If you put a gun to our head and gave us five seconds to name the greatest American car ever built, we’d spill out the Shelby Cobra’s name faster than even our minds can process it.
Sure, there are a lot of other vehicles that can lay claim to this subjective title, but we reckon that we’d have a lot of people on our side who agree with us when we say that no American car has been as universally loved and appreciated as the Carroll Shelby’s masterpiece.
The question that we’d like to ask though is how a 427 SC Cobra – the grand daddy of them all – can hold up to one of its successors, namely the 2011 Shelby GT500 Super Snake and the ensuing mayhem that follows with that 750 horsepower engine.
To our good fortune, the folks from Hot Rod had the same thought in mind when they took the two Shelbys out on track for a road course and drag strip test to determine which serpent packs a more venomous bite.
Care to find out whose bite is more lethal? Check out the video and see for yourself.
Drew Barrymore has nothing on this little Firestarter. Apparently, some tuners decided to take this Ford Mustang GT500’s 5.4 Liter supercharged V8 engine to another level by getting it up to a dramatic 800hp. And during the dyno testing for this new engine, the tuners got a little more than they bargained for when the engine actually erupted into flames. Not satisfied with the work done, the tuners decided to try it again with the same crazy results. That’s right, these guys tried it again. Isn’t there something about a gas-powered car mixing with fire that should scare the crap out of these people? If not for fear of death, they should at least think about the amount of money that they have just burned to ashes.
You know guys, next time, it may just be easier to take the money out of your wallets and burn that. We’re just saying...
The 5,500 units of the 2011 Shelby GT500 (pictured above) are already sold out, so Mustang lovers best just move on to the next offering from the American automaker; it’s time to start talking about the 2012 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500. We may not have any official details on it just yet, but the power of the Internet, and an untrustworthy auto employee, strike again with a leaked document revealing details on the 2012 model’s ordering guide. Guess that means the GT500’s heart will beat for at least one more year.
Nothing much is going to change for the 2012 model considering the Mustang was just given a little refresh for 2011. It will still see its usual coupe and convertible versions, with prices starting from $49,495 and $54,495 respectively. The list of new options only includes new Recaro leather sports seats, a glass roof, and two new packages.
Under the hood there will be the same aluminum 5.4 Liter supercharged V8, derived from the unit inside the Ford GT super car, that produces 550 HP and 510 lb-ft of torque.
It may still be packing the same gear as the last model, but who really cares? The 2012 Ford Mustang GT500 will probably still sell out just as quickly as the 2011 model did.
Hit the jump to read more about the 2012 Ford Mustang GT500.
Mention a 1967 Shelby GT500 and right away the first car that comes to everyone’s mind is the star of Gone in 60 Seconds. No, we are not talking about Nicholas Cage or Angelina Jolie, we are talking about the beautifully sleek and sexy Eleanor. This is a car that needs no introduction, so it’s no wonder that people are wanting to try and recreate the spirit of this very car.
One of those people is RK Motors, who, in collaboration with Pro Touring Super Cars, have developed a 1967 Shelby Supercharged GT500 that is beyond any imagination. For starters, they took the body of a 1967 GT500 and then added a modern engine to create a perfect combination. After that the tuner added the rear cap and integrated spoiler, C-pillar and quarter panel scoops, nose cone with center-mounted lights, and a vented Shelby hood. After adjusting every detail of the body, RK Motors applied a spectacular Acapulco Blue paint combined with Shelby stripes.
This all may sound fabulous, but the most impressive changes were made under the hood. They used a 4.6 Liter Supercharged DOHC V8 Cobra engine that delivers 444 HP and 495 pounds of torque at the wheels. The package also includes a exhaust system featuring Magnaflow mufflers and tips, 12-way adjustable coil-over shocks, and 18-inch Coys wheels.
All of these spectacular details come together to create a wicked sweet ride which is priced at a reasonable $99,900. This may seem like a lot to some, but the lusciousness that is Eleanor is simply priceless. After understanding that, the price tag really doesn’t matter anymore.
As an American icon, the 1967 Shelby Mustang GT 500 is a car that’s firmly entrenched as one of the true blue classics in Ford’s illustrious line-up of vehicles. The car’s bad-ass looks, not to mention it’s unheard of power at that time, has turned into what Memphis Raines so eloquently describes as the “unicorn” of all vehicles: a car that elicits wide-eyed gasps at first sight of it.
American tuner Classic Recreations is no stranger to the iconic muscle car, having brought their own tuned-up version to SEMA earlier this month. Calling it the G.T.500CR, the car’s recreation of the timeless classic combines the unmistakable look of the Shelby with modern sports technology.
"The G.T.500CR is meant to be driven," says Jason Engel, founder of Classic Recreations. "Although the overall look is vintage Shelby, essentially this is modern sports car technology wrapped in vintage Shelby GT 500 sheet metal. We had a blast watching the car do what it was built to do.”
