Ford Press Release -
Jan. 8th, 2006
2007 Shelby GT500
- 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
- Performance Hardware: 475-horsepower supercharged
V-8, 6-speed manual transmission, race-tuned suspension,
four-piston Brembo brakes
- Performance Design: Mustang heritage with aggressive
muscular front-end design, Le Mans racing stripes, unmistakable
"Cobra" logo and Shelby nameplate
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The Ford Shelby GT500 seamlessly
combines the modern Mustang muscle car with the classic Shelby
performance cues, such as the famous Shelby Cobra logo.
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DETROIT, Jan. 8, 2006
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.
Performance legend Carroll Shelby first
put the muscle in the pony car.
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The collaboration between Shelby and Ford's Special Vehicle
Team (SVT) is yielding an instant collector's Mustang that builds
475 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.
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The rear spoiler of the Ford Shelby
GT500 echoes that of the classic GT500, while the rear air
diffuser is inspired by the modern Ford GT.
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"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 475 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 475 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 "GT500" script emblazoned on the gas
cap emblem is joined by an updated version of Shelby's classic
Cobra logo that is repeated on the grille and the headrest.
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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
The Ford Shelby GT500 convertible builds
on four decades of open-air heritage; the first Mustang was a
drop top. More than 1 million convertibles have been sold
since 1964.
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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.
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The Ford Shelby GT500 features Le
Mans-style white racing stripes from nose to tail, inspired by
those featured on classic Ford Shelby Mustangs.
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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. |
