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2007 FORD SHELBY GT500: MOST POWERFUL MUSTANG
EVER
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Performance Inspiration: Carroll Shelby and Ford Special
Vehicle Team join forces to create a modern successor to the famous
Shelby GT500 of the late 1960s
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Performance Hardware: 500-horsepower supercharged V-8, 6-speed
manual transmission, race-tuned suspension, four-piston Brembo brakes
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Performance Design: Mustang heritage with aggressive muscular
front-end design, Le Mans racing stripes, unmistakable "Cobra" logo and
Shelby nameplate
What
happens when a legend from Texas reunites with a legend from Dearborn? The
most powerful Mustang ever.
After 40
years, racing legend Carroll Shelby and the Ford Mustang are back together
with the introduction of the 2007 Ford Shelby GT500.
The
collaboration between Shelby and Ford's Special Vehicle Team (SVT) is
yielding an instant collector's Mustang that builds 500 horsepower in its
5.4-liter supercharged V-8.
A modern
interpretation of the Shelby Mustang of the 1960s, the Ford Shelby GT500
uses advanced engineering to attain the performance that made the original
GT500 the king of the road.
True to the
original GT500, it will be available both as a coupe and as a convertible
when it goes on sale in the summer of 2006.
"When
Carroll was developing the original GT350 and GT500, he wanted to build
the most powerful, most capable Mustangs of his day," says Hau Thai-Tang,
director, Advanced Product Creation and Special Vehicle Team. "Our goal
was to build the most powerful, most capable Mustang ever."
Serving as
touchstone and inspirational leader for both the concept and the
production versions, Shelby was impressed by what the team has
accomplished.
"It's one
thing to put 450 horsepower in an exotic supercar," says Shelby. "It's
another to put that much power in something as affordable as a Mustang.
The fact that they not only met their goal but pushed on to 500 horsepower
is a remarkable achievement."
Shelby
knows something about creating modern supercars. He served as a senior
adviser on the team that developed and built the 550-horsepower Ford GT.
Power
Play
As expected of anything with Shelby's name on it, the heart of the car
is what's under the hood. The Ford Shelby GT500's supercharged 5.4-liter,
32-valve V-8 evolves from Ford's experience with tuning its modular, or
MOD, engines. Output is a brawny 500 horsepower.
The engine
is force-fed an air-and-fuel mixture via a "Roots-type" supercharger
providing 8.5 pounds per square inch of boost. The GT500 uses a cast-iron
engine block. It borrows from the Ford GT program aluminum, four-valve
cylinder heads, piston rings and bearings, adding a high level of
performance durability to the drivetrain. "Powered by SVT" camshaft covers
add the finishing touch to the engine.
Helping put
the power to the pavement is a 6-speed manual gearbox. For the performance
driver, its evenly spaced gears mean less "stirring" is needed to find the
"sweet spot." This gives a rewarding experience throughout the engine's
broad torque curve. The heavy-duty transmission has proven itself a
willing companion to Mustangs in both road and track environments,
including recent road-going Mustang Cobras and the new race-winning
Mustang FR500C.
Power
Requires Control
The Ford Shelby GT500 continues a legacy of all-around performance
that made the original a world-class racer on tracks and road courses
around the world.
The Ford
Shelby GT500 starts with the solid Mustang underpinnings. The all-new
Mustang was designed from the beginning with performance derivatives in
mind, providing an exceptionally rigid, well-engineered starting point for
GT500 chassis engineers.
SVT
engineers retuned and upgraded key chassis components. Improvements such
as revised shocks, spring rates and upgraded stabilizer bars help the Ford
Shelby GT500 stop and turn with the same authority as it goes.
The Ford
Shelby GT500 features a MacPherson strut independent front suspension with
Reverse L lower control arms, and a solid-axle, three-link rear suspension
with coil springs and a Panhard rod for precise control of the rear axle.
This rear
suspension design has been validated on the track by Ford Racing. The Ford
Racing Mustang FR500C was purpose-built from the base 2005 Mustang body
structure and suspension geometry to run in the Grand-Am Cup series, a
class of road racing for production-based cars.
Competing
against the best from Germany and Japan, a Mustang FR500C won its first
race in the season opener at Daytona International Speedway in February
2005. It went on to dominate the season and clinch the championship.
"SVT and
Ford Racing will be working closer than ever as we go forward on future
projects, especially Mustangs," says Thai-Tang, a Ford Racing alumnus who
served as the race engineer for the Newman-Haas Racing team in 1993.
To match
this power and handling ability, engineers fitted some of the biggest
brakes in the business to the Ford Shelby GT500. Four-piston Brembo
calipers are fitted to 14-inch Brembo vented rotors up front, and
11.8-inch vented discs in the rear continue SVT's legacy of great-braking
Mustangs. Secure footing is provided by 255/45ZR high-performance tires in
front and 285/40ZR high-performance tires in back. Wheels are 18 inches by
9.5 inches.
The
Snake is Back
One glance shows this is not the typical Mustang Cobra. A
sinister-looking front-end design includes wide upper and lower fascia
openings with a functional air splitter. The upper intake sports the
famous Cobra logo floating off-center in place of a centered galloping
pony found on other Mustangs. On either side, slanting headlamp openings
add to the dramatic front appearance.
The bulging
hood has heat extractors protruding near the leading edge, combining to
provide improved airflow and aerodynamics. As air passes over the hood,
hot air from the engine compartment is drawn out through ducts attached to
the hood extractors.
"The
restrained, performance-oriented SVT design theme has become instantly
recognizable to enthusiasts without brash styling cues," says Doug Gaffka,
design director, Ford SVT vehicles. "The GT500 takes a huge leap forward
by combining the modern Mustang muscle car with the classic Shelby
performance look."
The 2005
Mustang design team drew inspiration from classic 1968 Mustangs, the
models that transformed the mild-mannered pony car into a muscle car with
attitude. Envisioning a high-performance model, the team tested GT500
design cues on the Mustang GT coupe concept that was unveiled at the 2003
North American International Auto Show.
In 2004,
designers further developed the GT500 look on the Mustang GT-R, a
race-bred concept with the dual purpose of foreshadowing SVT's Mustang
design direction and Ford Racing's plans to return Mustang to road racing.
The Ford Shelby GT500 Cobra concept coupe capped the design
conceptualization effort.
The
production Ford Shelby GT500 Coupe now comes into full light, punctuated
by the classic Le Mans-style white stripes that race along the top from
nose to tail. The stripes recall the Shelby Mustangs that marked another
important 1960s Mustang transition when Ford put it on the track to
becoming a racing legend. The GT500 nomenclature is prominent in the lower
bodyside racing stripe, another cue from the classic Shelby Mustangs.
In a touch
also borrowed from the GT500's past, no Le Mans stripes will be seen on
the 2007 Ford Shelby GT500 Convertible. However, the convertible will
sport a cloth top similar to those found on pricier convertibles.
"There were
no Le Mans stripes on Shelby's original GT500 Convertible, so we decided
to pay homage by not offering them on the 2007 Ford Shelby GT500," says
Gaffka. "We also went with a cloth top material as another measure of
substance and authenticity. The fabric used is the same used on the
2002-03 SVT Mustang Cobra, the Thunderbird, Jaguar and Ford's other
high-end convertibles."
The unique
rear fascia features lower strakes inspired by the Ford GT's integrated
rear airflow diffuser, and a rear spoiler reminiscent of a classic GT500.
To mark the collaboration of two Mustang performance icons, the GT500
features Shelby and SVT badging.
The fenders
each feature an updated design of the Cobra. The front grille features an
off-center snake in place of the standard running horse. "GT500" is
emblazoned inside the side rocker stripes, and the name SHELBY is
prominently written across the rear deck. The SVT logo can be seen on the
wheel center caps, a signature SVT location, as well as on the doorsill
plates. To top it off, the medallion between the taillights reads "Shelby
GT500" centered on the Cobra image.
Cockpit
Upgrades
Inside, too, upgraded levels of flair and function abound. The locations
of the speedometer and the tachometer are swapped to provide
performance-oriented drivers with a better view of shift points while
changing gears. Front seats have received additional lateral support to
help keep the driver optimally positioned during cornering. The interior
is offered in a choice of two colors, Charcoal Black or Charcoal Black and
Crimson Red. The charcoal/red offering features Crimson Red seating
surfaces and door panel inserts. Seating surfaces are leather with both
interior treatments. Snake logos embossed in the seat backs finish the
package.
The Shelby
GT500 script and Cobra image are repeated on the steering wheel cap.
Behind the wheel, the gauges wear light faces in keeping with SVT
tradition. The chromed accessories inside the cabin have been replaced
with a satin aluminum finish, including the aluminum shift lever knob that
is nicely positioned for quick, positive shifts.
SVT and
Shelby: The Legends Grow
With the look and legend one would expect from Shelby and the kind of
power and performance enthusiasts have come to expect from SVT, the GT500
points to a brand-new era in Ford's performance future.
Shelby
first put his name on a Mustang back in 1964 when he was asked to inject
some high performance into the brand-new pony car. The result was the
GT-350R, a lightweight, handling-focused race car that earned Mustang its
first performance credentials. Subsequent Shelby Mustangs included a
street version of the race car, the GT-350, and what was known as the
"rent-a-racer" Mustang, the GT-350H, a joint project with the Hertz rental
car corporation.
The
ultimate Shelby Mustang of the era was the GT-500KR, or "King of the
Road." Powered by a big block 428-cubic-inch "Cobra Jet" V-8, the GT-500
was one of the most powerful, and memorable, muscle cars of that period.
Shelby Mustang production ceased in 1970 with a total volume of 14,559
units.
The Ford
Special Vehicle Team brought high performance back to Mustang in 1993.
After 12 years, with nearly 80,000 high-performance Mustangs on the
streets and total SVT vehicle production nearing 145,000, SVT is primed
for growth with the GT500 serving as the foundation for other performance
Mustang projects.
By bringing
together Shelby and Ford SVT, the company's commitment to performance
becomes as powerful as at any time in its history – including the famed
"Total Performance" days of the 1960s. From the Ford GT supercar, the
GT500, to a rejuvenated Ford Racing Performance Parts program, performance
and racing can drive innovation and add luster to Ford's proud brand
heritage.
"SVT will
remain the leader in performance vehicle engineering," says Thai-Tang. "It
will continue to build new, innovative products using advanced processes
that will not only provide great enjoyment to the dedicated driving
enthusiast, but that also will provide great benefit to other Ford
products and Ford Motor Company itself."
The Ford
Shelby GT500 will be built at the Ford-Mazda joint venture, AutoAlliance
International, in Flat Rock, Mich. |
