As the new 2008 Shelby GT500KR makes its debut as the new King of the Road, Ford SVT Chief Vehicle Engineer Kerry Baldori and Shelby Automobiles team members find it difficult to pinpoint their favorite achievement.

Forty more horsepower topping out at 540 hp? The launch feel of 510 lb.-ft. of torque? Confident, poised and predictable handling on the street or at speed? Ford’s first carbon-fiber hood? The fastest production Mustang ever?

Turn the key and the new KR growls to life with the answer – an enthralling, emphatic rumble and crackle that is the unmistakable signature of the latest in Mustang performance.

“This sound is so addictive,” says Baldori. “You know that something special is coming when you hear it.”

Deep and purposeful, the new exhaust note is the product of its more powerful, 5.4-liter supercharged V-8 and an all-new GT500KR stainless steel exhaust system. The new exhaust features smaller, cylindrical resonators, replacing the previous model’s larger, more traditionally shaped resonators.

The new system contributes to a weight reduction of more than 20 pounds and delivers additional reductions in back pressure that help to contribute to improved performance levels.

“Hearing the new KR just gets your blood flowing,” says Gary Davis, Shelby Automobiles vice president of production. “It’s a rumble that true enthusiasts will love and competitors will dread.”

Ever the engineer, Baldori explains that the exhaust note features generous portions of fourth-order sounds for its deep resonance and the crackle of an engine with a true performance edge.

“Don’t you love it?” Baldori asks with a smile that hints at the appeal of the latest Ford SVT product, another successful collaboration with Shelby Automobiles harkening back to the original GT500KR 40 years ago.