True Love
For Sale: 1 kidney, slightly used. No idea what its worth, but will trade for new Shelby GT500. Seriously; I love this car that much. But the thing is, I knew I would; Ive had a penchant for V8 powered muscle cars since, well... forever, and when it comes to V8 powered muscle cars, the Shelby GT500 is simply the best. So, when Ford lured me to a dark and stormy Detroit for the unveiling of their new test facility with promises of seat time in SVTs latest creation, my answer was quick: hell yes!
For you see, Id driven a few examples of Fords previous Cobra. With a supercharged 4.6L DOHC motor putting | | The Shelbys unique front fascia looks quite similiar to the Mustangs, but is surprisingly different. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press) |
out what Ford claimed was 390 horsepower (yeah, right... think higher), driving one, either stock or modified, was an exercise in police-motivated self control. Brutal doesnt quite define it; a Herculean clutch, massive tires, and instantaneous and explosive torque | | Low-mounted fog lamps, a taller grill, domed hood, and revised headlights are the most noticable changes... (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press) |
delivery made it a true heros car, and it has since earned the questionable reputation as one of the ultimate street racing steeds of choice for that precise, adolescent reason. So, is what amounts to the new Cobra any different?
Again, hell yes. Introduced to me on a slow ride and handling test course, | | ... oh yeah, and the motors a little different from a standard Mustangs too; with the same aluminum 5.4L block as the Ford GT, only topped off with a roots, rather than screw-type supercharger. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press) |
the new GT500 immediately shone as a vastly better machine than the old Cobra. For one, the new car looks absolutely stunning. Sure, the old Cobra looked about as ready to kick butt and take names as Sylvester Stallone in Rocky (pick one, any one), but it doesnt hold a candle to the chain-gun wielding Arnold | | Again, it looks like a Mustang, but the darkened dash panel, and Shelby steering wheel give it away. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press) |
Schwarzenegger-in-Predator looks of the GT500. With an array of new body parts, the GT500s design isnt so much the product of a design studio, but rather of the wind tunnel, where things like a new, lower front air splitter were devised to improve aerodynamic efficiency. Taller grille openings devoid of the standard V8 Mustangs fog lights (theyve been moved below the bumper) mean more air goes into the engine bay, while the domed | | Close up you can appreciate the detail work on the blacked-out dash, as well as the brushed (as opposed to chome) vent trim rings. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press) |
hood, required to clear the roots supercharger atop the 5.4L V8 (more or less the same modular motor as in the Ford GT, albeit with a different supercharger), gets functional air extractors near the front, a necessity on a car that was designed to be flogged mercilessly at length. The final touch, and largest concession to the original is the Cobra emblem. Larger than the original and slightly different in design, its mounted on the drivers side of the grille, and | | Out behind the business end of things is where the car is loudest, although its still far quieter than the old Cobra was. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press) |
looks absolutely wicked.
The rear view (the one youre most likely to see) is even better; a ducktail spoiler reminiscent of the original GT500 sits atop the trunklid, while a rear diffuser inspired by the Ford GT sits below the bumper, cleaning up the underbody airflow. Finally, a Cobra gas cap emblem lets you know exactly what it was that just dropped you like a bad habit.
And settling inside only continues the good news. Really, nothing more than a slightly revised Mustang GT interior, the new Shelbys interior | | A big part of the cars easygoing nature is the light and progressive clutch and smooth Tremec transmission. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press) |
isnt anything new, but as a big proponent of the regular Mustangs already excellent retro-themed interior, the Shelbys little touches were welcome improvements. One such touch; more heavily bolstered seats, was especially welcome on the high speed test track and autocross course Ford had set up, where the chairs did a top notch job of being both comfortably soft and yet still supportive, unlike some of its competitors hard-as-a-church-pew seats.
Once behind the steering wheel, the overall blackness of the interior hit home, with everything from the steering wheel spokes to the dash | | Maneuvering it through areas like this is easy, and commuting in a Shelby is a drool-inducing thought. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press) |
to the vents themselves getting the dark treatment. Better suited to the two interior color schemes (black on black and black on red), the new black stuff looks dark and businesslike; with the only points of brightness being the trim rings brushed aluminum surface and signature white-faced SVT gauges. Coincidentally, those gauges are different in more ways than just their color; the tach and speedo have swapped positions with the aim of increasing the tachometers visibility. Another nice touch is a dash covered in leather instead of hard plastic, although how it will last over the long haul is anyones guess.
But really, none of | | Good at low speeds, the Shelby is godlike at more aggressive throttle openings. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press) |
that matters the second you turn the key. Starting with a resounding bark from the purposeful dual exhaust, the motor quickly settles into a quiet rumble thats much less noticeable than the Cobras. While some will welcome this switch to a quieter exhaust, I personally wouldnt mind opening up the pipes a little, but no doubt a plethora of aftermarket tubes will be made available for like-minded individuals. Pulling out of the parking lot with a herd of fellow journalists watching was a stressful experience, but the light clutch proved exceedingly progressive in its engagement, even after being beaten on by numerous writers and testers alike. Requiring almost no throttle to creep forward, it was immediately evident | | These air extractors are just one of the things that lets journalists and owners alike flog these cars for days at a time without pause.
(Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press) |
that maneuvering the GT500 through morning traffic would be no more difficult than doing so in a regular Mustang GT, and far from the chore it was in the old Cobra.
Once out on the first test track; a speed-limited windy course with plenty of elevation change, the GT500 revealed its forgiving nature. Riding across the varied track surface no more harshly than an SRT8 or M3, the GT500 felt firmly planted, and exuded confidence around every single agonizingly slow corner. Forced to keep the revs below 3,000 rpm, the whole experience could actually be summed up by saying it was like driving a super-tight Mustang GT.
After doing my slow speed duty, setting out on the high-speed test track was a joy. Still limited to a slightly | | The live rear axle underneath the car works well too, keeping the back tires perpendicular to the ground regardless of suspension compression; making the car very predictable.
(Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press) |
more bearable 70 miles per hour around the two loops (one a large radius bend, the other smaller), the GT500 felt just as it had on the slow speed track: calm, composed, and frustratingly capable of more. But after only a few familiarization laps in a fetching red GT500 coupe, the foreboding skies opened, and the view across the vented and striped hood revealed nothing but black cumulonimbus clouds and almost continuous lightning strikes. A truly inspiring moment for someone thats never seen such a thunderstorm (I can count the annual number of lighting strikes I see on the west coast on one hand), I figured I might as well make the most of the incredibly dramatic scene and lay into the car that Id heard so much about. Coming out of the start/stop parking lot at the lowest possible speed, I spent | | Is it a gas cap? No. Do I care? Sort of. Does it look cool? Hell yes. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press) |
the next 10 seconds of my life in what must have been heaven. The cabin filled with a deep bellow, the roots blower came on full song, the huge 285 series rear tires begged for mercy, a great force pressed me into my seat and the back end wiggled almost imperceptibly. The shifter slammed into the second of six available gears seemingly on its own, and amid all the fury surrounding me, I swear the clouds parted, a single ray of light shone down from the heavens, and the sound of angels filled my ears. It was a truly religious experience. And then we broke for lunch.
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