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Ford unveils souped-up Mustang Shelby GT

Tuesday, August 8, 2006 · Last updated 9:33 p.m. PT

DETROIT -- Ford Motor Co. is unveiling the latest limited-edition souped-up Mustang born of the automaker's renewed partnership with racing legend Carroll Shelby.

Ford, which has been struggling to sell conventional cars and trucks, could benefit from the luster of the 2007 Ford Shelby GT rubbing off on the rest of its lineup.

The automaker also announced Wednesday a new flagship sedan for Lincoln, its luxury brand.

The Lincoln MKS will be based on a concept vehicle shown at the North American International Auto Show in January and will go on sale in 2008. The concept featured 20-inch wheels - the largest ever on a Lincoln sedan - along with a panoramic glass roof and heated and cooled seats.

Ford unveiled the Shelby GT to dealers in Las Vegas last week and will show it to the public Sunday in an online documentary at http://www.fordboldmoves.com.

Fewer than 10,000 of the 4.6-liter, 325-horsepower coupes will be built. They will go on sale beginning in January.

The Shelby GT is the third modern Shelby Mustang produced by Ford in collaboration with the former race-car driver turned designer, who first refashioned Mustangs in the 1960s. The partnership has also produced the more powerful Shelby GT500 and the Shelby GT-H, which is available only for rent from Hertz Corp.

The Shelby GT is equipped for both street and track use.

"It's got the heart and soul of the Mustang GT pumped up with a great noise, strong motor, and nimble chassis," Shelby said in a statement. "It's one of those rare cars that's really easy to drive really fast."

The cars will begin as standard Mustang GTs from Ford's Flat Rock assembly plant. They are then shipped to the Shelby Automobiles facility in Las Vegas for modification.

While the Shelby GT won't have a big direct impact on Ford's sales, which last month came in behind Toyota Motor Corp. in the U.S. for the first time, the car might help boost the Dearborn-based automaker's prestige.

Such "niche-mobiles" are great for generating positive attention, along with traffic to Web sites and dealerships, said Michael Bernacchi, a marketing professor at the University of Detroit Mercy.

"They allow a sis-boom-bah that regular rollouts of day-to-day vehicles might not give you," he said.

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http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/busine...Shelby_GT.html

On the Net:

Ford Motor Co.: http://www.ford.com

The Legend of Carroll Shelby

7/14/2006 2:39:30 PM - In the first of a 3-part Ford Shelby GT500 (video) series, we see how Ford is bringing high performance back to the muscle car by turning to the man who started it all, Carroll Shelby.

http://www.fordboldmoves.com/episode.aspx?episode=3

Carroll Shelby: A Superstar of Cars
By:Sue Mead

The father of the Shelby Cobra and modified Mustangs of the past is truly a living legend. Yet, at an age when many are cruising the golf links and catching the sun’s rays from a retirement community, Carroll Shelby is cruising the fast-lane of niche product development and catching the attention of auto enthusiasts – those that might own or even rent one of his latest speed demons. The octogenarian’s present projects run from developing the newest hopped-up Ford Shelby GT500 and the GT-H rental car to raising high-protein grain once tilled by the Aztecs, as well as collecting and restoring trains, planes, and automobiles.

“My father was a rural mail carrier and, at three years old, I used to stand on the running boards and tell him to go faster! I used mules to pick cotton at 6 years old, and waited tables and flipped hamburgers in my teens, so I’m really compassionate for the worker,” explained Shelby, who says he has “a thousand things I want to do before I go horizontal.”

With only a “little driving” under his belt, Shelby joined the U.S. Air Corps following high school, and became a pilot, training with Chuck Yeager. “After leaving the service at the age of 29, I started driving and, within three years, I was on a factory team in Europe. I had always wanted to build my own cars,” explained Shelby, whose company division, Carroll Shelby Licensing Inc., founded in 1988, is the exclusive holder of trademarks and vehicle design rights, which consists of some of the world's most famous muscle cars and high-performance vehicles, including the famous Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe.

Continued at link.

http://www.fordboldmoves.com/Article...e-ec992ff3fd30

Pics and specs here:

http://www.rsportscars.com/eng/cars/...onvertible.asp
http://www.rsportscars.com/eng/cars/shelby_gt500.asp

[Gossamer]

I'm confused...you showed pictures of the GT500, but gave a description of the Shelby GT. The article you posted describes the Shelby GT, which is just a pumped up Mustang GT...still has the 4.6, but with 325hp instead of 300.

The GT 500 has a supercharged 5.4 with 475hp, I think. It's too bad that it's so heavy, as performance suffers. They added a LOT of weight to the front half of the car with the 5.4 block (cast iron?), supercharger, intercooler, piping, etc, so that the new GT500 is about on track with the old 390hp Cobra.

[rickey939]

http://www.leftlanenews.com/2006/08/...ary/#more-3643

[Landos Mustache]

The convertible looks retched but the hard top is nice.

They need cooler retro paint jobs though.

[waxcrash]

Convertible base price is $45,775. Hard top base price is $40,930. That's what I call a rip-off even if it is a Shelby.

[Landos Mustache]

Originally Posted by waxcrash

Base price is $45,775.

Ridiculous. You can get so so so much nicer and better cars for that money.

[Gossamer]

Originally Posted by waxcrash

Convertible base price is $45,775. Hard top base price is $40,930. That's what I call a rip-off even if it is a Shelby.

You're talking about the 475hp GT500. I don't know of any other car with that power for that money. I guess it's not for everyone.

[waxcrash]

Originally Posted by Gossamer

You're talking about the 475hp GT500. I don't know of any other car with that power for that money. I guess it's not for everyone.

Yeah, you are right. $41,000 for a 475hp car isn't much. I guess that's why I've always heard Mustangs referred to as cheap speed.

[Landos Mustache]

Originally Posted by Gossamer

You're talking about the 475hp GT500. I don't know of any other car with that power for that money. I guess it's not for everyone.

I never understand this "performace" crap. The US has speed limits, end of story.
This is not the Autobahn (nobody on it would get caught dead with this car anyway), it is not a race to see who can cross the finish line first.

It is a car to drive to work, get groceries, show off how cool you look etc.

You'd think people would be more concerned over fuel efficiency with the high cost of gas these days due to wars and unmaintained oil lines.

[baw]

New Mustang rocks.

[Gossamer]

Originally Posted by Landos Mustache

show off how cool you look

Bingo.

Although you'd be surprised at the number of people that enjoy Test and Tune night at the drag strip, or the local autocross events.

(You think speed limits mean much? )

[IceEnclosure]

Originally Posted by Landos Mustache

I never understand this "performace" crap. The US has speed limits, end of story.
This is not the Autobahn (nobody on it would get caught dead with this car anyway), it is not a race to see who can cross the finish line first.

It is a car to drive to work, get groceries, show off how cool you look etc.

You'd think people would be more concerned over fuel efficiency with the high cost of gas these days due to wars and unmaintained oil lines.

This car can drive comfortably around pot-hole laden Detroit, and be happy.

Who cares about some highway that has a portion that's got no speed limit??? The rest of the world is not like that. And we're talking about 95+% of the world. I see 10 Ferraris a day, but since I'm in Florida, they're useless grocery getters also? Because there's no Autobahn? And I apologize, dunno who fibbed to you, but sometimes, it IS a race to see who can cross the finish line first. Did you miss all the fast cars they've been putting out for years?

Have you heard of drag racing? Autocross? Drifting?

Additionally, this GT500 elicits responses frrom people like "HOLY CRAP, is that the new GT500??" I personally know of two people with the car already, and it's awesome. As Gossammer said, the 03-04 Cobra was less portly, and similar in performance, but this new car has a higher limit for aftermarket improvement and horsepower potential.

And WHO THE **** wants a Mustang with a V6 under the hood? (or a Charger, or Camaro, etc)

I'm really into cars, and fast cars. This car is awesome, and it'll stick it's headlights right up the bumper of many ridiculously fast cars on the Autobahn, while costing A ****-TON LESS. I'd just have to throw some Maximum Motorsports suspension on there, and I'd be happy as heck.

p.s. - this is where you usually say something about penis size

[Gossamer]

Originally Posted by IceEnclosure

p.s. - this is where you usually say something about penis size

true!

[Landos Mustache]

Originally Posted by IceEnclosure

p.s. - this is where you usually say something about penis size

I really don't have to. You summed it up nicely in one neat little package. Pun intended.

[Gossamer]

Originally Posted by IceEnclosure

but this new car has a higher limit for aftermarket improvement and horsepower potential.

I'd be willing to bet that with a good exhaust, new blower pulley, and some time on the dyno, this would see 550hp. And all of those together would cost less than $1000-$2000.

[IceEnclosure]

Originally Posted by Gossamer

I'd be willing to bet that with a good exhaust, new blower pulley, and some time on the dyno, this would see 550hp. And all of those together would cost less than $1000-$2000.

For sure. I know lots of guys with 550WHP 4.6 Cobras. On the new model, changing the factory blower to a Whipple or other would get you 600+.

[angelmb]

The dashboard design is terrible, anybody surprise coming from an american car maker.

[Landos Mustache]

Originally Posted by angelmb

The dashboard design is terrible, anybody surprise coming from an american car maker.

Ya it is weird. I find many american cars to look pretty good on the outside but the inside is always cheap and pickup truck looking.

[Gossamer]

I don't think this is so bad:


(This is from an F-150)

[Landos Mustache]

Originally Posted by Gossamer

I don't think this is so bad:


(This is from an F-150)

That one isn't bad. But to many cars that look cool on the outside still look like cheap assed templates on the inside. If the car is $40,000 it shouldn't be described as "not to bad" but sexy.

I thought the PT cruiser has a cool exterior look when it came out but the inside was retched.

The mini interior matches its exterior.

[Gossamer]

Originally Posted by Landos Mustache

That one isn't bad. But to many cars that look cool on the outside still look like cheap assed templates on the inside. If the car is $40,000 it shouldn't be described as "not to bad" but sexy.

I thought the PT cruiser has a cool exterior look when it came out but the inside was retched.

The mini interior matches its exterior.

Yeah, one of the biggest complaints of (at least the C5) Corvette was the cheap plastic interior on a $50K+ car.

[scottiB]

Originally Posted by angelmb

The dashboard design is terrible, anybody surprise coming from an american car maker.

It's an update of the 68-71 IP. Actually, it follows it quite well.

My father was a Ford employee for 35 years and we had '65-'71 Mustangs (company lease cars). I remember riding in the Blue 1971 Mach 1 when I was four.

The double hoods over the gauges and glove box are a nice touch.

[Gossamer]

Originally Posted by scottiB

It's an update of the 68-71 IP. Actually, it follows it quite well.

My father was a Ford employee for 35 years and we had '65-'71 Mustangs (company lease cars). I remember riding in the Blue 1971 Mach 1 when I was four.

The double hoods over the gauges and glove box are a nice touch.

Yeah, I like it. It fits the retro theme very well with the gauge font and dual-cockpit design.