COBRA JET THE LATEST ADDITION TO THE MUSTANG FR500 SERIES OF RACE CARS FROM FORD RACING

DEARBORN, Mich, Nov. 4, 2008 – With the addition of the 2008 Cobra Jet Mustang, Ford Racing will have once again expanded its current stable of race-ready Mustang race cars.

This time, however, the Mustang is designed for drag racing.

The Mustang FR500CJ, known simply as the Cobra Jet, will be officially unveiled Nov. 4 at the 2008 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. It joins its road racing brethren: the Mustang FR500S, the Mustang FR500C and the Mustang FR500GT.

“The Cobra Jet is the newest offspring of the Ford Racing lineup of race cars,” said Jamie Allison, manager of the Ford Racing Performance Group. “We started with the FR500C in 2005 and then followed by the FR500S in 2007.

“All along the way, we worked with Brian Wolfe, who, at the time, was really in the calibration activity. He oversaw worldwide calibrations, and he was a big supporter of Ford Racing, both professionally and personally,” Allison said. “He had always kind of asked us about our plans to do a drag race car and the time had just come early this year to, indeed, take all of the lessons we learned, all the processes, all of the relationships that we have inside with the plant and with the team and put together a sportsmen-destined drag race Mustang. Clearly, what we did in 1968 is the impetus for it, and we felt that it was time to bring back the Cobra Jet.”

The Cobra Jet is the drag racing equivalent of the Mustang FR500S, allowing those interested in NHRA sportsmen drag racing the opportunity to get involved with an affordable vehicle that can compete right off of the truck and run in the 10-second range.

“We are talking about designing and building competition-ready race cars,” added Allison. “These are not just the simple parts that we sometimes create. This is a full-fledged, ready to race vehicle. There is a lot of engineering that goes into the preparation, development, testing, and release of these cars. There’s a full team of engineers from Ford Racing who have been involved on the engineering side of the Ford Racing Mustangs, led by Andy Slankard who leads the group. On the Cobra Jet, that group was personally directed and overseen by Brian Wolfe because of his personal background of racing in the sportsmen class. So he’s been hands-on involved in the very specifications of the 40th anniversary Cobra Jet. ”

In addition to the Cobra Jet, the other Ford Racing Mustangs provide customers a racing ladder, all within one manufacturer, to climb up through the ranks of professional racing. The Ford Racing Mustang ladder in road racing begins with the Ford Racing High Performance Driving School at Miller Motorsports Park featuring specially prepared school Mustangs.

The next step on the ladder is the Mustang FR500S, which is delivered as a race-ready vehicle complete with a racing seat and safety harnesses, and provides competitors with a base to hone their driving skills and an exciting year-long schedule to race against other semi-pro drivers in the Ford Racing Mustang Challenge for the Miller Cup.

Moving further up the ladder puts racers behind the wheel of the Mustang FR500C, which competes in the Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series, and the FR500GT4, which competes in the GT4 European Cup. Both Mustangs are proven winners with each car having won championships in its first year of competition. The FR500C led drivers to championships in 2005 and 2008, while the FR500GT4 has won two titles in the GT4 European Cup in 2007 and 2008.

At the top of the ladder sit both the Mustang FR500GT and FR500GT3, which represent the ultimate race-bred road racing Mustang. The FR500GT is being homologated for Grand-Am Rolex GT and other applications, while the FR500GT3 has already competed in select FIA GT3 European Championship races.

Customers or competitors looking for more information on how to get behind the wheel of their own Cobra Jet Mustang should visit www.fordracingparts.com.

FORD RACING COBRA JET MUSTANG
The Legend Continues
(M-FR500-CJ)

In 1968, Ford took the NHRA Winternationals by storm with the Cobra Jet Mustang. Only 50 factory lightweights were built, and in its first appearance, the Cobra Jet won. Forty years after this historic event, Ford Racing is happy to announce that the legend continues with a new NHRA-legal race car – the 2008 Cobra Jet Mustang!

The 2008 Ford Racing Cobra Jet (FR500CJ) is a factory-built race car (serialized but no VIN), ready for the drag strip with only minor additional prep required. It is available for order from any Ford dealer as a Ford Racing part. Following are key Ford Racing components to help define this exciting new race car:

Functional

* 5.4 Cobra Jet engine
* Cobra Jet cold air kit
* Throttle body
* A/C deleted
* Crankshaft damper
* Cobra Jet bell housing
* 6-speed manual or 3-speed automatic transmission with SFI bell housing
* Stainless steel long-tube racing headers
* 9" rear axle assembly
* One piece driveshaft drive shaft
* Single hoop drive shaft loop
* Cobra Jet rear control arms and anti-roll bar
* Ford Racing adjustable dampers
* Drag race spring kit
* Cobra Jet wheels — 15" x 4" (front), 15" x 10" (rear)

Exterior

* Painted Cobra Jet body in white
* Cobra Jet hood scoop
* Cobra Jet Lexan backlight
* Flush quarter window louvers

Interior

* 5" pedestal tachometer
* SVT Mustang short-throw shifter with black shift knob and handle
* Cobra Jet seat package

Visit www.fordracingparts.com for more information.

[Source: Ford]

AMC Concord AMX
Powered by an optional 5.0-liter V8, the '78 AMX was based on the otherwise boring new-for-'78 AMC Concord. You could get the 4.2-liter straight-six with a 4-speed manual, but if you wanted the macho V8, you were stuck with a 3-speed slushbox. For those wanting to rebel against the empire of Detroit's big three, while still buying American, this was the way to go. Besides, who else was gonna offer you authentic Levi's denim seats?
[source]

Ford Mustang King Cobra
With the new fox-body Mustangs right around the corner, the '78 King Cobra was a last hurrah for the old Mustang II. The Cobra-adorned hood featured a new reverse hood scoop, and tucked underneath was a 5.0-liter V8. That mill wheezed out about 140 HP, and was connected to a 4-speed manual or an optional automatic. Really, not much was mechanically different from the previous Cobra II, but if you wanted a bitchin' snake on your hood, this was the car for you.
[source]

Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am
Starring in the previous year's film Smokey And The Bandit, the T/A went mostly unchanged for '78. However, GM did make changes where it counted, as 1978 actually saw an increase in the 6.6-liter V8's compression ratio — to 8.1:1. Of course, output was still only 188 HP, but that was still more than you got in a base '78 Corvette. Plus, if you were a real bandit, you could order a special high-altitude model that used an Oldsmobile 403 CI V8 rather than the Pontiac 400 CI lump...and somehow lose 8 HP in the process. Either way, you were lucky sure to outrun any smokey.
[image source]

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Irvine, CA - On Monday, April 21, Shelby Distribution USA presented automotive legend Carroll Shelby with a custom Superformance Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe. This unique gift was made possible by Amy Boylan and the team at Shelby Automobiles in Las Vegas and Lance Stander and the employees at Shelby Distribution USA in Irvine, CA. "It was fantastic to have the opportunity to honor Carroll Shelby with this special car," said Stander. "We hope he enjoys driving it as much as we enjoyed giving it to him."

Painted in the same "Guardsman Blue" of the original cars, Carroll's Daytona Coupe also features the number 98 that represents chassis #2300 that Shelby himself owned up until 1999. Power comes from a Roush 427SR V8 with 480 horsepower and 515 lb-ft torque. Unique to Carroll's Daytona Coupe is a shifting system that utilizes paddles and buttons on the steering wheel. Developed by MasterShift (www.mastershift.com) of San Diego, the Art Carr 2004R 4-speed automatic transmission can be up shifted via paddles and downshifted using two buttons on either side of the steering wheel. The system also has safety features including a one second delay from Drive to Neutral as well as a speed sensor to prevent the car from being shifted into reverse or park unless it is completely stopped. Installation of the engine, transmission and paddle shift system was handled by Exotic Auto Restoration of Costa Mesa.

History of the Daytona Coupe

The original six Daytona Cobra Coupe factory racers enjoyed a short but impressive racing career: Originally built for the 1964-65 for the 1964-65 racing season using 289 Shelby Cobra roadster chassis, these were America's answer to Ferrari's highly successful 250 GTO. In their first year of competition, the Daytona Coupes won the GT class at Sebring and then placed 4th overall at Le Mans. They proved to be so competitive that Ferrari officials, fearing a loss of the championship, managed to get the Monza, Italy final round cancelled, knowing the Daytona's would win the race and the Championship. Consequently, Ferrari claimed the 1964 FIA World Manufacturer's Championship. The following year Enzo Ferrari, realizing he would lose to the Daytona's, pulled his factory support from the GT program, paving the way for the Daytona Coupe walkover. In 1965, the ex-Shelby Daytona Coupes of the UK's Alan Mann racing team won the FIA's World Manufacturer's GT title with ease.

Recreating the Legend

Almost 40 years later, Superformance has re-created this nostalgic player in American racing history. The Coupe is a Carroll Shelby licensed product and was designed by some of the original team, including Peter Brock and Bob Negstad. The Coupe boasts amazingly sleek lines and a contoured body which is slightly larger than that of the original race car. The original suspension was further engineered and improved and the interior space was optimized for more room. Addding value to this impressive Daytona is the fact that it is also eligible for the Shelby American Automobile Club owners registry, capturing each chassis number as a part of American history.

Superformance Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe Standard Equipment*

• A complete factory-assembled rolling chassis.
• Show quality PPG paint finishes with many standard colors - custom colors also available.
• Fully independent front and rear suspension.
• Bilstein® coil over progressive shocks with H&R Springs®.
• Tubular space frame constructed of mild steel.
• Power assisted rack & pinion steering.
• Four-wheel vented disc brakes, power assisted.
• PBR® calipers.
• Aluminum radiator / oil cooler with dual electric fans.
• Oil cooler and braided lines.
• Stainless steel fuel tank. 20 gallon.
• Vinylester and glass composite body.
• Custom TFE air conditioning system.
• BTR / Dana HydraTrac limited slip differential.
• 18" cast Alloy wheels and tires.
• Tinted front, side and rear windows.
• Remote door locks and immobilizer system.
• Unique under car exhaust -side pipes.
• Black leather and Alcantra interior.
• Retractable 3 point seat belts.
• Stewart Warner electronic gauges.
*Some components and features are subject to change

Iconic Motors says that this is just the beginning for their company, even hinting at the possibility of a future electric supercar, but time will tell. For now, the planned run of 100 GTR Roadsters will be sold for about $600,000 a pop. That may seem like quite a lot if you're comparing it to a fiberglass kit car; but if you look at it through the eyes of the carnauba-drenched, mirrors to show off the chassis, custom hot rod commissioners, it all makes sense.

Long Island, N.Y. - The GTR Roadster by Iconic Motors will make its world auto show debut at the New York International Auto Show. A truly groundbreaking automobile, the Iconic GTR boasts 18 pending U.S. patents, a chassis made of high strength chromoly, a carbon fiber passenger tub and carbon fiber body panels, and a high performance air management system with under body inverted carbon fiber wings designed to generate more than 500 pounds of down force at 175 miles per hour.

The Iconic GTR's 1950s inspired body design features many panels constructed of a poly silicate matrix sandwiched between two layers of carbon fiber that results in an incredibly strong light weight and rigid body. With its carbon fiber and aluminum honeycomb reinforced chassis having over 20,000 pounds of torsional rigidity, the GTR offers a level of performance handling that rivals that found in many modern race cars.

"I have wanted to build a car that combines the latest innovative technologies with the most exquisite detailing, design and all out performance since the day I began reading car magazines as a kid," said Claudio Ballard, the inventor and visionary behind the GTR Roadster. "Everything from the custom-built, heated and cooled carbon fiber seats to the computerized gas cap that slides open like the glass on a moon roof embodies my vision."

From its luxurious leather and suede hand-stitched interior to its hand-assembled 420-cid/800-horsepower naturally aspirated V-8 engine, the vehicle is a rolling showcase for revolutionary technology shrouded in a racecar. The entire nose clip swings up and forward to reveal the highly detailed engine compartment, showcasing a custom-fabricated engine built to super car racing standards featuring titanium valves, high strength light weight stainless and aluminum components throughout along with the very latest in high performance friction reduction technology. The patent pending shifter mechanism is specifically designed to display its inner workings as a beautiful piece of automotive artwork, and even the gauges, dashboard starter and hazard light push button switches are custom designed from stainless steel and manmade synthetic sapphire with a hardness level just below that of diamond. The dash center console has a 8-inch touch screen display utilizing the same bright-view technology found in military strike fighters and bombers for clear visibility regardless of sunlight exposure in support of its onboard GPS navigation and driver information displays.

The Iconic GTR - proudly designed, engineered and constructed using state-of-the-art computer-aided design and manufacturing technology entirely in the United States with over 99% U.S. sourced materials.

Ballard will build one hundred of these high performance pieces of rolling artwork roadsters. Priced at $600,000, his team will begin taking orders for the Iconic GTR in April with production slated to begin in Fall 2008.

FORD SHELBY GT500KR ROARS INTO PRODUCTION ON AUTOMOTIVE LEGEND'S 85TH BIRTHDAY

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 11, 2008 - Automotive legend Carroll Shelby shares his 85th birthday with a new performance standout - the 540-horsepower 2008 GT5000KR, which begins production today.

The GT500KR or "King of the Road" Mustang is the fourth limited-edition Mustang that Shelby Automobiles and Ford have brought to market since resuming their collaboration in 2001. It builds on the performance and success of the 500-horsepower Shelby GT500 - the most powerful production Mustang ever.

The new GT500KR will be available at select Ford dealerships this spring. Production is limited at 1,000 units.

"It is simply magic when Shelby and Ford team up and deliver products like the GT500KR," said Mark Fields, Ford's president, The Americas. "Collaborations like this have helped Mustang remain at the top of the sports car segment for 22 straight years - and running - and help inspire people who truly want and value performance."

Carroll Shelby, who was actively involved in the GT500KR's development, said: "My energy and passion for performance products has always been strongest when I am working with Ford. I'm always looking to up the ante when it comes to performance, and bringing back the 'King of the Road' Mustang is just what we need."

Delivering the "King of the Road"

Each Shelby GT500KR begins life as a GT500, built at AutoAlliance International Inc., in Flat Rock, Mich. From there, the cars are shipped to Shelby Automobile's facility in Las Vegas, where a Ford Racing performance pack, exhaust system and short-throw shifter are installed. The GT500KR also is fitted with body, chassis and interior components. Every GT500KR will be hand customized and delivered to each customer in an enclosed transporter, just like the legendary Ford GT.

To fine-tune the GT500KR's chassis - stiffened 50 percent to deliver increased body control - SVT engineers and Shelby put the GT500KR through a rigorous testing program developed specially for SVT products, including a 12-hour racetrack durability test. The result is a car with increased performance capability that is still comfortable to drive on the street.

The GT500KR's aerodynamics were fine-tuned to add 50 pounds of downforce over the front axle and move the center of aero pressure forward in the vehicle to improve high-speed balance and downforce under high-speed braking. A new front splitter design works with the hood and revised rear spoiler to deliver these benefits. The bottom line: the GT500KR sets new performance standards for Mustang handling and straight-line performance on the racetrack, slalom course and skidpad.

"Because the Shelby GT500 strikes a great balance between ride and handling, we knew that the GT500KR had to be even better," said Jamal Hameedi, chief engineer at Ford SVT. "We used a holistic approach, having chassis engineers work closely with the engine specialists to develop a tuning suspension that optimizes the engine enhancements."

Added Gary Davis, vice president production for Shelby Automobiles: "We aren't fixing our attention on one or two attributes, but working on the vehicle as a whole. The throttle response, power delivery, exhaust note and handling all work together to deliver a great total driving experience."

To deliver that balance, the ride height has been lowered to the optimum setting for limit handling, which equates to a 20 mm ride height reduction in the front and 15 mm in the rear.

The Shelby GT500KR team sculpted a modern interpretation of the original's bulging hood scoop, a visual indication of the extra horsepower packed beneath it. The hood is secured by a pair of stainless steel, twist-down hood pins.

To save weight, the hood borrows design elements from the ducted aluminum/carbon fiber clamshell on the Ford GT. Developed through intensive use of analytical tools including Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Finite Element Analysis (FEA), the design optimizes the structural properties of carbon fiber delivering panels at a wafer-thin 0.8 mm. The hood saves 15 pounds versus its aluminum counterpart in the GT500.

Unlike most traditional designs, the hood has three components: the outer panel, an integrated airflow duct which spans the entire hood and the inner panel. The duct serves three purposes: to channel supplemental fresh air into the new cold air intake, to relieve high-speed underhood pressure and to move air from the front intake and engine compartment to the rear extractors.

The Shelby GT500KR will ride on all-new Goodyear tires, which make their North American debut exclusively on this new Mustang. The Supercar F1 tire, made of a new performance compound, resulted from a special collaboration between SVT and Goodyear.

Each GT500KR model is identified by a special 40th Anniversary badge on the fenders and grille, distinctive body colored mirror caps and Shelby lettering stretching across the front of the hood and along the rear portion of the deck lid. a special Shelby VIN tag is affixed to each vehicle, mounted in the engine compartment.

The all-leather interior features Carroll Shelby signature embroidered headrests and an official Shelby CSM 40th Anniversary GT500KR dash plate mounted at the top of the center stack.

Other standard equipment includes HID headlamps, an interior ambient lighting package, wrapped and stitched instrument panel, center console and armrests, as well as an electrochromic rearview mirror. Optional equipment includes a Shaker 1000 audio system and DVD navigation system.
The GT500KR's 5.4-liter V-8 Gets the Royal Treatment

Just like its namesake, the 1968 GT500KR, the 2008 "King of the Road" packs a walloping dose of Ford performance. The Ford SVT-engineered 5.4-liter supercharged V-8 is enhanced with a Ford Racing Power Upgrade Pack that boosts horsepower to an estimated 540-hp and torque to 510 ft.-lbs. The added power comes thanks to revised ignition and throttle calibration and a cold air intake system that replaces the stock unit. The Shelby GT500KR cold air intake seal was designed in unison with the new carbon fiber hood to prevent hot engine compartment air from reaching the air intake.

Calibration modifications include advancing the ignition timing as well as re-mapping the electronic throttle settings to provide quicker throttle response for better off-line and mid-range acceleration. Increased throttle response will be met with a sharper roar from the Ford Racing-inspired exhaust system.

Power is delivered to the rear wheels through a Tremec TR6060 six-speed manual transmission and 3.73:1 rear axle ratio, compared with the GT500's 3.31:1.

To perform optimally on track and during performance driving, the Shelby GT500KR has been fitted with an elevated axle vent reservoir to prevent axle fluid expulsion. Gear selection is courtesy of an all-new Ford Racing short-throw shifter making its debut on the GT500KR. Topped with a white ball, the new shifter throws are 25 percent shorter than the unit on the GT500 providing for crisper, sharper shifts. [Source: Ford]

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - October 26, 2007 - Carroll Shelby will sell his 1969 GT500 convertible, which he has owned since it was new, at No Reserve during the 37th Annual Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event on Jan. 12-20, 2008, in Scottsdale, Ariz. It is the only Ford-based Shelby Mustang that he has owned continually since it rolled off the assembly line. The historic muscle car will be showcased during the SEMA show in Las Vegas from Tuesday, Oct. 30 - Friday, Nov. 2, 2007, in the Barrett-Jackson booth (#20765), located in the "Racing and Performance" area of Central Hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

"Barrett-Jackson attracts the most important collector cars because it is the greatest stage in the world to buy and sell these fantastic pieces of history," said Barrett-Jackson Auction Company Chairman/CEO Craig Jackson. "Last year, we sold the only 427 Shelby Cobra built specifically for Carroll in Scottsdale and now we have the only Shelby Mustang that he's owned for the past three decades. This is an opportunity to be the second owner of a premier car and purchase it from the man himself on the weekend we celebrate his 85th birthday. This special car will also be a highlight of our SEMA display, which will be more impressive than ever this year."

One of only 246 Ford Shelby GT500 convertibles built in 1969, Mr. Shelby's personal 428 c.i.d. Cobra Jet powered car has only 69,725 miles and came originally equipped with automatic transmission, GT equipment group, white interior and top, intermittent wipers, power steering, power brakes, tilt steering, factory A/C, AM-FM stereo radio, tachometer and trip odometer.

The red convertible was recently restored under the direction of Stephen Becker, a world-renowned collector and broker of vintage Shelby Cobras, GT350s and GT500s. Becker engaged well known and respected Shelby restorer Jim Cowles at Shelby Parts & Restoration in Green Bay, Wisc., to complete a Concours rotisserie freshening of the car.

"The only other Shelby that Carroll has owned longer than this GT500 is the first Cobra, CSX2000," noted Steve Davis, President of the Barrett-Jackson Auction Company. "With its recent restoration by one of the premier shops in the country, this historical GT500 would be a monumental acquisition for any serious collector."

Another car slated for the Barrett-Jackson auction block in Scottsdale that will be featured at SEMA is the one-off 1963 Corvette "Rondine," which will be staged in the AutoWeek booth (#20715). The Pininfarina-bodied concept car was designed by Tom Tjaarda and unveiled at the 1963 Paris Auto Show. Barrett-Jackson will also sponsor the Overhaulin' Studio, where they will display three Scottsdale-bound cars in the silver lot.

"SEMA is a haven for gearheads and the industry's most influential players, making it the ideal venue to showcase our lineup for Scottsdale," added Davis. "Barrett-Jackson has taken enormous strides in the past few months to further establish our position as the world's leading producer of collector car auctions."

[BJ via The Mustang News]

"The GTO was the most beautiful-handling car I've ever been privileged to drive. The GTO had perfect balance, absolutely perfect — the ballet dancer of motor cars. There was never an other car like the GTO. Never." — race driver Mike Salmon, in the book The Cobra-Ferrari Wars 1963-1965, by Michael L. Shoen

Even with that pedigree, the GTO is without question the top dog in the 250 pack. Some might make a case the 250 GTO is the top car in the world. It is certainly the most expensive, with one trading hands in 1991 dollars for – I hope you're sitting down – $15 million. In 2007 money that's eleventy seven billion dollars. Things have calmed a bit since the peak of Reaganism. If you want a 250 GTO nowadays you need only shell out $10 million. Assuming you can find one. You can't. And even if you do, it probably isn't a real one. Over one hundred times as many phonies have been built than actual 250 GTOs. Why though? What is so damn special about this car?

Where to even start? How about with the name? GTO stands for "Gran Turismo Omologato," which translates to Grand Touring Homologation. Racing rules of time stipulated that 100 production cars must be built in order for a vehicle to race in the GT class. Ferrari only made 39 GTOs, period. How this was allowed to stand still remains a point of contention even today. Enzo claimed the GTO was just a body modification of the brick-like 250 SWB, and was thereby following the rules. Aston Martin, Jaguar and Chevrolet all cried foul.. As we'll see in a moment, the other manufacturers were right. Whether the FIA governing body bought Enzo's story, or just decided that the sport would be better off with team Ferrari competing is anybody's guess. Point is, these mothers are rare. Let's back up to 1961.

Things were sailing along smoothly at Ferrari, as the SWB GT was simply dominant in the GT class. But then a young sales manager named Girolamo Gardini returned from the unveiling of the Jaguar E-Type at the 1961 Geneva Motor Show. According to Giotto Bizzarrini (yes, that Giotto Bizzarrini) once back at Modena Gardini ran around the factory shouting, "They are going to beat us with their new GT!" After being sufficiently convinced of the impending doom, Enzo greenlighted the GTO project (albeit in secret) and put Gardini in charge.

Development fell to Bizzarrini. Legend holds that Bizzarrini headed up a small team that ripped apart the 250 GT SWB chassis he had developed earlier and replaced most of the parts with smaller, lighter tubing. The driveline was lowered and the 3.0-liter V12 from the prototype-class Testa Rosa was fitted behind the front axle along with a dry sump lubrication system to further lower the center of gravity. All 250s featured the Tipo 168 V12 (each cylinder sported 250 ccs of displacement – 250 x12 = 3000 cc), but the newer 168/2 engine featured larger ports, lighter materials and tighter tolerances. Output was over 100 hp per liter (302 hp), which is still impressive more than 40-years later for a normally aspirated motor. More importantly, the GTO's V12 weighed less than half what Jaguar's 3.8-liter straight-6 did. A test mule was flogged around Monza and the results were stellar, as it was several seconds faster than both the Le Mans winning SWB and Sperimentale. Remember that the GTOs could hit over 180 mph on the Mulsanne Straight. Then disaster struck.

Known as the "Palace Revolt," none other than Enzo's wife got into it with a bunch of Ferrari employees in October of 1961. As is usually the case with fights of this nature, the wife didn't lose. So, Bizzarrini, Gardini and many others got the boot. Obviously the timing was horrible as the GTO was nowhere near complete. The GTO project was then assigned to a young engineer named Mauro Forghieri who wound up doing very little to Bizzarini's work save for adding a small rear spoiler and Watts linkage for extra stiffness. Sergio Scaglietti finished refining the body in a wind tunnel. The results were the stuff of both history and dreams.

The 250 GTOs utterly whack-a-moled the competition. In its first race at 12 Hours of Sebring, Phil Hill and Olivier Gendebien were initially upset that they'd be driving a GT car, and not a fancier prototype. When the race was over, the two drivers and the GTO had won the GT class and amazingly finished second overall behind a Ferrari 250 TR. Le Mans was much the same story with Jean Guichet and Pierre Noblet finishing first in class and an amazing second overall, trailing the winning Ferrari 330 LM's average lap speeds by just two mph (113 mph vs. 115 mph). Another GTO finished third, with two E-Types in fourth and fifth with yet another GTO placing sixth.

Until Shelby showed up to Le Mans with his Daytona Coupes two years later in 1964, the GTO was simply untouchable. And while the American car won the class and finished fourth overall, the GTO was fifth, ahead of all the other prototypes. Actually, the GTOs still managed to win the 1964 overall GT Championship by winning Daytona, Spa and the Tour de France – Shelby only won the big one, Le Mans. In 1965 the FIA lifted the cap on engine displacement and more mid-engined monsters began turning up.Also in 1965 Ferrari replaced the 250 GTO with the 275 GTB (referred to by many as the '65 GTO) which again won the Le Mans GT class outright and finished third behind two prototype mid-engined 250 LMs.

While the looks of the Daytona Coupe are open to interpretation (we love it, but...), there isn't a soul on earth who can call the 250 GTO anything other than gorgeous. The Scaglietti bodywork is simply captivating, bordering on savory. We love all the serious-looking vent work cut into the body and especially dig the three "D" apertures on the nose which can be opened to vent the cabin and then closed for high speed runs. Plus, all GTOs ran on wire wheels, which only add to the hotness. The cabin was sparse (no speedometer) but nonetheless luxurious. Hey, we're suckers for wooden steering wheels. We've been racking our brains trying to come up with a single reason why the Ferrari 250 GTO should not be inducted into the Jalopnik Fantasy Garage. We can't think of a single one.

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The Jalopnik Fantasy Garage, So Far:
RUF RT12 | Maserati Quattroporte Executive GT | 1978 Aston Martin V8 Vantage | Honda 1300 Coupe 9 | 1931 Daimler Double Six 50 Corsica Drophead Coupe | Ferrari 288 GTO | Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 | 1970 Buick GSX 455 | First Generation BMW M Coupe | Bugatti Veyron 16.4 | Ford GT | Citroen SM | Porsche 928 | Jensen FF | DeTomaso Vallelunga | Audi Quattro S1 | Buick GNX | Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R | Honorary Fantasy Garager: The LS1 Powered Rotus | Lamborghini LM002 | Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe

Actually, we're partially here to talk about the Cobra, as not only is the Daytona Coupe in some ways just a rebodied Cobra, but the only reason the Coupe exists is to make up for the shortcomings of the Cobra. Sacrilege, right? We know, we know. Believe you us when we tell you that we love Shelby Cobras as much as the next pistonhead. And, for the umpteenth time, the inclusion of the Daytona Coupe in our Garage of Jalopnik-style Fantasy does not preclude the roadster from getting in. But for this week your attention is turned to the car that did the impossible; the homely racecar that beat Enzo and his beautiful Ferraris at their own game.

In the early 60s, Carroll Shelby returned from a triumphant conquest of Europe. Driving for David Brown and Aston Martin, the chicken farmer from Texas won Le Mans. No American since Patton had been so dominant on the Continent's roads. It would take decades and another Texan named Lance Armstrong to pull off a similar feat. However, Shelby harbored a secret: he had a bad heart, and was forced to retire from the sport he both loved and excelled at in his prime. He mucked about for a while, hocking tires and opening a driving school, but his poor heart wasn't it. Shelby had to get back to racing.

Here comes the Cobra! Long story short, Shelby wanted a racecar and his time in Europe convinced him of the superior handling characteristics of small British roadsters. He contacted AC Cars in Thames Ditton to inquire about the feasibility of stuffing a V8 into their independently-suspended, ladder-framed AC Ace. As it so happened, AC had been using a pre-war design straight-6 that Bristol and Frazer had nicked from the bombed-out BMW factory (it was the engine found in the glorious 328). By 1961 even AC new the engine was a dinosaur and scrapped it in favor of the 2.6-liter straight-6 out of the Ford Zephyr. As both fate and luck would have it, the bulk of the chassis modifications needed to fit the Zephyr engine into the Ace's frame, allowed a V8 to fit in the same space. Now all Shelby needed was an engine.

Shelby-Ford AC Cobra Mk II

He turned first to Chevrolet and they said "no" because another powerful sports car would threaten the Corvette's supremacy. Shelby then contacted Ford's Lee Iacocca to procure an American heart for his British car. At first Iacocca was little more than amused by the lanky Texan, who always came to Lido's office with a big hat and a beautiful blond. But then Ford's President realized the Shelby was serious. Two important facts you should note here. The first is that Iacocca hadn't thought up the Mustang yet. The second is that Ford desperately wanted to beat Chevrolet in the sports car game (so much so that Henry Ford II was in talks with Enzo to buy Ferrari). FoMoCo had just developed a lightweight, thin-walled aluminum V8 for Canadian pickups. This engine, first built in the city with our favorite strip clubs, Windsor, Ontario, went on to be known as the Windsor V8. You may have heard of it. The version Shelby first got for teh Cobra Mk I was the 4.2-liter (260 cubic inch) HiPo V8. Perfect.

Or not. The first test drive snapped the rear axle off. A stouter Salisbury 4HU rear end (with inboard brakes) was lifted from the Jaguar E-Type The heat from the inboard brakes melted the car's oil seals. So they went outboard. Shelby also had a devil of a time figuring out how to cool the tightly packed engine, eventually resorting to Corvette radiators. And just like the Corvette, a veritable mountain of torque in such a lightweight package necessitated the use of traverse leaf-springs. These, along with wider wishbones forced AC to widen the body by radically flaring the fenders.

Shelby-Ford AC Cobra Mk III

The results were epic. Tuned to within an inch of its life, the HiPo 260 in the Shelby-Ford AC Cobra Mk I stonked up 325 hp and rocketed the car to a then unheard of 0-60 mph time of 4.2 seconds. The first production cars were detuned quite a bit and also featured shoddy steering (due to a worm gear setup and a VW Bug column) and more cooling problems. Shelby fixed all this by equipping the Mk II Cobra with a 289 cid engine, revised gearing, rack and pinion steering and a wider grill opening with side vents to let the heat out of the engine bay. Now it was time to go racing.

"So every time I would see a red car coming up, I'd think, 'Oh shit. Now they are going to go by us.' " — Bob Bondurant

Shelby knew what he had to do. To reiterate, on the shorter American circuits, the Cobras were unbeatable. They were faster than the competition (including the Ferrari GTOs) to the max speed allowed by the track and handled just as well if not better through the corners. The real killer for the Cobras at Le Mans was the notorious three-mile Mulsanne Straight. Even with the awkward looking hard tops in place, the Cobras could only hit around 150 mph. The Ferraris? 180 mph. Obviously, this was an insurmountable obstacle. Unless you had another car entirely. Perhaps a coupe? Here is out most favorite automotive legend.

Pete Brock And His Krazy Kammback

"We knew, plus or minus, what [the] capabilities of the Ferrari were, and we knew we would beat it. I knew that, if I could get the Daytona Coupe, Ferrari wouldn't be in business." — Carroll Shelby

Shelby wasn't so sure. He went as far as bringing in an aerodynamics specialist to examine Brock's shape. Nein, he said. The coupe would be better off aerodynamically speaking with a longer, tapered tail. In a decision that ranks up there with General Groves deciding to pursue both a gun-type and implosion bomb, Shelby decided to listen to his young pupil and went with the controversial (though these days quite classic) coupe. The results are the really good stuff that they don't teach you in history class.

While testing the Coupe out, Jack Sears and Peter Bolton hit 185 mph on the M1 in preparation for Le Mans. This caused Britain to establish national speed limits. In the 1964 12 Hours of Daytona, the Coupe outran all the competition until it was hobbled by a damaged differential. A differential cooler was eventually installed. Still, the Cobra Coupe so totally outclassed the rest of the competition that it not only recorded the race's fastest lap time, but Shelby decided to rename to call the car the Daytona. Le Mans was up next.

Once in France on the Mulsanne Straight the Daytonas achieved a v-max of 196 mph. This not only blew the doors off the competition, but allowed Shelby's cars to run and compete with the prototype class. The Daytona driven by Dan Gurney and Bob Bondurant finished first in the GT class and fourth overall. In fact, the Daytona Coupe wound up lapping a Ferrari GTO. Not bad for a car built in a Santa Monica warehouse by half a dozen guys with pencils and hammers. Take that Enzo, you purple inked former Fascist!

While the Daytona went on to dominate the 1964 and 1965 GT racing seasons, the writing was sadly already on the wall. In 1964, the year it won Le Mans, the fastest lap time was actually set by another American driving another Ford product, the all-conquering Ford GT40. Phil Hill averaged a lap at 131 mph until he and his car were sidelined with a busted gearbox. The next year, Henry Ford II scooped up most of Shelby's best people (Shelby was involved with the GT40 program from the start) and the Cobra racing effort got its corporate funding yanked so as not to steal the GT40's thunder. The six Daytona Coupes were (illegally) flown back to Los Angeles. Shelby couldn't even sell them as interest had totally dissipated. Shockingly, he finally unloaded the Daytonas for about $5,000 a pop.

World's Greatest Barn Find

There is some comeuppance, though. It is true that all six cars were flown from England back to the States, but until 2001 only five were thought to exist. The sixth car? No one knew. Then a woman named Donna O'Hara lit herself on fire. In her locked storage shed, was the missing sixth car, called CSX2287, that her father had purchased years earlier and left to her. Undoubtedly the greatest barn find in the history of car collecting, its worth is valued at over $4,000,000. Not bad for an initial investment of about five grand.

I'm not a flag waver by nature, but there are certain events and machines that get my blood pumping read, white and blue. The Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe and its amazing history represent such a machine. For those of you who are not American, we ask that you look upon this vehicle as the very best of what our country has to offer. We can put a man on the moon and beat Enzo Ferrari at his own game. Hell, on his own playing field. We would be doing a grave disservice to not only the beautiful car, but to the spirit of the men who designed and built the Daytona by not including an example in our Fantasy Garage. Happy voting.

Gawker Media polls require Javascript; if you're viewing this in an RSS reader, click through to view in your Javascript-enabled web browser.

The Jalopnik Fantasy Garage, So Far:
RUF RT12 | Maserati Quattroporte Executive GT | 1978 Aston Martin V8 Vantage | Honda 1300 Coupe 9 | 1931 Daimler Double Six 50 Corsica Drophead Coupe | Ferrari 288 GTO | Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 | 1970 Buick GSX 455 | First Generation BMW M Coupe | Bugatti Veyron 16.4 | Ford GT | Citroen SM | Porsche 928 | Jensen FF | DeTomaso Vallelunga | Audi Quattro S1 | Buick GNX | Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R | Honorary Fantasy Garager: The LS1 Powered Rotus | Lamborghini LM002

Ah, Jim Glickenhaus. Ah, to be Jim Glickenhaus, the only man ever to produce a Basket Case movie and have Pininfarina scan his body for a perfect fit in a custom Enzo-based car. We met him briefly in Paris last fall and he turned out to be a very nice, personable dude, always willing and ready to drop some science. Here he tells the story of the battle of wills contested between two titans of the automotive world: Hank The Deuce and Enzo Ferrari. Part I above, click the link for part II. We can practically guarantee you'll learn something you didn't know. [Thanks to Haller for the tip] – Davey G. Johnson

The Ford/Ferrari Wars, Part II [Cirkitvision]

Related:
Foyt On Indy [Internal]

Another day, another question brought to you by one of you; our wonderful readers. Today's comes from Seth L, and it's a good 'un:

What lost automotive styling cue do you pine for? Tailfins? Non-plastic Chrome? Cars shaped like jets?

Do you rail against America's ennui with space exploration, and it's themes?

Oh wait, the last one's just me.

Seth L

[The Jalopnik Question of the Day kinda rocks, doesn't it? Do you have a question you want answered? Email it to tips@jalopnik.com with the subject line "QOTD"]

Which Car Is Growing On You?; The Jalopnik Question of the Day [Internal]

Herr Wert's earlier post about the $9.275 million Ferrari got me thinking about all kinds of stuff. First, of course, is that car worth that much scratch? Sure, it won Le Mans, but what was it running against? A bunch of GTOs and E-Types. Big whoop. And, the only other cars in its class — +3.0-liter Experimental — were two Maserati Tipos and a Ferrari 330LM GTO. And none of them finished the race. So, according to one reporter's opinion, that 330 TRI/LM ain't worth the money. However, there are some Le Mans racing machines that to me, would not only be worth the filthy lucre, but are also my favorite racecars. I am having trouble picking just one, though.

The race was the 1964 outing. The two cars were the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe and the Ferrari 250 GTO. The Shelby of course proved to be the superior vehicle, winning the GT class and placing fourth overall. And, like Homer Simpson said of David Schwimmer, the Daytona is handsome in an ugly sort of way. Especially that Kamm-tail. But next to the 250 GTO, Shelby's car looks like the dog's breakfast. And the Ferrari finished 5th. So, I pick two. You? – Jonny Lieberman

[The Jalopnik "Question of the Day" runs every day. Unless it doesn't. Do you have a question you want answered? Email it to tips@jalopnik.com with the subject line "QOTD"]

Related:
Le Mans-Winning 1962 Ferrari 330 Sells At Auction For Over $9 Million, Sets New Record Price!; The Jalopnik Question of the Day [Internal]

Related:
'Worlds Quickest/Fastest 6spd Supra in the World' on eBay | King of the Road Indeed: The 2008 Shelby Cobra GT500KR Concept Surfaces [Internal]

It's one of the oldest maxims in the automotive world: drive on Sunday, sue on Monday. OK, that's a bastardization of the actual maxim, but whatevs, it works here so we're rolling with it. A California jury sided with Carroll Shelby in a trademark/licensing case against Wilhelm Motor Works, which has been reproducing classic Shelby Mustangs. But, the jury agreed with WMW that Shelby had unreasonably withheld licensing for one of the company's prototypes. Both parties were awarded damages of $250,000, basically amounting to offsetting penalties. And as you might have guessed, Shelby plans to appeal the decision. Lovers of complex and perpetual automotive licensing litigation rejoice!

A bit of history after the jump:

For those not following the back-and-forth litigation between Wilhelm Motor Works and various arms of Carroll Shelby, which has been chronicled here, a primer. WMW had been producing the Mustangs with a license granted from Carroll Shelby Licensing (after the settlement of another lawsuit). After the deal had been signed Shelby sued, claiming that WMW wasn't producing replicas but rather "knock-offs." In September, WMV countersued Shelby for treating them unfairly during the licensing process. While this shouldn't have a serious effect on car enthusiasts (there are plenty of ways to get a legal Shelby Mustang or Cobra replica), we imagine the lawyers are having a field day. We'll keep you abreast of more sleep-inducing developments as they occur. – Matt Hardigree

Mixed verdict in Carroll Shelby trademark suit [Detroit News]

Related:
Jalopnik Question of the Day: What Would You Buy for $5.5 Million [internal]

At the Barrett-Jackson auction this week, Carroll Shelby's personal Cobra went home with Ron "Futurliner" Pratte, a house builder from Chandler, Arizona who drops multimillions on classic vehicles like they were mid-career Charlie Hough cards on the eBay. He paid $5.5 million for this pedigreed Cobra, which may not have broken any records, but it sure was Aswan-Dam expensive. That brings us to the question of the day. If you had $5.5 million to blow, would you have courted Shelby's ex, or would you spend it on something else? Details, details.

Shelby Cobra sells for $5.5 million [MSNBC]

Related:
More Question of the Day [internal]

Cobra Electronics has a new serpent on the road for all you snakes (like us) who need a little extra help to "see" the "man" when they've got a plan to catch your ass for speeding. It's their XRS line of radar detectors and Cobra's calling it the first "user-installable remote radar detector with GPS locator featuring Red Light and Speed Camera Location Database." In English we think it means you'll be able to mount the main detector unit in an out-of-the-way place, like behind the rearview mirror at the top of the windshield. To control the unit, they've provided a remote controller for you to clip onto your sun visor or you know, pocket protector or something. But the coolest part's the last included feature — the red light and speed cam location database. It's based on a fixed list of red light and speed camera traps across the country as well as an allowance for the driver to input up to 1,000 location-based alerts. Unfortunately, it doesn't yet include a feature for automatic updates from the internet or satellite. Still, we'd be sold on one if it merely played "Eastbound & Down" whenever the fuzz-buster went off. Of course, if it doesn't work (Meow), you can always try this. Full press release and a close-up pic of the kit after the jump. – Ray Wert

Remote Detector Keeps Drivers Under the Radar

Industry Leader Cobra Electronics Offers First User-Installable Remote Radar Detector With GPS Locator Featuring Red Light and Speed Camera Location Database

LAS VEGAS (January 5, 2007) — Cobra Electronics (NASDAQ: COBR) today announced the launch of the first-to-market, easy-to-install wireless remote controlled radar/laser detector with GPS locator. The product's sleek design makes the new device virtually invisible—helping to deter theft—while Super-Xtreme Range Superheterodyne (S-XRS ) Maximum Performance 12 Band Technology with LaserEye ensures the detection of the fastest radar and laser guns, including POP Mode. The XRS R7 and CES Innovation Award honoree XRS R9G IntelliLink remote detectors provide "under the radar" detection at an "on the radar" price.

"Once again, Cobra Electronics is pioneering detection with our new line of remote products," said Tony Mirabelli, senior vice president, marketing and sales for Cobra Electronics. "Last year we were the first to offer a full-color video display; this year we're the first to offer an easy-to-install radar detector that truly challenges the performance of detectors at higher price points. It's our innovation that allows Cobra to stay ahead in the highly competitive radar detection category."

The XRS R7 and XRS R9G feature a wireless main detector unit and a remote control display unit. The XRS R9G offers the added benefit of a GPS locator—the first of its kind in the United States to be paired with a radar detector. The locator includes a fixed red light and speed camera location database. In addition, the driver can input up to 1,000 location-based alerts.

In order to maintain the unit's discreet appearance, both the GPS locator and the main radar/laser detector unit mount behind the rearview mirror at the top of the windshield. This placement not only reduces the unit's visibility, it also improves its detection range. All of the components are installed inside the vehicle, protecting it from the elements and heat of the engine. The lithium-ion rechargeable batteries allow the pocket-size remote to operate up to 40 hours and include a two-hour quick charge option. The product's sleek IntelliLink 2.4 GHz wireless remote controlled design makes it possible to customize mounting locations as well as easily remove it from the car, further deterring theft.

In addition to the products' new design and enhanced performance, the XRS R7 and XRS R9G offer features Cobra drivers have come to rely on. The full-color Extreme Bright DataGrafix video display offers alert screens such as car battery voltage, signal strength and an eight-point digital compass. Similar to the other XRS detectors, the R7 and R9G provide drivers with IntelliMute , a speed sensing Auto Mute system to prevent false alerts; Voice Alert , which clearly annunciates signals and alerts being detected; SmartPower to automatically shut off the unit when the vehicle's ignition is turned off; and StrobeAlert , which alerts the driver of approaching emergency vehicles.

The XRS R7 user-installable remote radar detector has an MSRP of $349.95. The XRS R9G, including a GPS locator with red light and speed camera database, has an MSRP of $449.95. Cobra's new line of 2007 radar detectors will arrive in major retailers the second quarter of 2007.

Along with its new remote radar detectors and complete line of radar products in a wide range of prices and features, Cobra's 2007 mobile navigation, two-way radio, citizens band and marine products will be on display at this year's CES in Las Vegas, January 8-11 in the Central Hall, booth # 9841, at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Additionally, Cobra's radar, mobile navigation and two-way radio products will be on display at CES Unveiled, January 6 in the Sands Expo and Convention Center.

About Cobra Electronics

Cobra Electronics is a leading global manufacturer of communication and navigation products, with a track record of delivering innovative and award-winning products. Building upon its leadership position in the GMRS/FRS two-way radio, radar detector and citizens band industries, Cobra identified new growth opportunities and has aggressively expanded into the mobile navigation and marine markets over the last few years. The Consumer Electronics Association, Forbes and Deloitte & Touche have all recognized Cobra for the company's innovation and industry leadership. To learn more about Cobra Electronics, please visit the Cobra site at www.cobra.com.

###

Related:
I'd Like To Drive 105: How To Get Out Of A Speeding Ticket [internal]

The only thing better than a 1966 427 Shelby Cobra is a 1966 427 Competition Shelby Cobra with not one, but two Paxton superchargers that stump up 800 hp. Shelby built two, and Bill Cosby killed one of them. Now the survivor can be yours. Come middle of January, 2007, for the low, low price of "no reserve," you will be able to bid on Carroll Shelby's personal ride. OK fine — as this particular Cobra is probably only slightly less valuable than the Daytona Coupe that beat Ferrari at Le Mans, unless you are one of the five richest Sheiks in Qatar you won't be able to buy it. But you can at least bid. What? Barrett-Jackson doesn't let riff-raff scum from teh internets place phony bids on priceless cars for the hell of it? Bo-ring. – Jonny Lieberman

Carroll Shelby's Personal Dual Supercharged 800 BHP Cobra [gizmag]; Shelby Cobra CSX 3015

Related:
Jalopnik Reviews: 2007 Ford Shelby Cobra GT500, Part 1 [internal]

Our chap about town, Nick Hall, is hanging around Germany's Essen tuner show (like the US's SEMA), attending to the ladies vehicles on display. While he's there, he'll likely come across Cobra's N+ program as applied to the Nissan Qashqai, the company's new compact SUV currently only available in Europe. The package includes cosmetics like chromed and stainless-steel body components, sport muffler, 18" wheels and interior jewelry. All that stuff gives the ropy ute a bit more heft. We'll get more from Essen tomorrow, after Hall gets off the PR ladies floor and files his first report. – Mike Spinelli

Press Release:

World Premi re at the ESSEN-MOTOR-SHOW 2006

Exclusive COBRA N+ Accessories for the Nissan Qashquai

COBRA N+ offers attractive high-gloss stainless-steel body components for the Nissan. The bumper chrome styling with two 15 millimeter strong apron tubes give the look of the standard front bumper an exclusive touch. In addition the standard grid on the front bumper gets replaced by a chromed COBRA N+ stainless steel bumper grille.

The innovative look for the five-door car is rounded out with the side chrome styling, which is fixed on the side panels, and the chrome molding for the tailgate.

The COBRA N+ sport rear muffler for the Nissan Qashquai offers a more powerful engine sound plus refined looks with its two chrome tailpipes. Best of all, the muffler offers exceptional quality thanks to it being manufactured from stainless steel.

The COBRA N+ program also offers custom-tailored tire/wheel combinations in 17- and 18-inch diameter. The largest possible version is the COBRA N+ CN12 wheel in size 8Jx18.

In the interior the COBRA N+ product lineup adds individual highlights with aluminum foot pedals, various versions of shift knobs and stainless-steel sill plates with illuminated COBRA N+ logo.

A two-year warranty with unlimited kilometers bears witness to the exceptional quality of all Cobra Technology & Lifestyle accessories.

Related:
Nissan Qashqai Revealed [internal]

Why You Should Buy This Car: Drop-kicking the accelerator is like hitting a crack pipe; the rush is outright mad, instantly exhilarating and altogether unhealthy. A lack of German engineering in a car this powerful is refreshing. The GT500 is as American as Marlboro Reds, 72oz steaks and adult-onset diabetes; wrapping yourself in a flag would be less patriotic. Despite all odds, the Shelby is a blast to drive really fast. The brakes will man up and save your bacon, and then do it again. Tight back seat doubles as a handy dog carrier. The commodious trunk makes it realistic for daily use. It's both fantastically butch-looking and ordinary, which makes it as stealthy as a Q-ship. The price makes it the performance steal of this decade. The hottest MILF in the Valley walked up to me and said, "Nice car." Did I mention that the acceleration is more fun than seven roller coasters?

Why You Shouldn't Buy This Car: You're not sold on last century's technology. Precision in all things is your thing, and you need a little foreplay. Underneath all the snakes, Eaton blower and bluster sits a $17,000 rental car. The ride is just pathetic and the road noise isn't far behind. Its collar is bluer than Larry the Cable Guy's routine; nothing Volvo going on over here. Despite having decent gas mileage (for what it is), the tank is only 15-gallons large; real world range is about 250-miles per fill-up. The massive bulge in the hood makes parking an F-150-ish affair. You're too old.

Suitability Parameters:
· Speed Merchants: Yes
· Fashion Victims: No
· Treehuggers: No
· Mack Daddies: Yes
· Tuner Crowd: Yes
· Hairdressers: No
· Penny Pinchers: No
· Euro Snobs: No
· Working Stiffs: No
· Technogeeks: No
· Poseurs: No
· Soccer Moms: No
· Nascar Dads: Yes
· Golfing Grandparents: No

Vitals:
· Manufacturer: Ford
· Model tested: Shelby GT500
· Model year: 2007
· Price as Tested: $43,250
· Engine type: 5.4L Supercharged V8
· Horsepower: 500 hp @ 6000 rpm
· Torque: 480 lb-ft @ 4500 rpm
· Redline: 6250 rpm
· Wheels and Tires: 18" Aluminum wheels w/ P255/45R18 fronts, P285/45R18 rear
· Drive type: rear-wheel drive
· 0 - 60: 4.5 seconds
· 1/4 mile: 12s
· Fuel economy city/highway: 15/21
· NHTSA crash test rating front/side/rollover: NA

– Jonny Lieberman

Related:
Jalopnik Reviews: 2007 Ford Shelby Cobra GT500, Part 1, Part 2 [internal]

Exterior Design *****
The more I look at these new Mustangs, the more I understand why LA's Museum of Contemporary Art gave designer J Mays his own show. True, his New Beetle and reborn Thunderbird are insipid, but what he did for Ford's hot two-door has teeth. The Mustang looks even better dressed as a Shelby, with its ass in the air, fat tires and megamouth shark front end. You simply cannot front on the blue Le Mans stripes, nor can you dispute the perturbed Cobras (four of 'em) covering all sides. Still, to the untrained eye, the GT500 only looks like a plain, old Mustang. And considering it's a vehicle capable of truly heinous illegal activity, that may be good news for your license.

Interior Design ***
The SVT light, which flares orange when revs match a driver-selectable shift point, is beyond cool. In fact, if everything else about the car sucked eggs, that lone detail would be enough to win my heart. If you look at the wheel you'll clock yet another snake. If you gaze through the wheel, you'll notice a wholly illegible supercharger boost gauge. And the seats have hissing cobras stitched into 'em, too. Just don't look down at the same cheap-o FoMoCo interior parts.

Acceleration *****
I wish we could give out more than five stars, because the GT500 deserves at least seven. True, other cars will hit 60 mph faster (4.5 seconds in this case) and do the quarter-mile in less time (12.9 seconds) — (Hot Rod wrangled 4.3 seconds to 60mph and 12.25 through the quarter). But no production vehicle on earth is more fun, or more frightening, to launch. Once the clutch engages, the feeling is that of being strapped to a Saturn V rocket that's had a few too many. Shifting into second produces immediate, blood-curdling fishtailage. And that's with the computer doing to the dirty work. Computer off, and the Shelby goes sideways and stays there for as long as it goes forward. Long story short, the Shelby GT500 conjures dreams of owning an abandoned runway.

Braking ****
Obviously the terrible stock Mustang GT's brakes would be of little use in a 500hp brute like this. Out they went, and in their place are 14" cross-drilled rotors and four-piston Brembos in the front. Though the rear wheels have stock stoppers, the mighty Brembo duo gets the job done. They're not outstanding or memorable, mind you, but you will shed speed when you stand on the pedal. And, as I found out on an 80-mile round trip up and down Angeles Crest, no sign of fade.

Ride **
What a beast. On straight, smooth surfaces the GT500 feels fine, and that's the only reason I'm handing out two stars. But if the road ahead should wind even slightly, the Shelby begins its rocking and bobbing. There's too much weight up front and too little technology out back in the live-axle setup for any other result. Rough surfaces are a nightmare of jolting and banging. There's a reason the headrests are the softest part of the seats.

Handling ****
Ford Racing execs claim they've mitigated the live-rear-axle liability by tweaking elsewhere. True, this car is to an Elise what a rhinoceros is to a gazelle. So ... Don't race Lotuses. Engineers did their job though, as the grip is enormous (0.92 G), making challenging roads feel conquerable. It's always a bummer when the stock Mustang GT quits at the limit and begins to plow, but the good news is the Shelby's first instinct is to oversteer; with the traction control off it does little else. Even if you're not quite Mr. McRae, with the traction nanny switched on you'll have a hard time doing anything too stupid.

Gearbox ***
Disclaimer: our Shelby showed up with 9,000 journalist miles so who knows what this poor car has been through. (I would guess hell.) Still, the transmission made some of the worst noises I've heard since my old Pontiac lost a cylinder. You only notice this when scooting about town buying milk and cigarettes; under heavy acceleration all you hear is the air-raid-siren scream from the blower. The flimsy stick felt like it could snap apart in my hand, which, again may or may not be due to abuse. Ford claims the six-speed Tremec unit, which replaces the mediocre five-speed in the GT, is needed to handle the extra torque. Without the sixth-gear, however, the Shelby would likely return close to single-digit highway miles.

Audio/Video *
There's no video and the Shelby is in desperate need of the Shaker 1000 unit we had in last month's California Special. There's so much womp-womp from the massive tires at freeway speeds that it is best to just pull the head unit to save weight.

Toys ***
In some sense, the car itself is a toy. That said, I just cannot get over that you can choose your own gauge colors. Also, as mentioned, the flashing SVT shift point indicator is tits on glass.

Trunk ****
Only the M6 and the Merc 600CL rival the Shelby for 500hp coupe storage supremacy. And those are fancy-pants Deutsche super sleds most definitely not intended for me or you. I was able to schlep my mother's Black Friday Macy's haul home with ease.

Value *****
500 horses for $40,925? Sold.

Overall *****
I was so prepared to hate this car. The (admittedly short) time I spent with the convertible GT500 alerted me to all its flaws. Plus, as we were testing the drop-top in heavily congested and policed Malibu, I never got to really open her up (i.e., drop the hammer and the clutch). As the miles rolled by this week I have been converted, one stoplight at a time. The Shelby has so many good points; bowel-emptying acceleration, rude-boy looks, aggressive handling and potent brakes that it is easy to overlook the most important part. You (or hopefully me) could live with this car, happily ever after. – Jonny Lieberman

Related:
Jalopnik Reviews: 2007 Ford Shelby Cobra GT500, Part 1, Part 3 [internal]

Looking at this automotive expression of crypto-taxidermy, we're reminded of a nightmare we once had after eating in a Moroccan restaurant. The difference is, in the nightmare the creature had the head of a badger and the body of Ernest Borgnine (or was that vice versa?). Actually, this is ten times as scary. [Thanks to Andrew for the tip.] – Mike Spinelli

[via Grassroots Motorsports]

Related:
Chevy-Chevy-Chevy: The 789 by N2A Motors [internal]

So what if this chromed Shelby Cobra replica was mere eye candy in a garage-floor supplier's SEMA booth. Someone had to strip and high-polish the thing, and make sure the plastic parts were properly mocked and coated for maximum effect. Maybe it's not even close to tasteful, and would likely be wanted for murder on South Florida highway in August. But radness comes in all sizes, shapes and level of retina threat.

Related:
MTM's Polished Audi A8 [internal]