hi5.0

You're not alone with that sentiment. I've heard a few people who would rather have that car sporting "SVT" badges over the current ones, given the S197 GT500's development history.

2006GT500

Do you think the SVT Cobra would be any cheaper without the Shelby name?

burningman

It's petty I know but it's no worse than people allegence to Shelby..mine is with classic SVT and John Colleti
I'd guess to that if the Cobra came out as just a Cobra and not a Shelby it would have been a bit more reasonable price wise. Just my take on that.

Boomer

2007 would have been called a Cobra had it not been marketted a GT500.
SVT at that point wasn't badging vehicles, just doing the engineering on them and were severly downsized.
They weren't dead, but the brand wasn't being utilized. (GT500 could be purchased from any dealership)

Ford GT almost killed them though.

Clino

I don't agree that Shelby has done more for the Mustang than anyone else. Maybe back in the 60s yes, but lately? That's 40 years ago, and really doesn't matter anymore. Shelby has done nothing to further the Mustang recently. The Shelby GT was nothing special, and the GT500 is just an SVT Cobra with his name on it. Shelby had little to nothing to do with it.

The GT500 would still be a great car and still sell almost as well if it was just an SVT Cobra IMO. Did Ford sell a few more GT500s to some nostalgic old farts with more money than sense because of the name? Yes, but not THAT many more. If you think that justifies doing next to nothing for the Mustang over the past 35-40 years, I would definately disagree.

hi5.0

Survey says yes. That's why Shelby can set those prices for their versions of the Mustang - because people have been willing to pay for it.

2006GT500

What he did in the '60's is enough to carry over into present day and regardless of if he actively did anything with the Mustang from '71 to '05 who can you say did do anything in that time. Sure Colleti played an influential role, but who else? Saleen, Roush? They're just doing today what they saw Shelby doing in the '60's. I think a lot more than old farts with too much money bought the GT500 cause it said Shelby....me being on of those younger buyers. To say that it doesn't matter anymore is ridiculous. That's like saying WWII doesn't impact the world today or what Martin Luther King Jr. did has no impact today. Granted that's a drastic comparison to most, but not to Mustang loyalist.

Killarney Critter

Against my better judgment, my 0.02 cents worth. Cars are like woman and everyone sees something attractive/appealing in each woman, others see nothing appealing and then go off in search of something else to amuse themselves. Shelby is Shelby, they have a formula, it works, it sells they make money they are still in business and have been partnered with Ford longer than some of you have been alive. It's business, win win for both. Saleen has had financial difficulties as have a litany of others, Shelby still draws them in, sells the cars for whatever price the moment allows. With the downturn in the automotive economy OEM's cutting back on niche programs is nothing new and is understandable. Nascar OEM support has been hacked back, SVT is another one caught in the turmoil of cost reductions. Having worked in automotive my entire career until lately and sat in on the meetings that dictate engineering policy and change can be painful, to see the amount of R &D, money and testing that goes into bringing a vehicle to market is mind boggling, then to see the plug get pulled is disheartening but a reality. With all that going on in the automotive world Ford still put out a pretty decent car in the GT 500, have one, love it. You may not love it as I do but that doesn't change my view on my car. If this latest Shelby is hyped to death and sells, all it does is re-enforce the Mustang lineage further and add more media attention to the base car Mustang. All good for sales and consumer interest. In the end, tomato or tomahto, all good. Sorry for the length got caught up in my messed up head....

2006GT500

Shelby doesn't set prices for anything, Ford does.

Boomer

Did Shelby charge for the use of those monkiers?
and if so, do you think Ford would absorb that cost and not raise the prices of the car?

I don't have the answers dollar wise, but just sayin.

2006GT500

Sure SAI get's paid to use his name and the GT500 namesake, but that doesn't mean that Ford or dealers wouldn't try to capitalize on that as well.

2006GT500

To add to all of this, you guys complain about the Shelby cars, when Saleen and Roush charge even more for their top of the line cars.

Wolfsburg

Getting back to the GT-350, if what people have said is true, it does indeed sound disappointing. I guess I'll find out for sure tonight...

Boomer

Of course not, and I'm not saying that.
The question was, do you think that a 2007 Mustang Cobra would have costed less than a 2007 GT500 being the exact same car?

The name in itself pulled in sales and generated interest.

Boomer

Why does it sound disappointing?
Maybe other than cost.

2006GT500

To get back on topic, I've heard it has a centered exhaust, and that it looks cool. This was the opinion of one person who got an early peak. I attempted to see the pictures he saw, but apparently they're all getting pulled off the internet.

hi5.0

Waiting for that too. Based on the hints of reworked front and rear ends, and another poster's opinion on the pics that "disappeared" earlier, guessing it will be more like the '69-'70, not the iconic '65-'66.

codeman94

bummer... I never saw the pic...

Twin Turbo

Well..........I've got the photo on my PC

Guys, guys, guys....this is a very emotive subject, for sure. For what it's worth I love Shelbys past and present. Do they offer good value? Probably not. Are they any better than what the average Joe could do with aftermarket parts? Probably not. Now, I'm taking nothing away from Mr Colletti and the SVT team, but the Shelby name has a mystique to it. That's based on history, on sepia photos from the 60's. A kind of magic, I guess. Some people will pay big money for that.

Saleen, Roush, Steeda.....they are all producing great Mustangs, but it was Carroll who got there first. And that legend lives on.

Now, when does that photo embargo end?

Oh, and er......

burningman

I'm just sayin