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Christopher Jackson | 9/7/2007 | Ford
After years of uneasy peace, it looks like hostilities have broken out in the muscle car war once again. Ford's retro Mustang has taken the market by storm, and both of the potential responses introduced at the Detroit Auto Show in January--the Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger--will be hitting the streets with fire-breathing V8 engines and rear-wheel drive. Suddenly, it's 1969 all over agai
Faced with not one, but two old enemies on the horizon, Ford hasn't even blinked. The Blue Oval boys calmly drew out the vaunted Shelby GT500 badge, dusted it off, and slapped it on the meanest production Mustang ever to see pavement. In short, Ford has looked carefully at the competition, squinted scornfully and said, "Bring it."
Coming up from behind you, this monster Mustang looks like an automotive Angel of Death, all angry headlights and gaping trapezoidal maw. The Mustang's aggressive looks have been cranked up a few notches with a drastically bulged hood, body stripes and a unique airdam. At the rear, a modified rear pan styled similar to that of the Ford GT wraps over the dual exhaust outlets. Retro-styled wheels that are eighteen inches in diameter and a full nine inches wide fill the arches, ready to get a lot of power to the road in a big hurry. The Mustang's nose-down stance is accented by the hood stripes and angry-looking headlamps. The familiar Shelby snake logo pops up in many places as well. The Shelby GT500 is a Mustang with a serious case of 'roid rage, and when you turn your back it's probably whispering really bad stuff about your momma.
Got a problem with this car? We wouldn't advise confronting it. The Shelby GT500 is packing five hundred horsepower under that ponycar hood, thanks to a massively supercharged version of the 5.4 liter DOHC V8. That's a five with two zeros. 500. Get on the power and the supercharger screams like Mad Max's Interceptor, and the Shelby squats and heads for the horizon with gusto, leaving shredded pavement and a warped space-time continuum behind it. This is big, old-school power, but the engine is all-modern, with aluminum heads borrowed from the Ford GT, coil-on-plug ignition and electronic throttle body control. The supercharger is a Roots-type unit than cranks out 8.5 psi of boost. A crunchy six-speed manual transmission manages the power without twisting itself to bits, and while we're not going to say that it's feather-light, we can report that one need not be a body-builder to drive the GT500.
High-powered Mustangs tend to feel somewhat zaftig on the road, and the Shelby is no exception. At almost two tons, this car is no lightweight (it's even about four hundred pounds heavier than a 1968 GT500). The independent front, solid axle rear suspension keeps the body under control, however. Stiffer shocks and springs keep things under control. Mustang fans will be pleased with the way the GT500 sticks in the corners; drivers who aren't used to muscle cars will have to learn to trust it. It feels a bit crude compared to a BMW or Corvette, but it gets the job done in the end. Once all of the weight settles down, the GT500 takes a good set, and on the track it can be steered with the throttle. We wouldn't advise trying that on public roads; the Shelby's limits are far too high for that. If you're fortunate enough to get it on the track, the GT500 offers rewarding, taut handling that belies its straight-line performance roots. Monster-sized Brembo brakes haul the car down quickly.
The cockpit has benefited from the retro treatment as well. There are two interior colors offered--a very Seventies-like all-black, or black and red. Leather seats are standard. White-faced gauges and satin aluminum trim further distinguish the GT500 from lesser Mustangs.
Coupe and convertible versions are available, of course. Pricing is set at just about $40,000, though it will likely be hard to avoid the usual greedy-dealer markup for the first twelve months or so. That may seem steep for a Mustang, but the GT500 is a beast, and the resurrection of a muscle-car legend. It's legit enough that we've had diehard Mopar friends telling us they'd buy one. When a car's got muscle-car guys thinking about switching loyalties, you know it's a very serious vehicle indeed.
Specifications:
All specs are for the 2007 Ford Shelby GT500.
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Length: 188.0 in.
Width: 73.9 in.
Height: 54.5 in.
Wheelbase: 107.1 in.
Curb weight: 3920 lb.
Cargo space: 12.3 cu.ft.
Base price: $39,995
Engine: 5.4 liter DOHC 32-valve supercharged V8
Drivetrain: six-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Horsepower: 500 @ 6000
Torque: 480 @ 4500
Fuel capacity: 16 gal.
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