Shelby Blog
Shelby Racing returns to the trackFiled under: Motorsports, Time Warp, Sports/GTs, Shelby 
Click above for more classic Shelby race photos from the Ford archives
When the vintage racers hit the track for the 2008 Kohler International Challenge at Road America this weekend, the Shelby Automobiles Racing Team will be officially represented for the first time since the late 1960s. Ford is one of the event sponsors and is backing the Shelby effort, which will field four CSX4000 Shelby 427 Cobras in the event. To hear Carroll Shelby tell it, there's probably more to come. In Ford's official announcement (pasted after the jump), Shelby is quoted as saying, "My goal is to return us to professional racing and this is just the beginning." Does that mean we'll be seeing factory-backed Shelby Mustangs in other racing series as well? Who knows. Still, it's kinda cool that the team's official return is at a vintage event, driving brand-new continuation-series cars like the ones that started this whole thing way back when.
[Source: Ford / Shelby Autos]Continue reading Shelby Racing returns to the track Permalink | Email this | Comments
GT500KR underrated? 5.0 Mustang dyno tests the King of the RoadFiled under: Coupes, Sports/GTs, Ford, Shelby 
Click above for a high resolution image
There's horsepower, and then there's dyno-tested, can't-lie-to-your-friends horsepower. If you want to know how much power a car really makes, you've got to strap it to a dyno and spin it to redline. The guys over at 5.0 Mustang & Super Fords are always eager to find the true horsepower of a car, and so when they took delivery of a GT500KR to review they headed straight to the dyno to see how much power the supercharged V8 is putting out. What they found was somewhat surprising -- the KR produced 509 horsepower and 467.7 lb.-ft. torque to the wheels. Adjusting for an estimated driveline loss of 15 percent, the actual output at the flywheel is 589.82 hp and 550.24 lb-ft torque -- nearly 50 more horsepower and 40 more lb-ft than Ford is claiming. Take that Z06!
[Source: 5.0 Mustang & Super Fords] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
eBay Find of the Day: 2008 Shelby Super SnakeFiled under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Auction Action, Supercars, Ford, Shelby 
Click above for gallery of the Super Snake
Despite the Shelby GT500KR's claim of supremacy over the dominion that is the open road, there is yet another Mustang that is even more extreme. Shelby's Super Snake package for the GT500 offers up to 725 horsepower and even more aggressive options for the suspension and braking systems. Available as a post-sale conversion for the GT500, the transformation can be performed at the Shelby facility in Las Vegas or at one of the official mod shops around the country. There have been a handful of owners who have already converted their GT500s, and one is already for sale on eBay. Something seems wrong with the seller's math, however, because a "Buy It Now" price of $200,000 is far more than the cost of a GT500 plus the $31,995 needed for the 725 horsepower conversion. We could understand the markup if these were in high demand, but pretty much any GT500 owner can send his car to get converted. So unless you really can't wait, keep your mouse away from the bidding button and just enjoy the gallery below. Thanks for the tip, Brad!
[Source: eBay Motors] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Round Two: Second Unique Performance auction set for JuneFiled under: Aftermarket, Time Warp, Tuners, Auction Action, Government/Legal, Ford, Shelby 
The epic saga of Unique Performance and its fall from grace isn't over yet. An auction was held in March to help clear the bankrupt company's back debts, but it only raised $1 million. That wasn't enough to compensate the many ripped-off owners and fleeced employees, not to mention the federal government. Auction firm Rosen Systems has a new, very spare listing on its website for another Unique Performance auction coming up on the 24th of June. The scarce information offered by Rosen Systems only states "approximately 40 Mustang Fastback shells, body parts, tools, lifts." A catalog of items to be offered for this online-only event has yet to be released, but it's safe to assume that these are the items that failed to sell the first time around. We're not sure we'd consider this auction a good way to get a viable Mustang body unit, with reports of multiple gallons of body filler in each car. Thanks for the tip, Cameron!
[Source: 67MustangBlog]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
And you thought $79,995 was crazy...GT500KR for sale on ebay for $154,991.00Filed under: Sports/GTs, Auction Action, Ford, Shelby 
When Ford announced the GT500KR's based price of $79,995, many of you thought that it was pretty steep for a Mustang. Even though it's a limited edition Shelby with 540 horsepower, $80,000 can buy a lot of really nice cars. What's even more insane is that we know people will not only buy the KR, but they will pay tens of thousands of dollars over MSRP just to have one. The only question was how much dealers would try and gouge. That question has been answered. Lone Star Ford in Houston, TX has put up a red GT500KR on eBay Motors with a "Buy It Now" price of...$154,991.00. That's nearly double the MSRP. Who knows if anyone will actually buy it at that price, but going off what happened with the standard GT500, then it's quite possible. While we enjoyed our first drive in the GT500KR (check out Part 1 and Part 2), we can think of quite a few cars we'd rather have for $150,000.
[Source: eBay Motors] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Shelby celebrates 85th birthday and 1966 Le Mans victory with Commemorative GT40Filed under: Time Warp, Coupes, Sports/GTs, Supercars, Shelby
We got our first look at Shelby's 85th Commemorative GT40 back in January at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale. It's as close as you can get to the real thing without spending millions on an original GT40 with the chassis and body nearly perfectly replicating the original. Shelby Distribution has now issued an updated press release as well as the official photos. The GT40, built by Superformance but officially badged a Shelby, celebrates both Carroll's 85th birthday as well as the dominating 1-2-3 Le Mans win in 1966. It's available in all three colors of the original race cars - Arcadian Blue, Black, and Red - as well as unique Shelby badging on the door handles, headlights, side graphics, and floor mats. No engine specs are available since each comes as a rolling chassis, but the engine bay is built to accommodate any Shelby-badged V8 crate engine. Anything but a 427ci V8 would be just plain crazy, though. Follow the jump for the press release and check out nearly fifty high resolution photos in the gallery below.
[Source: Shelby Distribution USA] Continue reading Shelby celebrates 85th birthday and 1966 Le Mans victory with Commemorative GT40 Permalink | Email this | Comments
First Drive: 2008 Shelby GT500KR, Part 2Filed under: Coupes, Sports/GTs, Ford, Shelby 
Click above for new high-res gallery of our GT500KR First Drive
Our initial drive of the Shelby GT500KR on public roads revealed that Ford, SVT and Shelby had addressed many of the issues that we had with the standard GT500. The KR's revised suspension is better balanced and more capable of handling the excessive amounts of horsepower and torque that the blown 5.4L generates, and a new short-throw Hurst shifter makes changing gears a joy instead of a chore. To top it all off, a Ford Racing cold air intake, new exhaust system, and 3.73 gears give the KR an extra kick in the pants. The changes were so spot-on that we wondered why Ford didn't build the GT500 this way in the first place.
With a ride like the GT500KR, however, only so much of the car can be experienced on public roads. At 540 horsepower and 510 lb-ft torque, the KR quickly reaches posted speed limits and the car stays well under its limits around corners. Fortunately, Ford let us loose to run hot laps around Miller Motorsports Park. Follow the jump to see how the "King of the Road" fared at the track.
All photos Copyright (C)2008 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.
Click here to read First Drive: 2008 Shelby GT500KR, Part 1. Continue reading First Drive: 2008 Shelby GT500KR, Part 2 Permalink | Email this | Comments
First Drive: 2008 Shelby GT500KR, Part 1Filed under: Coupes, Sports/GTs, Ford, Shelby 
Click above for a high resolution gallery of the 2008 Shelby GT500KR
I have to admit, the Shelby GT500 was somewhat of a letdown. I have no complaints about the 500 horsepower or the muscular lines, but at nearly 4,000 pounds, it's got a serious weight problem. The iron block, 5.4-liter V8 and the addition of a supercharger puts much the weight in the worst possible place -- the front -- so the GT500 feels unmotivated around the corners compared to a regular Mustang GT. Other complaints include a suspension that doesn't seem up to snuff to handle the prodigious power, as well as a vague and rubbery shifter. Despite its shortcomings, the GT500 is one of the world's best performance bargains. Never before has such a powerful car been available for so little cash (although the Ford dealers did a pretty good job of ruining its value with markups). Still, one couldn't help but think that the GT500 could have been better.
All photos Copyright (C)2008 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.
Check out First Drive: 2008 Shelby GT500KR, Part 2 by clicking here. Continue reading First Drive: 2008 Shelby GT500KR, Part 1 Permalink | Email this | Comments
Caroll Shelby takes delivery of paddle-shifter-equipped Superformance Daytona CoupeFiled under: Time Warp, Coupes, Shelby 
Click the image above for a high resolution gallery
You might expect that Carroll Shelby has quite a collection of cars. He's even put up a few for sale recently, including his personal 1969 GT500 Convertible that he's owned since new at Barrett-Jackson this year and the unique Cobra Supersnake that sold for $5,000,000 at last year's auction. A few years ago Shelby also auctioned off one of the six original Daytona Coupes that he had owned for more than twenty years. He must have missed it in the garage, because he requested that Superformance build him one of their new Daytona Coupes. Designed by Peter Brock, the same man who penned the original, this modern version of the Cobra Coupe retains the wonderful shape of the original while offering some creature comforts not found in the race car. Carroll's personal car, which was delivered to him this week, features the "Guardsman Blue" paint scheme of the original cars as well as the #98 that on the car he previously owned. Unique to the car is a one-off paddle-shift transmission designed by MasterShift mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. Power comes from a 427SR Roush crate engine pushing out nearly 500 horsepower. Follow the jump for the press release and check out the gallery below of the car you wish you owned.
[Source: Shelby Distribution USA] Continue reading Caroll Shelby takes delivery of paddle-shifter-equipped Superformance Daytona Coupe Permalink | Email this | Comments
First 2009 GT500KRs roll out of Shelby AutomotiveFiled under: Tuners, Sports/GTs, Ford, Shelby 
Click on the image for more live shots of the 2009 GT500KR
We got a chance to visit Shelby Automotive out in Las Vegas a week or so ago to witness the first 2009 GT500KR going through final assembly. Although the KR was originally intended to be an '08-only model release, demand for the new King of the Road was high enough that Ford and Shelby decided to keep on rollin' for another year and plans to offer an additional 746 units for 2009. As a refresher, these beasts are powered by a 540-horsepower version of the GT500's supercharged V8. If you love special edition versions of the Mustang like this one but aren't ready yet to buy, fear not... we have a feeling that there will be many more to choose from in the coming years.
Travel and lodging for this media event was provided by the manufacturer, as were the photos, since our camera was stolen on this trip.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
Have lunch with the legends at the new Shelby Corner CafeFiled under: Lifestyle, Shelby
The newest place to eat in Vegas isn't anywhere close to the strip, unless you are talking about the drag strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Shelby Automobiles will open its new Shelby Corner Cafe at its Las Vegas facility this weekend alongside the NHRA drag races. Mr. Shelby himself will be on hand for the opening, along with well known drag racers like Bob Tasca III, Don Prudhomme, and Robert Height. The 13,000 square foot restaurant, in addition to serving guests visiting the plant, will provide a place to eat for Shelby employees and will serve as an alternative source of grub to race spectators. Carroll's famous chili is on the menu, of course, and the press release is after the jump. Continue reading Have lunch with the legends at the new Shelby Corner Cafe Permalink | Email this | Comments
Carroll Shelby sued by Unique Performance customersFiled under: Sports/GTs, Government/Legal, Shelby 
Carroll Shelby has seen it all. He's raised chickens and flew planes in WWII. He's raced in Formula One and partnered with all three of America's automakers. And then some. At 85 years old, Shelby deserves praise - like the Automotive Executive of the Year and Lifetime Achievement awards the iconic muscle-car guru is set to receive this year. But what is he getting instead? Sued.
Frustrated by their misfortune with the ongoing Unique Performance saga, a group of customers are trying to sue Shelby to get their money back on classic Shelby Mustangs that they ordered from the now defunct company but never received. Shelby licensed his name to Unique Performance for restored pony cars, but seeing the writing on the wall early, severed ties with the company shortly thereafter. Either way, Unique Performance was at fault for its own screw-ups, not Shelby. Yet the plaintiffs are arguing that "no one would have ordered these cars if it wasn't for Carroll Shelby." That may be the case, and we can understand the disappointed customers' frustrations. But leave Grandpa Carroll alone. Thanks for the tip, Ralph!
[Source: CBS3.com] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Pair of KITTs, right to last KR sells for $300,000 at Barrett-JacksonFiled under: Coupes, Sports/GTs, Auction Action, Ford, Shelby 
While we wouldn't give high ratings to the Knight Rider pilot movie on NBC, we are still fans of the star of the show, KITT. When Ford and Barrett-Jackson announced that a pair of KITTs would be sold in Palm Beach this year, we immediately went to check the balance in our savings account.
The two cars auctioned were not actually KR models, but regular GT models made to look like the KR for the movie. The "hero" KITT still has quite a few upgrades, including a Whipple supercharger system, Brembo brakes, upgraded suspension and exhaust, and an interior with props for the movie, while the "attack" mode KITT has the stock motor with an automatic transmission and a KR body kit with two-tiered spoiler.
The auction, which will donate all proceeds to the Salute to Education charity, started slowly but climbed steadily to $160,000. At that point, Mark Fields of Ford got on the microphone and announced the winning bidder would also get the rights to a single allocation of the 1576 GT500 KRs. That doesn't mean they would get the car for free but at msrp - a significant savings. With that announcement, the bidders had renewed interest and the highest bid climbed up to $240,000. However, Ford and Shelby had one more twist. The single GT500 KR allocation was not just a random KR. It would be the LAST KR produced in 2009 - #1576. At that point, the bidding turned into a fight for the last KR and the two KITT movie cars were forgotten. The final bid ended at an even $300,000, with the winner writing a check directly to charity.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
Ford making more of the Shelby GT500KR for 2009Filed under: New York Auto Show, Coupes, Sports/GTs, Etc., Ford, Shelby 
Click above for a live gallery of the 2008 Shelby GT500KR from New York
Pay no attention to the "2008" on that snake badge. Even though the 540-horsepower Shelby GT500KR was built to celebrate the 40th anniversary of a certain former chicken-farmer's automotive exploits, it seems that neither Ford nor 'ol Shel want the party to end. As a result, Ford and Shelby will produce an additional 746 units of the GT500KR in model year 2009. 541 of those will go to U.S. customers, making for a U.S.-market total of 1,571 cars, which conveniently matches the production run of the original KR. (Never mind those additional foreign-market cars -- they just mess with that warm, fuzzy, marketing-oriented math.) For your enjoyment, check out our gallery of the Vista Blue Shelby GT500KR currently on the New York Auto Show floor.
[Source: Ford]Continue reading Ford making more of the Shelby GT500KR for 2009 Permalink | Email this | Comments
New trio of Superformance MkII GT40s celebrates Shelby and 1966 Le Mans victoryFiled under: Coupes, Supercars, Shelby 
Click above for high-res gallery of the Superformance MkII GT40
Perhaps the greatest achievement of Americans in motorsports is winning the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. Ford and Shelby brought home not only the overall victory, but the Ford GT40 captured the top three spots. It was a resounding victory for an American team with an American car.
 Those wanting to play the role of Ken Miles or Bruce McLaren have a cheaper alternative than purchasing one of the three original GT40s that made a photo finish at Le Mans. Superformance and Shelby Distribution USA have created a Shelby 85th Commemorative MkII GT40 celebrating Shelby's birthday and the 1966 victory that can be ordered in the same paint schemes as those top three GT40s. Lest you think this is a mere replicar, the Superformance GT40 is 90% interchangeable with the original race car. Both street and race versions are available, with power coming from a Shelby-branded Roush V8 crate motor. Only 85 of each color will be produced, and each will be included in the Shelby Registry. Follow the jump for the press release.
[Source: Shelby Distribution USA]Continue reading New trio of Superformance MkII GT40s celebrates Shelby and 1966 Le Mans victory Permalink | Email this | Comments
Round 4: Unique Performance execs face 25 felony chargesFiled under: Tuners, Sports/GTs, Shelby 
Just two days ago, we reported that Unique Performance was in hot water. They had miserably failed to deliver hand-crafted continuation Shelby 427 GT500 "Super Snake" Mustangs to customers who had put up $7 million worth of deposits. Frustration grew to boiling anger when customers heard that the "skilled labor" had been supplemented by hardened criminals, and imperfections in each vehicle were being covered by nearly 13 gallons of Bondo body filler.
It has been a rough year for the management team at Unique Performance. Following a fallout with Carroll Shelby and a police raid, we're now learning that 25 felony cases have been prepared against company executives. Details haven't emerged, but we do know that investigators believe some of the inmates were illegally removing VIN numbers from the cars. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that hiring cons to do criminal acts can land you in the slammer too. Unique, and ironic.
[Source: 67MustangBlog]
Permalink | Email this | Comments
Unique Performance used prisons and buckets of Bondo to build MustangsFiled under: Tuners, Sports/GTs, Shelby 
This just keeps getting more interesting by the day. Back in 2002, Carroll Shelby partnered with Unique Performance to produce continuation Shelby 427 GT500 "Super Snake" models. Only one "Super Snake" was built in 1967, so each of these "new" cars, built on a vintage 60's Mustang platform with a registered Shelby VIN, was sure to be one hot collectible. Unique Performance would build 75 of these 575-hp monsters, each with a base price of $214,000. Investors, and speculators, quickly placed their deposits.
As the months went by, the cars weren't coming out of the Texas warehouse in a timely manner. Customers began to ask questions. As things often go from bad to worse, the relationship between Shelby and Unique Performance went down the drain and it wasn't long before the police came knocking on the door. Unique Performance was reportedly sitting on $7 million in deposits, yet customers weren't getting their muscle cars. Other companies, such as Foose Design, quickly severed their relationship just as the police moved in to confiscate 61 incomplete body shells.
Case closed? Not even close. Now we have word that Unique Performance utilized hard-core Texas prison inmates to help build the cars, and each of the hand-built Mustangs contained over 13 gallons of Bondo body filler. VIN numbers were illegally removed, and some parts of this re-built American classic were coming from Taiwan. If there ever were a hot demand for continuation "Super Snake" Shelbys, we're betting the secondary market for this particular model is drying up rather quickly. Thanks for the tip, Cameron!
[Source: 67MustangBlog] Permalink | Email this | Comments
Shelby Heaven: Superformance opens new showroomFiled under: Sports/GTs, Shelby 
We are big fans of Superformance, makers of the Cobra, Daytona Coupe, and GT40 replicas that have the blessing (and licensing agreement) of Carroll Shelby. When we heard they were opening up a new showroom in Irvine, CA, we had to go check it out ourselves. Superformance has actually been in the same building for the past few years, so the location is nothing new. However, they recently decided to knock down a few walls so that they could store their beautiful and wickedly fast eye candy in something more presentable to the public. On to the photos - check out the huge gallery of photos below and pick out your dream car.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
VIDEO: Newest Knight Rider spot arrivesFiled under: Coupes, Sports/GTs, Videos, Ford, Shelby, Celebrities
One week from today, we'll be watching Knight Rider, the 2-hour telemovie that resurrects KITT as a new car (Mustang) with a new voice (Val Kilmer), a new driver (Mike Traceur, son of Michael Knight), and, if ratings are good enough, a probable weekly gig in primetime next Fall. But lets not get ahead of ourselves. Before that can happen, the pilot needs to be a success, and we're as interested as everyone else in seeing what the network and executive producer Doug Liman have cooked up. Liman's body of work as a director and producer is so money that despite our fears, the Knight Rider reboot could actually work.
Then again, based on some of what we've seen in the commercials and promos so far, it could just as easily wind up being a giant black hole of suck. On the upside, we expect to be entertained either way. The latest TV spot introduces us to KITT's new, raspier voice and magic disappearing shifter. If you have any issues watching the fancy-schmancy NBC embed above, the YouTube version's pasted after the jump.
[Source: Knight Rider Online]
Continue reading VIDEO: Newest Knight Rider spot arrives Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Iron Man's garage contains more than just an R8Filed under: Sports/GTs, Etc., Audi, Saleen, Shelby, Celebrities 
Click image to enlarge
The next television spot for Jon Favreau's Iron Man will debut this weekend during (what else) the Super Bowl. Quint at Ain't It Cool News posted a screen capture released by the studio that shows our billionaire industrialist hero, Tony Stark, working in his garage on the armor's glove- and boot-mounted boosters. And what a nice garage it is, boasting not just Tony's R8, but a Shelby Cobra, a Saleen S7, a Tesla Roadster, and a pair of bikes we can't identify (weigh in if you can). Bruce Wayne, eat your heart out.
[Source: AICN] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
|
Shelby & AC Cobra blog
AC Cobra history
|
