First Impression: Shelby GT500

Carroll Shelby tuned first-generation Mustangs from 1965 to 1970. One of the Shelby-tuned Mustangs was the Shelby GT500. He claims that the Mustangs after 1970 were too heavy. In 2006, Shelby started tuning Mustangs again and brought back the Shelby GT500 Mustang.

I frequently see the Shelby GT500 on the Houston roads as well as at Houston Cars and Coffee events. It looks just like a regular Mustang except with two racing strips, The GT 500 decal on the sides the signature Shelby Cobra badge on the grill, sides and back of the car, "S H E L B Y" on the rear where it normally says "F O R D."

The Shelby GT500 is powered by a supercharged 5.4L V8, paired with a six-speed manual transmission, that produces 550 hp and 510 lb-ft of torque. It goes from 0 to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds and reaches a top speed of 179 mph. The Shelby GT500 does not get hit with a gas guzzler tax since it gets 23 mph highway. Prices start at $48,645 for the Shelby GT500. The Shelby GT500 is one of the more powerful, quickest, fastest Mustang variants.

The Shelby GT500 has been featured on Top Gear during Series 9, Episode 6 where it was reviewed by Richard Hammond. The current Shelby GT500 is playable in Flatout 2, Project Gotham Racing 3, Flatout: Head On, Flatout: Ultimate Carnage, Split/Second, Need For Speed: Carbon, Need For Speed: Pro Shift, Ford Street Racing XR Edition, Highway Madness, Blur, GT Racing: Motor Academy, Ford Street Racing, Forza Motorsport 2, Forza Motorsport 3, Speed Racing, Twisted Metal, Need For Speed: Nitro, Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit, Need For Speed: Shift, Asphalt 6: Adrenaline, Real Racing 2, Shift 2: Unleashed, Car Town, Driver: San Francisco, and Nitto 1320 Legends.

Final Thoughts: The Shelby GT500 is a very fast, quick Mustang variant. However, it does not like to corner. Carroll Shelby put a lot into the engine, but he did not put modern suspension on the car. The rear live axle is outdated. This causes the GT500 to have horrible handling. It is only good for going in a straight line. The GT500 is great for Drag Strip Racing, but not for race tracks that have corners.

CarJunkie
Photo taken from a digital camera