Carroll Shelby is a combination of snake and snake charmer, as well as carnival showman -all at the same time.
That’s the perfect combination of attributes needed to inject a lethal dose of venom into the ninth-generation Ford Mustang GT. The result?
The 2011 Ford Shelby GT 500.
What is it?
Start with a base model Mustang, and then juice it up. We’re not talking Tropicana here, but more along the lines of automotive HGH. Ford’s Special Vehicles Team, with inspiration and input from ol’ Carroll himself, has massaged the ‘Stang into a 550 horsepower supercharged beast that can show abilities that surpass cars that cost upwards of two or three times more.
It doesn’t use Ford’s new Coyote V8, instead receiving a mostly new-for-2011 all-aluminum 5.4-liter V8.
What’s it up against?
Competitors in the horsepower range of 550 are rather limited. If we go by price, that opens the market to BMW M3 and Mercedes-Benz AMG C63. At the current time, hi-po versions of the Chevy Camaro and Dodge Challenger are still in the Shelby’s rearview mirror. So too, the Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport.
And then the Shelby camp offers up its own interpretation of a 550-or-so pony Mustang, the GT350. It features a supercharged version of Ford’s new engine, as well as some serious suspension massaging.
Any breakthroughs?
A new track pack, officially known as the SVT Performance package. A $3,500 dollar option, it includes beefier (and better compounded) Goodyear Eagle supercar tires, a rear decklid spoiler, a 3.73 ratio limited slip axle, 19-inch front and 20-inch rear aluminum wheels, and a Shelby OTT (over the top) LeMans racing stripe.
A twin-row intercooler now takes the place of the outgoing single edition icebox.
Oh. That and the fact that this Shelby with EPA projections of 15 mpg city and 23 mpg highway is the first modern Shelby to legitimately bypass the gas-guzzler taxman. Not too shabby for a car with this much power that tips the scales at 3,820 pounds.
How does it look?
At first side-glance you see a Mustang. Walk around the front and you’ll notice a gaping orifice that would make Billy, the big mouth singing bass, proud.
“The better to scoop up the cold air, my dear,†would be all this wolf in Mustang clothing would say.
Then you come upon the air extraction vents in the hood, to release the trapped hot air. Ditto, the front splitter under the lip, and the expansive rear overhang masquerading as a decklid spoiler. Functional, all, they help to make this latest generation one of the meanest looking Shelby cars in a long time.
And don’t forget the coiled Cobra badges on the side and the right front of the grille. Word is Ford sought Carroll Shelby’s permission to move the Cobra from left to the right side of the grille in an effort to suck in more air.
Shelby asked, “Will that make it go faster?â€
Ford engineers said yup, and he said, “Well, okay then.â€
Works for us.
And on the inside?
The Shelby GT500’s interior features further refinement in materials and accessories that help to finish it off better than previous versions. The single binnacle houses the speedo, tachometer and gauges for fuel, boost, oil and water temperatures. It is a better design than in the Camaro, which requires you to look down and away from the road while driving.
Ford’s Sync with HD-based navigation, which we think is still the best in the business, occupies the upper-third of the centerstack, with climate controls directly below that. Follow down and eventually you will come to the short throw shifter with cue-ball shift knob on top.
Alcantara grips on the steering wheel help to keep hands at 9 and 3. We still miss a telescoping steering wheel in this car, though. Leather and Alcantara sport bucket seats kept us in place while hot footing at Leftlane’s test facility, Palm Beach International Raceway. We still wonder why the seatback adjustment is by a lever rather than power mechanism. The similarly upholstered rear seats are pretty to look at. We just wouldn’t want to sit back there.
If we were to knock the Shelby, it would be for the same reasons we knock the Mustang: There is just too much in the way of hard plastics in and around the GT 500’s interior. Door panels, and console pieces just remind us the model cars of our youth, not pricey performance cars.
But does it go?
If a bear gnawed down a tree in the forest, would it make a sound? Yes. A plain, unvarnished yes. This car goes like a greased pig.
With a 5.4-liter supercharged V8 that has roots in the rear of the Ford GT supercar, this Snake has some venomous DNA coursing through its veins. But it’s even better than its progenitor. Using an all-new all-aluminum block for starters, at 550 horsepower, it is now 10 horsepower quicker than the previous model, and also outputs 510 lb-ft. of twist. The new lighter block features improved cooling, six-bolt billet main bearing caps and improved intercooler design for cooler running, which help to bump overall horsepower and torque ratings.
The cast-iron cylinder liners from previous engines are now gone in favor of a cylinder liner coating process called Plasma Transferred Wire Arc. Using air and electricity (arching) to spray a plasma jet mist of 35,000-degrees Fahrenheit, it is bonded to the cylinder bores where it oxidizes to make an iron and iron oxide surface.
The engine, which looks similar to the 429 cubic inch Cobra Jets of old, is really powerful with a lot of low-end torque, which is amazing when you consider this engine is only displacing 330 cubic inches.
Once the supercharger spools up, it goes to an entirely different level. The Tremec TR6060 gearbox is very quick and precise, which adds confidence. It is probably our favorite row-it-yourself transmission available today, and one that is seen in the Challenger and Camaro as well.
And that engine.
When your right foot decides to get serious with the accelerator, it is a kick back into the seat that is just part of the reason we are into cars in the first place.
At the other end of the straightaway, the Brembo brake package does a fantastic job of slowing down with no hint of fade after about ten laps of the road course circuit at PBIR. Ford’s electric power steering is very direct and one of the better power-assisted units we’ve driven. Finally, automakers are figuring out how to make these 1s and 0s work.
The suspension continues to surprise and amaze us. Long after a live axle rear end should have been put to pasture, Ford continues to refine this one to within an inch of its life. This package includes MacPherson struts with reverse-L lower control arms and a 34mm stabilizer bar in front. Pulling up the rear is a multi-link solid axle with coil springs, gas-charged shocks, a panhard rod and a 24mm stabilizer bar in back.
This decidedly so-called low-tech set up just keeps on managing to, uh, keep on.
Why you would buy it:
Because you have been snake bit, and there isn’t any anti-venom available to cure what ails you.
Why you wouldn’t:
You are holding out for the Camaro Z28.
Leftlane’s bottom line
Just when you thought Ford and Carroll Shelby have done everything they can with a Ford Mustang, out comes the 2011 edition of the GT500.
With looks that go along with near supercar performance it’s an obvious winner, and one that former Indy Pro Series driver and director of PBIR’s roadcourse operations, Chris Festa says, “is a very good car and Ford should be very proud of it.â€
We would have to agree with him.
Is it better than Shelby’s own GT350? Well, the GT350 boasts a more advanced powertrain, but the GT500 benefits from a lower price and a certain degree of sophistication. It’s up to buyers to decide.
2011 Ford Shelby GT500 base price, $48,645. As tested, $55,330.
Electronics Package, $2,340; SVT Performance Package, $3,495; Destination, $850.
Words and photos by Mark Elias.
