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2007 FORD SHELBY
GT500 - Racing legend Carroll Shelby and the Ford Mustang are back
together with the introduction of the New 2007 Ford Shelby GT500
after 40 years.
What happens when a legend from Texas reunites with a
legend from Dearborn? The most powerful Mustang ever. 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
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Specifications |
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Engine |
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5.4 liter V8, Supercharged |
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HP |
475 BHP @ 6000 rpm |
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Displacement |
5409cc (330 cu. in.) |
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Torque |
475 lb-ft @ 4500 rpm |
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Weight lb (kg) |
3920 (1780) |
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Acceleration 0-60 mph |
-- |
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Top speed |
-- |
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Driveline |
Rear Wheel
Drive |
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Price (approx) |
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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. "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.
2007 Ford Shelby
GT500 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.
More Power
More 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.
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 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.
New Cockpit Upgrades
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
2007 Ford Shelby GT500 will be built at the Ford-Mazda joint
venture, AutoAlliance International, in Flat Rock, Mich.
Other
Specifications:
Engine
Engine Location: Front
Engine Configuration: V
Cylinders: 8
Aspiration/Induction: Normal
Valves: 32 valves, 4 valves per cylinder.
Valvetrain: DOHC
HP / Liter: 88.0 BHP / Liter
Redline: 6250
Bore: 3.55 in | 90.2 mm.
Stroke: 4.16 in | 105.7 mm.
Compression Ratio: 8.4:1
Fuel Type: Gasoline - Petrol
Fuel Feed: Electronic returnless sequential
Suspension
Front : Reverse-L independent MacPherson strut, 34-mm tubular
stabilizer bar
Rear : Three-link solid axle with coil springs, Panhard rod, 24-mm
solid stabilizer bar
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