RPM. Compression ratio was 10.5:1 and it sported dual Holley 600-CFM four-barrel carburetors (remember them?). With a four-speed transmission and 3:25:1 rear end, the 1967 GT500 had a 0-60 time of 6.7 seconds, a standing quarter-mile time of 91 mph, and elapsed time of 15.3 seconds. Observed top speed was 132 mph.

According to tests by Road & Track, the 2007 Shelby GT500 hits 0-60 in 4.6 seconds and does the quarter-mile in 12.8 seconds at 113.2 mph. Car and Driver tested 0-60 in 4.5 seconds and the quarter-mile in 12.9 seconds at 112 mph. Either way, we're talking swift.

It's especially amazing when one considers the new engine produces 100 more horsepower with 100 fewer cubic inches. As if this weren't enough, it produces 100-300 times fewer emissions and provides a 60-percent increase in average fuel economy compared to corresponding Ford products produced 30 years ago. Average fuel economy for most high-performance V-8s in the 1960s was 6-10 mpg in typical driving. EPA fuel economy estimates for the 2007 Shelby GT500 are 15/21 mpg city/highway.

All this power is funneled through dual custom-tuned mufflers, creating a definitive sound that's music to the ears. According to William Woebkenberg, an SVT engineer, "More than 40 different muffler tunings were tested, measured, and evaluated to come up with the right sound." A special device called a "tuned exhaust crossover" was incorporated to create the special sound. Unlike the H-pipe design used by the Mustang GT, the Shelby GT500 uses an X-shaped stamping to create the desired sound and increase power output through dynamic scavenging.

AGGRESSIVE HANDLING & BALANCED WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION

GT500 retains the Mustang's suspension setup—front coil-over MacPherson struts with reversible "L" lower control arms and rear three-link live axle with coil springs, Panhard rod, outboard shocks, and stabilizer bar.

The car sits on P255/45R18 front tires and P285/40ZR18 rears. Wheels are 18x9.5-inch machined aluminum with SVT center caps. Because of its larger engine, the Shelby GT500 coupe has more weight over the front wheels than the standard GT coupe. Standard Mustang GT breakdown is 56 percent; GT500 is 57 percent. SVT engineers use stiffer anti-roll bars and the GT500's rear bar is larger than its counterpart on the GT, which helps avoid the tendency to understeer because of a heavier nose.

"Stiffer anti-roll bars also provide reduced roll and deliver more aggressive handling and balance," said Dean Martin, SVT vehicle dynamics engineer.

The Shelby sports Brembo front brakes with four-piston calipers and vented 14-inch rotors. In the rear, it carries over the Mustang GT's 11.8-inch vented single-piston caliper rear-disc setup with unique pad material.

To improve durability and steering feel, the 2007 Shelby GT500 adds a brace that connects the rear lower arm bushings side-to-side. A unique steering pump is used and the steering gear utilizes a torsion bar.

SVT tested the 2007 Shelby GT500 at a host of tracks throughout the United States. When asked how long the testing period ran, Tom Chapman, SVT vehicle dynamics supervisor, said "Long enough that we were satisfied, but more importantly, long enough to bring a smile to Carroll Shelby's face."

SAFETY & ANTI-THEFT FEATURES

Safety was also a prime factor during development. GT500 has increased torsional rigidity and features Ford's Personal Safety System and standard driver and front-passenger seat-mounted side-impact air bags. BeltMinder, Securilock, all-speed traction control, anti-lock brakes, and a host of other features are included. The body structure is 31-percent stiffer in torsion, meaning that a twisting force of 15,500 lb.-ft. can deform the body by only one degree. Engineering a body with such high stiffness creates a passenger "safety cage," which helps protect the cabin from deformation and intrusion. The front structure is designed to absorb energy in a controlled manner and dissipate it before it can reach the passenger compartment.

A unique fail-safe cooling system lets GT500 operate under limited power for short distances if engine coolant is lost. If the coolant level sensor reads below a critical level, the engine computer module switches the engine to an emergency limp-home mode, in which only half the cylinders get fuel. The engine operates at lower power and generates much less heat. The vehicle can be moved at moderate speeds—up to 50 mph.

Some of you may be thinking that rather than spend money you don't have on a Shelby GT500, you'll just steal one. Good luck to you, my friend! The vehicle comes with an anti-theft package aimed at combating high-performance car-insurance premiums. Among them are a Separate Alarm Sounder, Anti-Tow Sensor, Ultrasonic Interior Motion Sensor, Perimeter Anti-Theft Protection, and a high-capacity battery that allows longer alarm sounding. Attempting to steal this car with all its inherent anti-theft capabilities would almost guarantee a photo session at your local cop shop and the issuing of a booking and arrest number specifically assigned to you.

INTERIOR ERGONOMICS

Entering the cockpit, the first thing you notice is the extra lateral bolstering of the front seats, a design that increases support during aggressive driving. The GT500 features leather seating surfaces and the classic Cobra logo embossed on the front-seat back. Two interior color treatments are available—Charcoal Black or Charcoal Black with Crimson Red seat inserts and door-trim panels. An optional GT500 Performance Interior Trim Package features a leather-wrapped and stitched instrument panel brow and center console, upgraded door armrests, and aluminum pedal covers.

Once you're firmly buckled in, the world is your highway. The leather-wrapped steering wheel has unique thumb pads, the shift boot is also made of leather, and the parking-brake handle is leather clad. Staring back at you from the steering-wheel cap is Shelby GT500 script and the Cobra image. In keeping with SVT tradition, the gauges are light faced. Chromed accessories inside the cabin have been replaced with a satin aluminum finish, which is also used on the shift lever.

The location of the speedometer and tachometer are swapped to provide performance-oriented drivers with a better view of shift points while changing gears. The gauges also include SVT graphics. Nestled between the tachometer and speedometer is a tandem cluster of four gauges—fuel level, temperature, tire pressure, and oil pressure.

It's apparent the ergonomics boys worked their magic. Everything is within reach and the center stack is well laid out by area of importance. The shoulder belt is something of a problem. It's non-adjustable and catches a lot of people at mid-neck—an annoyance that seems easily correctible but one that hasn't been addressed since the Mustang was completely revised two years ago. Front-seat legroom is quite ample. The rear seats are, well, there.

STAYING AHEAD OF THE GAME

SIRIUS Satellite Radio can be ordered either with the standard Shaker 500 audio system or the optional Shaker 1000 system. The Shaker 1000 amps up to a full 1,000 watts from the standard system's 500 watts and includes two subwoofers as part of its 10-speaker array and a standard audio input jack. Both the Shaker 1000 and the eight-speaker Shaker 500 systems include AM/FM stereo with a six-disc in-dash CD changer and MP3 capability. Bright doorsill trim plates feature the SVT script.

The Shelby GT500 would be considered an "affordable" muscle car if the sticker price was in the $50,000-$60,000 price range. With an MSRP of "only" $40,930 plus destination of $745 and a gas-guzzler tax of $1,300 it's not a bad sum to pay for a "ranch" with 500 horses.

Buyers of the new Shelby GT500 may be out of the market (at least until the new-car warranty expires), but Mustang enthusiasts who own older Mustangs will be coming to you for the products and services they need to make their Mustangs more "Shelby-like".