Alright who lent the guys over at Garage 419 the keys to a 2010 Shelby GT500 convertible? Well someone’s mistake is our gain as we get to watch the first (of what will undoubtedly be many to come) burnout of this new piece of American muscle.
Of course we’re fans of the new 540 hp Shelby GT500, but Ford may be reaching a little far in the latest press release. It wants us to know that the 2010 GT500 gets two more MPGs than the predecessor. What they forget to mention is the 20 MPG from the 2009 car (calling it a ten percent improvement would probably be too embarrassing.) But hey, every little bit helps.
Ford seems to be auctioning off a few historical pieces for cash But this isn’t part of some fire sale; the proceeds are going to charity. The first retail 2010 Ford Shelby GT500 and a pair of Mustang GT concept cars during the Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach Collector Car Auction on April 9-11.
It’s not hard to understand the significance of the first GT500, and its supercharged DOHC 5.4-liter V8 engine that puts out 540 horsepower and 510 foot-pounds of torque. But the concept cars may be more interesting. These are two of the cars that started touring in 2003 as a preview to the retro look (fifth generation).
All proceeds above MSRP from the sale of the Shelby GT500 will be donated to The Carroll Shelby Children’s Foundation. The two Mustang concepts will be auctioned to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.This sale is all part of the Mustang’s 45th anniversary.
Carroll Shelby got a lot of heart(s), and one of the ways he likes to give back is through his children’s foundation. Shelby knows the popularity of his brand, and so a convenient and gracious way to fill to coffers at the charity is to offer special editions of his cars. Back in November it was the Black Hornet, and now he’s doing it again with a 2009 Musting GT 500 upgraded with the Super Snake package.
Ol’ Shell is offering the car on eBay until February 19th. The package includes multiple suspension and engine upgrades as well as design enhancements. Under the hood is a Ford Racing Supercharger upgrade kit that produces over 605 horsepower and 590 ft.-lbs. of torque. Shelby will also autograph the car.
Shelby announced a new limited-edition Shelby Mustang will be revealed on February 5 at a fund-raiser dinner for the National Hot Rod Association museum. The car will be a track-only "R Model" to commemorating Jerry Titus’ 1965 SCCA Championship with the original Shelby GT-350R.
"In 1965, my team built 37 small block ’R Model’ race-only versions of the Shelby GT350 Mustang that kicked tails on circuits worldwide," said Carroll Shelby. "Working with Ford Racing, we’re going to build a new track day ’R Model’ version of the Ford Shelby GT. It’ll be lots of fun to drive and ready to rip up the pavement right out of the box."
For those who think they may have to wait a while until the 2010 Ford Shelby GT 500 hits the streets for ’ol Shell to make the conversion, this may be some good news: the 2007-2008 Shelby GT will be the base for the car.
The car will come with 550 hp from the 4.6-liter V8. It will also feature a short throw six-speed manual transmission, Grand-Am spec roll cage, upgraded cooling system, 18-inch wheels with racing tires, and racing brakes. All this non-street fun can be yours for $134,995.
Full breakdown in the press release after the jump
