We are about to witness the birth of a “brand-new” Mustang->ke428, as Ford->ke31 will reveal the new "Pony car" to world on December 5, 2013. A new era in the glorious history the Mustang will begin with the launch of the sixth-generation Mustang.

One name that can never be forgotten and has ever since been attached with all things Mustang is Shelby->ke81. We bet Carol Shelby would've been glad to add his personal touches on the new model. Having said that, Shelby American has just announced a range of performance upgrades for the 2014 Ford Mustang, giving the fifth-generation Mustang the sendoff that it deserves.

The latest set of upgrade will allow customers to experience first hand, the expertise of the legendary Carroll Shelby->ke1359 in performance tuning a muscle car->ke507 that he dedicated his life's work for.

Click past the jump for detailed information on the upgrades from Shelby

2014 Shelby GT/SC

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2014 Shelby GT/SC
  • Engine/Motor: V8
  • Horsepower: 624
  • Transmission: 6-speed manual
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array

History

Carroll Shelby, along with Ford Racing with factory support, launched the Shelby GT in 2007, and about 8,000 Shelby GTs->ke1359 were built back then. Ford assembled the Mustangs at its Flat Rock plant in Michigan and shipped them over to Las Vegas for further modifications. Then, the good folks at Shelby took over to put together some great masterpieces of performance muscle car.

Back then, the Shelby-bound Ford Mustang would start life as a 4.6-liter Mustang GT. Once out of Shelby the Mustang GT would carry 320 ponies under its hood and a new name: "Shelby GT". The factory also produced custom parts for Mustangs that were honed for track use. In 2007 and 2008, Shelby GTs went on to dominate the SCCA racing class.

Exterior

Shelby offers some unique set of modifications for the exterior. On the base GT, you get a front splitter conversion with a GT500 rear spoiler and quarter glass covers. The hood is made of fiberglass to save weight and the Le Mans stripes add some style.

A separate wide body conversion with the option of rear-only or full all-around wide body wheel arches is also available to spicy up the exterior of the 2014 Shelby GT. Among other accessories, Shelby GT front fascia, carbon laminated hood louvers, billet upper grille with Ford running pony emblem and "Powered by Ford" badges on the sides complete the exterior package.

Interior

The interior of the 2014 Shelby GT has been overhauled to keep up with the latest trends. Unique touches to the interior include an A-pillar gauge pod with boost, and fuel and oil pressure gauges. This modification is only available on the GT/SC conversion.

Even the standard GT conversion gets Shelby headrest covers, special GT dash plaque and engine plate. Leather upholstery in black is standard along with electrically adjustable seats.

Drivetrain and Performance

Shelby American's latest offering for the 2014 Mustang GT includes a basic package with a meager 10 horsepower gain, but loads of other Shelby accessories to spice up your standard car.

The latter of the two announcements is the more exciting one with either 525- or 624-horsepower options being put together. The "Shelby GT Standard" is the base pack with 430 horsepower. The slight bump in power is achieved by fitting a Borla performance exhaust and some old-fashioned tuning. The standard package also includes a Barton short shifter.

The "Shelby GT/SC" gives you about 100 more horsepower over the base modification. This upgrade costs $27,995, which sounds like a lot, but given the bump in performance, it definitely seems worthwhile. For that kind of money, you get a Shelby Ford Racing Whipple Supercharger kit in either 525 hp of 624 hp configurations, Shelby cooling system and front splitter. Although, Shelby does not independently confirm the performance figures, they're pretty quick, with a 0-to-60 mph sprint taking an estimated 3.7 seconds and a quarter-mile in an estimated mid 11-second range.

Chassis and Suspension

The base upgrade package gets you 20-inch wheels, shod with BFG G-Force Comp2 tires and a Panhard suspension bar to stiffen up the chassis. Apart from this, the standard upgrade does not offer much in terms of performance or improved handling. Of course, better tires do provide improved grip while the suspension brace results in better cornering.

Shelby has done a whole lot to improve the dynamics of the Shelby GT/SC starting with an aluminum driveshaft, employed to deliver power to the rear wheels in order to reduce the overall mass. Wilwood brakes -- six-pot front and four-piston rear -- for added braking performance.

The 20-inch rims on the GT/SC are painted black and are lined with Michelin Pilot Supersport rubber. Eibach provides stiffer coil-over springs as well as a sway bar kit that should considerably improve the Mustang's handling credentials standard.

Competition

2014 Roush Stage 2 Mustang

Speaking of legendary tuners, Jack Roush and his Stage 2 ROUSHcharged Mustang is the one to lookout for if you happen to be at the wheel of the 2014 Shelby GT/SC, as this pony car on steroids puts out a healthy 625 horsepower, putting it right up Shelby's street. The 5.0-liter, V-8 "Aluminator" features a R2300 supercharger with ROUSH's high-efficiency intercooler.

The suspension on the Stage 2 ROUSHstang has been beefed-up with new front and rear shock absorbers, coil springs, a larger, stiffer front stabilizer bar and a rear anti-wheel hop upper control arm. This upgraded suspension packages makes the ROUSH Mustang a very potent track machine. ROUSH also offers Ultra High Performance Tire (Zeon RS3-S) designed specifically for this car. This gives the ROUSH Stage 2 Mustang the ability to hold 1.02 Gs,while, the Shelby registers only 1 G on the skid pad,

Conclusion

Here you have two of the best names in the business. On one hand you have the 2014 Shelby GT/SC and on the other is the bad boy we like to call, ROUSHstang. The ROUSH offers similar kind of performance and warranty, giving Musrtang faithful something to really think about. Both these men grew up around racing cars and have dedicated their lives to the betterment of a global icon that is the Ford Mustang. Mustang fans are truly spoiled by these two tuners...