Ford Mustang Shelby GT500

This is the very last car I rode in on the American continent. Wert showed up with it just as I was heading out of Jalopnik publisher Gawker Media’s Soho offices to subway to JFK. Contrary to my preconceptions, it is a very nice car.

Much more compact than either the Challenger or the Camaro, the big Mustang is a surprisingly nice place to be in. The plastics are uprange Opel, meaning nowhere near Alfa Romeo Euro-poshness but perfectly okay.

While the doorframe is certainly on the high side, you can stick your elbow out without having to worry about the sudden onset of Saturday night palsy, which is very much not the case in neither the Challenger nor the Camaro. And what is a muscle car without an elbow out the window, after all?

It was a fun 20 MPH ride in bumper to bumper traffic, over the Manhattan Bridge and into Brooklyn. Ray will have a full road test up in the coming days. And I certainly hope he will mention the shift knob, which looks (cue Nascar-like Southern drawl) "totally awesome."

Photo Credit: Ray Wert

Dodge Challenger R/T

The Challenger faced impossible odds: it was our chariot of choice in heavy traffic on the Long Island Expressway on our way to see a Lamborghini Miura. While no earthly car can approach the magic of the Miura, the Challenger failed in every way. The inside is decked out in plastics I would not store leftovers meant for dogs in. The shifter is a wobblefest, the A/C is only good for causing sudden onset hypothermia and cocking an elbow out the window is not recommended if you’re worried in the slightest about the health of your radial nerve.

The car may look fun in the pages of a magazine, but in real life, it just does not work. Yes, every modern American muscle car is a clear derivative of 40-year-old designs but while the Camaro and especially the Mustang display elements of modern thinking, the Challenger is at best a cartoon approximation of a scene from Vanishing Point. It is not in visual harmony with its environment.

Riding in the car with me was Natalie Polgar of Hyperleggera, a svelte and attentive driver, who pointed out the lack of grunt from the very loud 5.7-liter Hemi and the curious lack of cornering finesse.

If you have no elbows—and, consequently, no fingertips for feeling materials—and like driving at night in a straight line, this might be your car. Otherwise, steer clear.

Photo Credit: Natalie Polgar

Chevrolet Camaro RS

A fleeting glance this was not: I spent two days in this car, riding from New York City to Detroit and back, a total of over 1200 miles. Pictured above is that most Detroit of scenes, the abandoned Michigan Central Station, which we approached on a late Sunday morning as inner city residents were tending to their vegetable plots set up in its forlorn flowerbeds.

While the Camaro’s interior is a notch above the Challenger’s, the materials used would never fly in Europe, except perhaps in the lowliest of vehicles. But most surprising is the utter lack of interior space in a 16-foot car weighing close to two tons. Fitting a 6'2" frame into the back seats of any coupé is a challenge, but I have never seen anything as bad as the Camaro. There is much more space in a 1973 Lamborghini Espada—or a Fiat Punto, a European supermini a full four feet shorter than the Camaro. There is room for neither knees nor heads. You might be tempted to say that the point of a muscle car is definitely not the rear seat transport of males in the upper three percent of the height curve—and you might be correct. Still, it is an egregiously bad use of space.

The 3.6-liter V6 in the RS is not the engine to get if you decide to buy a Camaro. It develops 300 HP, which is sucked up by the car’s osmium heft, leaving you with sluggish acceleration. The big LS3 V8 must be way more fun.

Still, despite its bad design, it was in the Camaro that I finally understood the point of the American automobile. It was late night in a straight line somewhere out in the Detroit suburbs, the landscaped forests causing the 90+ degrees of the afternoon to plunge, and at a dreamy 60 MPH Pink Floyd was on the radio. But more on that later.

The verdict? Avoid the Challenger, try the Mustang. And if you do pick up the Camaro, grab a Dremel and finish the job of cutting air vents for the rear brakes. They were there on the concept Camaro but regressed to fake indentations on the production model, which really is a shame but perhaps reflects on the creeping sense of sloppy design.

If you built a rip-snorting, ball-busting, brain-maiming muscle car, don't apologize for its consumption. Celebrate it. Be proud a car which brings so much joy gets atrocious fuel economy, it reminds everyone else how sad their choice of an economy car is. Shoveling a long-winded press release at the world, telling us how the new Mustang GT500 gets 2 MPG better, somewhere in the 16/22 MPG range, is like listing the specs on the Titan rocket and talking about how environmentally friendly the paint is — nobody cares, nobody.

540 HP, 510 lb-ft of torque, six-speed manual, better clutch, better handling, eye-watering acceleration. Talk about this, don't greenwash a car designed to set the world on fire.

The regular series production 2010 Mustang and 2010 Mustang GT were unveiled last November at the 2008 LA Auto Show only a few short months before the Shelby, but their development went hand in hand over the course of 3 years. Ford has literally been in the stink for a while now, and to task its engineers and designers with creating a new Mustang halo car without giving them a new chassis to work with proved to be difficult, but as evidenced, was entirely possible.

SVT engineers did their part, by making the 2010 Mustang Shelby GT500 virtually invisible once you hit the go pedal. With 540 HP and 510 lb-ft of torque, the Shelby envelops itself in enough white tire smoke to make your eyes water; or are those tears? Don't be ashamed, this is the type of power that'll make a grown man weak in the knees; make him forget about his wife and kids; possibly even kill. Trust us, we've seen it happen.

We had the chance to sit down for a few minutes with SVT elitists; Jamal Hameedl, Chief Nameplate Engineer and Kerry Baldori, Chief Vehicle Engineer; while we were at the Detroit Show. They walked us through some of the engineering challenges that arose when trying to squeeze an additional 40 horsepower and 30 lb-ft of torque from the existing supercharged and intercooled 5.4-liter dual overhead cam V-8 engine while aiming for an additional 2 miles per gallon. The biggest and most enhancing addition was through the use of a cold air induction system that relocated the Shelby Cobra emblem to the left side of the front grille.

They also told me about the suspension tuning that they performed on the car, lessening its skateboard like ride, replacing it with a more seated, controlled ride. This was helped with the addition of Goodyear F1 Supercar 19-inch tires (18-inch on the 'vert) and re-tuned spring and damper settings that have been optimized for better roll control, giving the driver more confidence when doing anything but sitting there and looking pretty.

When it is sitting there looking pretty, it's doing it with reason, history and passion. Just ask Rob Jensen, 2010 Mustang Shelby GT500 Lead Designer. His job, and the other legions of designers that worked on the car, was the biggest challenge and one that Ford has been asking its designers to tackle on a number of recent programs. We mentioned before that Ford was in the stink, meaning one thing when it comes to new vehicle development; cut costs. The biggest cost cutting measure; one that likely has the Mustang faithful cheering, but the rest of us sulking; is the re-use of the existing chassis. This limits the designers greatly by predetermining most, if not all, hard points in the design. This sort of re-use strategy happens all the time in the auto industry; look at the 2010 Taurus, it looks great but would you know by looking at it that it's based on the old Ford 500 that debuted in 2005? They did a great job with the Taurus, but it was no visceral muscle car that Ford needed in order to compete with the upcoming 2010 Chevy Camaro and 2009 Dodge Challenger. It was no Mustang.

We tip our hat to you Mr. Jensen, for taking the Mustang to heart and truly giving us something that fits within the rehashed retro pony car wars as well as aiming its sights at the new 2009 Nissan 370Z and 2009 Hyundai Genesis Coupe. Jensen took an equal blend of retro, high-tech and badass and put in the Blendtec blender to ask the question, "Will it blend?" Hell yeah, it'll blend. One look at the 2010 Shelby GT500 and you know something is different, yet eerily similar. Take a closer look and you'll start to see the little nuances that separate the new car from the old, the Shelby from the GT and the GT from the base model. It's lost weight in all the right places, it's gained a hint of GNC-induced muscle mass and it just doesn't look as clumsily large as the other two domestic ponies.

As with any design; vehicle, product or otherwise; it all starts with a sketch. Whether it be with a pencil or pen; napkin or paper; stylus, tablet and computer; it has to be translated from the designer's head into a language that all can understand and read. Below is an assortment of Rob Jensen's sketches and renderings that eventually led to the development of 3D math models that live entirely in the tube, scale and full size clay models used for styling validation and then to the final tooling for the car that we'll eventually see tearing up the streets and causing massive headaches for the Mopar and Bowtie boys. This definitely isn't the same old Mustang and we've just proved it.

[robjensendesign via idsketching, Ford]

Based on the recently redesigned 2010 Mustang, the 2010 Shelby GT500 features a revised 5.4-liter supercharged V8 pumping 540 horsepower and 510lb-ft of torque through its meaty veins. The blue-oval boy’s performance division, SVT, has provided the new engine with a re-geared twin-disc clutch six-speed manual transmission with a new 3.55 rear gear in order to harness the additional torque which is now up 30lb-ft from the previous generation car. While the 2010 Shelby GT500 is surely capable of trouser soiling speeds, Ford has electronically limited its top speed to 155mph.

The suspension is retuned for added performance with the inclusion of new dampers, springs and anti-roll bars. The rear solid axle remains, but according to SVT, the ride and handling is much improved resulting in a less jarring ride than the previous car. Once again Brembo supplies the four piston calipers and SVT has included a new stability control system with an on and off feature as well as a new Sport mode that allows for electronically supervised hoonage.

The 2010 Shelby GT500 receives the redesigned bodywork of the 2010 Mustang, but has managed to slip out of the doors with a new set of headlamps (HID optional) and a new, deeply sculpted front fascia with a larger upper grille. The Cobra badge has switched sides, but still plays for the same team; moved due to a cold-air intake system that is feed through an opening on the right side of the upper grille. A new power domed hood features heat extractors on its leading edge. The GT500 Coupe receives 19-inch wheels while the Convertible gets a set of smaller 18-inch wheels to lessen unsprung weight and improve the overall handling and stability of the roofless model. Regardless of which model you choose, the wheels will be wrapped in sticky 255mm wide Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tires. The rear fascia receives a larger lower diffuser with much larger exhaust tips as well as a larger rear spoiler featuring a functional Gurney flap.

Read the full press release below:

2010 FORD SHELBY GT500 PACKS MORE POWERFUL PUNCH

• Ford’s Special Vehicle Team (SVT) delivers a more powerful 2010 Shelby GT500 increased
to 540 horsepower, torque increased to 510 foot-pounds, downforce increased and drag
reduced

• New gearbox enhancements, plus a standard 3.55:1 rear axle ratio, mean the 2010 Shelby
GT500 will deliver improved acceleration performance, while providing better highway fuel
efficiency

• Aggressive new exterior design features new functional details, such as the hood extractor to
remove heat from the engine and “Gurney Flap” spoiler to tune rear downforce; world-class
materials and craftsmanship create the most unique GT500 interior yet

• 2010 Shelby GT500 will be in dealer showrooms in spring

DEARBORN, Mich., Jan. 1, 2009 – The new 2010 Shelby GT500 delivers the most power and
refinement ever for a Ford SVT-tuned performance Mustang – and a few surprises, too.

“The 2010 Shelby GT500 demonstrates Ford’s continuing commitment to high-performance
vehicles,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president, Global Product Development. “In
addition to the numerous performance and refinement improvements inside and out, the 2010
Shelby GT500 is an estimated 2 miles per gallon more fuel efficient on the highway.”
“We’re proud of the many of the enhancements that were developed jointly by the Ford and
Shelby Automobiles team last year that we’ve now incorporated into the new 2010 Shelby
GT500,” said Carroll Shelby, founder of Shelby Automobiles. “Building on what we learned to
create the Shelby GT500KR, this new car offers a great combination of power, handling and
braking. It is truly a special car that is a great deal of fun to drive.”

Ford’s Special Vehicle Team used the gains made on the 40th anniversary edition Shelby GT500KR “King of the Road” Mustangs as the performance starting point and built from there. The design team, with a nod to the original Shelby Cobras from the 1960s, takes those design cues even further with nuanced improvements in both the coupe and convertible, each of which boasts a more-refined interior.

“Working together on the KR, the Ford and Shelby teams developed new systems to continually
improve the iconic Mustang,” stated Amy Boylan, president of Shelby Automobiles. “Those
lessons learned are incorporated into the 2010 Shelby GT500. This approach will help maintain
Mustang’s leadership position at the front of the pack and make the ownership experience even
more enjoyable.”

“The muscle car segment is becoming even more competitive,” said Jamal Hameedi, chief
nameplate engineer for SVT. “We need to uphold the Mustang badge with honor, the Shelby
badge with honor and most importantly the Ford badge with honor. The 2010 GT500 is the car
that will do all of that.”

More horsepower, more refinement, more functionality
The combination of added horsepower, refinement and functionality makes the 2010 Shelby
GT500 a unique high-performance car. The 2010 Shelby GT500 delivers more horsepower and
more torque than the outgoing model, thanks in part to advancements pioneered on the
GT500KR.

The 2010 Shelby GT500 is powered by a supercharged and intercooled 5.4-liter dual overhead
cam V-8 engine expected to produce 540 horsepower and 510 foot-pounds of torque. The
redline is 6,250 rpm. The car’s aluminum power dome hood not only adds to the Shelby’s
appearance, it helps cool the engine through a hood extractor.

The Shelby’s open-element air induction system features a conical air filter instead of a flat-
panel closed system to reduce air restriction. This approach allows more air to be pumped
through the engine, producing more power and increasing the engine’s efficiency.

A cold-air intake feeds the coolest air possible directly into the air box, helping further increase
horsepower. The intake necessitated moving the Cobra snake badge to the other side of the grille
to enable maximum airflow.

The twin-disc clutch on the six-speed manual transmission has been significantly upgraded,
improving drivability and NVH. The discs on the 2010 Shelby GT500 are larger – 250 mm in
diameter compared with 215 mm in diameter on the outgoing model – and made of copper and
fiberglass to make them more robust.

A unique component of the twin-disc system is the control of the intermediate disc. Rather than
floating, it instead has six straps that control the engagement of the clutch, improving drivability.

The 2010 Shelby GT500 offers customers improved straight-line acceleration, plus fuel savings
when cruising on the highway in the top gears. Gears 1-4 remain the same, but fifth gear
changes from .80 to .74 while sixth gear goes from .63 to .50, meaning that the 2010 Shelby
GT500 will turn lower engine RPMs in those gears and deliver improved fuel efficiency. The
new final drive ratio, from 3.31 to 3.55, enables the improved acceleration in lower gears while
complementing the revised fifth and sixth gear ratios.

The Shelby’s distinct sounds will be apparent as always, though with new refinements, thanks to
the work of the Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH) team. A patented resonator placed
between the air filter and engine throttle body helps keep unwanted noise in check.
“You still hear the supercharger but not so that it’s intrusive,” said Kerry Baldori, chief
functional engineer for SVT. “It’s the same with the exhaust. You want people to know you’re
driving something special, but you don’t want an exhaust note that overpowers the whole
interior.

“We spent a lot of time getting the right sound quality out of the exhaust so you get that nice,
crisp Shelby sound outside and a pleasant sound inside the cabin. It’s a nice balance; one isn’t
overpowering the other.”

Driving dynamics also are improved, thanks to SVT’s signature chassis tuning as well as new
19-inch Goodyear F1 Supercar tires and forged aluminum wheels on the 2010 Shelby GT500
coupe and 18s on the convertible.

Spring and dampers have been optimized for better roll control, giving customers more
confidence when braking, accelerating or turning. The new chassis tuning takes its philosophy
from the KR program, with a greater emphasis placed on primary body control.

The team also stiffened the steering shaft.

“All our changes were about making the car to respond as fast and as predictable as possible,”
Hameedi said. “The 2010 Shelby GT500 conveys an athletic, confident feel. The shifter, clutch
pedal, brake-pedal efforts and overall steering efforts are easier now. We wanted to make sure
we had a nice, crisp short-throw shifter that was easy to go from gear to gear.”

The Goodyear F1 Supercar 19-inch tires have been upgraded, too. SVT members developed a
“recipe” for the attributes and characteristics they wanted in the tire, which Goodyear’s team of
engineers, designers and manufacturers brought to life. The result is better grip, better handling
and better NVH properties, leading to a better customer experience.

The wheels themselves complement the high-performance nature of the 2010 Shelby GT500.
The 19-inch wheels are forged aluminum wheels milled on both sides. The extra machining
process creates “blade” spokes with very thin, yet strong, cross-sections. The spokes have a
specific curve from the rim to the hub, not only for strength, but also to accentuate the offset and
width of the tires.

The 2010 Shelby GT500 features AdvanceTrac, Ford’s stability control system with several
options for performance. The default “on” mode accommodates every-day driving, and a Sport
mode delivers for those wanting to put the Shelby GT500 through its paces on the track. The
system also can be turned completely off, although the anti-lock brake system and other active
safety systems remain in place. Standard safety equipment includes: dual stage front air bags,
side-impact air bags and Ford’s Personal Safety System.

Numerous aerodynamic upgrades, including a redesigned splitter, were made to the front end of
the 2010 Shelby GT500.

“We worked hard to get as much downforce with as little drag as possible,” Baldori said. “We
worked to seal off the air that comes in the front so it can’t go underneath the car. We spent a lot
time sealing components such as the radiator and intercoolor to get rid of all the leak paths.

“The result of this evolution of aerodynamics is we’ve increased downforce, reduced drag and
improved the overall efficiency of the 2010 Shelby GT500.”

Directing the air so it’s used most efficiently was a painstaking process that ultimately will be
rewarding to customers. The design of the front fascia and the car’s “flush” hood helps focus air
flow. The top grille focuses air into the radiator, with a rubber flap inside the engine
compartment helping to seal the system. The lower grille helps cool the intercooler. SVT
engineers also went as far to block off specific diamonds in the front of the 2010 Shelby
GT500’s distinctive grille to help maintain the correct cooling and aerodynamic balance.
A meaner, reskinned snake ready to take to the streets

The 2010 Shelby GT500 is the most-robust design and most-distinctive model of the new 2010
Mustang lineup. “The design we chose was a ‘flush’ hood where the fascia defines the entire
front of the vehicle,” Hameedi said. “That’s very hard to execute from an engineering
standpoint, but it really sets the Shelby off as very, very different from the base Mustang.”

“This epitomizes the ultimate Mustang,” added George Saridakis, Exterior Design manager of
the Mustang and Shelby GT500. “It’s all about power and expressing power.”

Saridakis said his team took a cue from the Shelby AC Cobra 427 with respect to the front
grilles, which are gaping and appear ready to swallow the road.

Another obvious difference for the Shelby is the addition of racing stripes, which also will now
be available on the convertible. “Racing stripes made their mark on 1960s-era Ford performance
vehicles,” Hameedi notes. “That’s something we feel is a key part of the Shelby performance
DNA – maybe more so than some of our competition.”

Rounding out the Shelby’s exterior modifications are the unique signature coiled Cobra badges
on the front grille and front fenders, a more aggressive front splitter and lower-drag rear spoiler,
which added to improved aerodynamic features, round out the exterior modifications. “We
wanted the spoiler raked back aggressively to minimize drag, but we also have an integrated
Gurney Flap that provides the downforce,” Saridakis said.

What’s inside counts with the 2010 Shelby GT500
The base 2010 Mustang received a powerful new interior design. For the GT500, the interior
design team members challenged themselves to raise the bar even higher to create the ultimate
Shelby Mustang interior.

Using genuine materials such as real leather in all seats, real aluminum on the instrument panel
and Alcantara inserts on the seats and steering wheel gave the appearance a precisely crafted,
jewel-like yet functional feel. “You’ll definitely know you’re in a Shelby,” said Douglas Gaffka,
Chief Designer, Shelby GT500.

The genuine aluminum finish panels have a unique-to-GT500 three-dimensional dimpled texture
pattern inspired by racing clutch plates, braided hoses and cross-drilled racing brake rotors. The
pattern has been painstakingly tuned to compensate for the compound curvature of the
instrument panels. In addition, the “GT500” logo has been discretely engraved into the
aluminum in front of the passenger as a nod to classic Shelby Mustangs of the 1960s.

This unique aluminum finish panel is fully encapsulated by an exquisite soft seamless TPO
(Thermoplastic Olefin) instrument panel with a shape that resonates with Mustang’s powerful
heritage. The center stack flows into the console and features a sub-flush shifter trim ring, flush
cup holder door and lockable console stowage featuring the word “SHELBY” engraved in its
Satin Liquid Chrome release button.

All 2010 Mustangs and Shelbys feature bright 360-degree rings surrounding the gauge cluster,
uninterrupted by the steering column. These rings will come in chrome for the Mustang and a
Satin Liquid Chrome finish for the GT500. This finish is featured throughout the interior. An
intricate cobra is etched into the center of the aluminum steering wheel badge. The Shelby
Cobra appears at startup on the navigation screen, and the familiar red “SVT” logo utilizes new
ambient lighting to illuminate the door scuffplate.

“When customers drive this car, they’re not only going to be impressed by the performance and
the Shelby heritage, but they’re going to see all these carefully designed details and know
they’ve bought a well-crafted car,” Saridakis said.

Even the classic white shift knob – an icon of Shelby Mustang DNA from years past – received
special attention. First, it had to be the traditional white. It also had to be specific to the Shelby.
The answer was to combine the racing-stripes theme with the traditional “H” pattern found on
shifters to create a one-of-a-kind knob. Like the exterior, the racing stripes wrap from end to
end, encircling the knob.

Wide suite of standard features on the 2010 Shelby GT500

The 2010 Shelby GT500 includes several Ford innovations and industry-exclusive standard
features, including:

• SYNC: The voice-activated hands-free in-car communication and entertainment system
developed by Ford and Microsoft. The system fully integrates most Bluetooth-enabled
mobile phones and digital media players, providing customers hands-free cell phone and
music selection capabilities – plus new 911 Assist and Vehicle Health Report provided with
no monthly fees.

o 911 Assist: When a phone is properly paired, turned on and connected to SYNC, the
system is ready to assist in placing a call directly to a local 911 emergency operator in the
event of an air bag-deploying accident. The key advantage of SYNC 911 Assist is speed,
as calls are placed directly to local 911 operators.

o Vehicle Health Report (VHR): SYNC gathers relevant information from the major
vehicle control modules and packages diagnostic data into a usable format in a matter of
minutes. That data packet is sent to Ford via an 800-number automatically dialed using
the customer’s paired and operable mobile phone.

• Ambient Lighting System with MyColor™ allows drivers to customize the interior lighting
of the vehicle to suit their mood. The enhanced MyColor system features seven base colors –
ice blue, purple, blue, orange, red, white and green. Customers also can create 125 custom
colors by mixing the red-green-blue palette.

Available options:

• Voice-Activated Navigation with SIRIUS Travel Link™ is an industry-leading technology
that will provide users with a unique, information-rich in-car experience. The suite of data
services includes up-to-the-minute real-time traffic data with accident and incident
information for 78 markets, coast-to-coast weather data including current conditions and
five-day forecasts and fuel price information for more than 120,000 gas stations. SIRIUS
Travel Link also offers sports scores and schedules and a listing of more than 4,500 movie
theaters with movie times, theater addresses, movie synopses and more.

This combination of outstanding performance coupled with a fresh, exciting, well-crafted interior
intensely focused on improving the entire experience will make the 2010 Shelby GT500 even
more sought after, and a fitting addition to a long and proud history.

The 2010 Shelby GT500 will be in dealer showrooms in spring. The cars will be built at the
Auto Alliance International Plant in Flat Rock, Mich.

When the first Shelby GT500 hit the streets, the accolades rightfully flowed – it was a substantial bang for the buck. It was fast, it looked tough and it had that marvelous supercharger whine. The thing was, unless you were oblivious to danger or a trained professional driver, the GT500 was out to kill you. It was a white-knuckle automobile under dry conditions and downright murderous in inclement weather. This was certainly part of the draw, that unapologetic, swaggering badassery, but even for our irrational inner speed freak, it was too much at times.

With the 2010 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, the blue oval's SVT boys are aiming to bring you more of that swaggering badassery with less of the terror and with a modicum of actual comfort. With the new hardware, Ford took lessons learned with the Shelby GT500KR and adapted them to the new GT500. Power is up to a whopping 540 HP and 510 lb-ft of torque as a result of tuning and air flow improvement. With 30 lb-ft more on hand, that power is routed through a re-geared twin disc clutch six speed manual to a new 3.55 rear gear. Ford will only commit to a “significant improvement in performance” and an electronically limited top speed of 155 MPH. Aftermarket tuners, you hear that? Get to work.

The suspension tuning gets the big boy treatment with new dampers, springs, and anti-roll bars. Though still using a solid axle, Ford claims road composure, ride and handling are much improved over the outgoing model. We'd be happy if all they did was upgrade the tuning from “kidney pounding, expansion joint skipping ” to “stiff but composed.” Brakes remain four piston Brembos but the stability control system gets a new sport mode in addition to on and off; Sport being tuned to let you have a lot more fun but ultimately protects you from yourself.

Inside and out, the operative words at SVT for 2010 were quality and refinement. The new Shelby shares the styling changes with its lesser Mustang cousins, but upgrades abound.

Outside the new GT500 uses a different headlight cluster (HID optional) to maintain a more aggressive look set in a deeper front fascia and larger grille opening which are styling carryovers tweaked for the new car. The signature Cobra logo shifts sides in order to accommodate a cold air intake routed directly into the grille. At the rear the new spoiler is topped with a functional Gurney flap and there's a new rear diffuser down below. The result is a shift in the center of pressure towards the front for a more stable ride at speed. Both coupe and convertible get new wheels, 18's on the convertible, and 19's on the coupe, each shod in 255 mm wide Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tires. Expect paint schemes to range from mild to wild, as we've seen one dubbed “Superman” which puts bright red racing stripes over light blue paint, the effect is both obnoxious and iconic.


Ford addressed customer complaints of an interior not unique enough over the standard 'Stang with a GT500 only trim. The perforated metal dash insert takes inspiration from under hood heat shields while the leather seats get sewn-in racing stripes to match the striped on the car, whatever color you pick. Satin trim replaces chrome throughout and the short throw shifter is topped off with beefy cue ball sporting molded-in racing stripes. Key points were augmented with sound deadening while the exhaust note is tuned for better feedback, despite that, the car weights in at only 20 lbs more than the outgoing model. In all it's a much nicer work environment and we can't wait until we replace that silly “new car smell” with “burnt rubber.”

The 2010 Ford Mustang GT500 will be making its worldwide debut at the 2009 in a few days, and it'll be available in Ford dealers spring 2009. Read the full press release below:

2010 FORD SHELBY GT500 PACKS MORE POWERFUL PUNCH

• Ford’s Special Vehicle Team (SVT) delivers a more powerful 2010 Shelby GT500 increased
to 540 horsepower, torque increased to 510 foot-pounds, downforce increased and drag
reduced

• New gearbox enhancements, plus a standard 3.55:1 rear axle ratio, mean the 2010 Shelby
GT500 will deliver improved acceleration performance, while providing better highway fuel
efficiency

• Aggressive new exterior design features new functional details, such as the hood extractor to
remove heat from the engine and “Gurney Flap” spoiler to tune rear downforce; world-class
materials and craftsmanship create the most unique GT500 interior yet

• 2010 Shelby GT500 will be in dealer showrooms in spring

DEARBORN, Mich., Jan. 1, 2009 – The new 2010 Shelby GT500 delivers the most power and
refinement ever for a Ford SVT-tuned performance Mustang – and a few surprises, too.

“The 2010 Shelby GT500 demonstrates Ford’s continuing commitment to high-performance
vehicles,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president, Global Product Development. “In
addition to the numerous performance and refinement improvements inside and out, the 2010
Shelby GT500 is an estimated 2 miles per gallon more fuel efficient on the highway.”
“We’re proud of the many of the enhancements that were developed jointly by the Ford and
Shelby Automobiles team last year that we’ve now incorporated into the new 2010 Shelby
GT500,” said Carroll Shelby, founder of Shelby Automobiles. “Building on what we learned to
create the Shelby GT500KR, this new car offers a great combination of power, handling and
braking. It is truly a special car that is a great deal of fun to drive.”

Ford’s Special Vehicle Team used the gains made on the 40th anniversary edition Shelby GT500KR “King of the Road” Mustangs as the performance starting point and built from there. The design team, with a nod to the original Shelby Cobras from the 1960s, takes those design cues even further with nuanced improvements in both the coupe and convertible, each of which boasts a more-refined interior.

“Working together on the KR, the Ford and Shelby teams developed new systems to continually
improve the iconic Mustang,” stated Amy Boylan, president of Shelby Automobiles. “Those
lessons learned are incorporated into the 2010 Shelby GT500. This approach will help maintain
Mustang’s leadership position at the front of the pack and make the ownership experience even
more enjoyable.”

“The muscle car segment is becoming even more competitive,” said Jamal Hameedi, chief
nameplate engineer for SVT. “We need to uphold the Mustang badge with honor, the Shelby
badge with honor and most importantly the Ford badge with honor. The 2010 GT500 is the car
that will do all of that.”

More horsepower, more refinement, more functionality
The combination of added horsepower, refinement and functionality makes the 2010 Shelby
GT500 a unique high-performance car. The 2010 Shelby GT500 delivers more horsepower and
more torque than the outgoing model, thanks in part to advancements pioneered on the
GT500KR.

The 2010 Shelby GT500 is powered by a supercharged and intercooled 5.4-liter dual overhead
cam V-8 engine expected to produce 540 horsepower and 510 foot-pounds of torque. The
redline is 6,250 rpm. The car’s aluminum power dome hood not only adds to the Shelby’s
appearance, it helps cool the engine through a hood extractor.

The Shelby’s open-element air induction system features a conical air filter instead of a flat-
panel closed system to reduce air restriction. This approach allows more air to be pumped
through the engine, producing more power and increasing the engine’s efficiency.

A cold-air intake feeds the coolest air possible directly into the air box, helping further increase
horsepower. The intake necessitated moving the Cobra snake badge to the other side of the grille
to enable maximum airflow.

The twin-disc clutch on the six-speed manual transmission has been significantly upgraded,
improving drivability and NVH. The discs on the 2010 Shelby GT500 are larger – 250 mm in
diameter compared with 215 mm in diameter on the outgoing model – and made of copper and
fiberglass to make them more robust.

A unique component of the twin-disc system is the control of the intermediate disc. Rather than
floating, it instead has six straps that control the engagement of the clutch, improving drivability.

The 2010 Shelby GT500 offers customers improved straight-line acceleration, plus fuel savings
when cruising on the highway in the top gears. Gears 1-4 remain the same, but fifth gear
changes from .80 to .74 while sixth gear goes from .63 to .50, meaning that the 2010 Shelby
GT500 will turn lower engine RPMs in those gears and deliver improved fuel efficiency. The
new final drive ratio, from 3.31 to 3.55, enables the improved acceleration in lower gears while
complementing the revised fifth and sixth gear ratios.

The Shelby’s distinct sounds will be apparent as always, though with new refinements, thanks to
the work of the Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH) team. A patented resonator placed
between the air filter and engine throttle body helps keep unwanted noise in check.
“You still hear the supercharger but not so that it’s intrusive,” said Kerry Baldori, chief
functional engineer for SVT. “It’s the same with the exhaust. You want people to know you’re
driving something special, but you don’t want an exhaust note that overpowers the whole
interior.

“We spent a lot of time getting the right sound quality out of the exhaust so you get that nice,
crisp Shelby sound outside and a pleasant sound inside the cabin. It’s a nice balance; one isn’t
overpowering the other.”

Driving dynamics also are improved, thanks to SVT’s signature chassis tuning as well as new
19-inch Goodyear F1 Supercar tires and forged aluminum wheels on the 2010 Shelby GT500
coupe and 18s on the convertible.

Spring and dampers have been optimized for better roll control, giving customers more
confidence when braking, accelerating or turning. The new chassis tuning takes its philosophy
from the KR program, with a greater emphasis placed on primary body control.

The team also stiffened the steering shaft.

“All our changes were about making the car to respond as fast and as predictable as possible,”
Hameedi said. “The 2010 Shelby GT500 conveys an athletic, confident feel. The shifter, clutch
pedal, brake-pedal efforts and overall steering efforts are easier now. We wanted to make sure
we had a nice, crisp short-throw shifter that was easy to go from gear to gear.”

The Goodyear F1 Supercar 19-inch tires have been upgraded, too. SVT members developed a
“recipe” for the attributes and characteristics they wanted in the tire, which Goodyear’s team of
engineers, designers and manufacturers brought to life. The result is better grip, better handling
and better NVH properties, leading to a better customer experience.

The wheels themselves complement the high-performance nature of the 2010 Shelby GT500.
The 19-inch wheels are forged aluminum wheels milled on both sides. The extra machining
process creates “blade” spokes with very thin, yet strong, cross-sections. The spokes have a
specific curve from the rim to the hub, not only for strength, but also to accentuate the offset and
width of the tires.

The 2010 Shelby GT500 features AdvanceTrac, Ford’s stability control system with several
options for performance. The default “on” mode accommodates every-day driving, and a Sport
mode delivers for those wanting to put the Shelby GT500 through its paces on the track. The
system also can be turned completely off, although the anti-lock brake system and other active
safety systems remain in place. Standard safety equipment includes: dual stage front air bags,
side-impact air bags and Ford’s Personal Safety System.

Numerous aerodynamic upgrades, including a redesigned splitter, were made to the front end of
the 2010 Shelby GT500.

“We worked hard to get as much downforce with as little drag as possible,” Baldori said. “We
worked to seal off the air that comes in the front so it can’t go underneath the car. We spent a lot
time sealing components such as the radiator and intercoolor to get rid of all the leak paths.

“The result of this evolution of aerodynamics is we’ve increased downforce, reduced drag and
improved the overall efficiency of the 2010 Shelby GT500.”

Directing the air so it’s used most efficiently was a painstaking process that ultimately will be
rewarding to customers. The design of the front fascia and the car’s “flush” hood helps focus air
flow. The top grille focuses air into the radiator, with a rubber flap inside the engine
compartment helping to seal the system. The lower grille helps cool the intercooler. SVT
engineers also went as far to block off specific diamonds in the front of the 2010 Shelby
GT500’s distinctive grille to help maintain the correct cooling and aerodynamic balance.
A meaner, reskinned snake ready to take to the streets

The 2010 Shelby GT500 is the most-robust design and most-distinctive model of the new 2010
Mustang lineup. “The design we chose was a ‘flush’ hood where the fascia defines the entire
front of the vehicle,” Hameedi said. “That’s very hard to execute from an engineering
standpoint, but it really sets the Shelby off as very, very different from the base Mustang.”

“This epitomizes the ultimate Mustang,” added George Saridakis, Exterior Design manager of
the Mustang and Shelby GT500. “It’s all about power and expressing power.”

Saridakis said his team took a cue from the Shelby AC Cobra 427 with respect to the front
grilles, which are gaping and appear ready to swallow the road.

Another obvious difference for the Shelby is the addition of racing stripes, which also will now
be available on the convertible. “Racing stripes made their mark on 1960s-era Ford performance
vehicles,” Hameedi notes. “That’s something we feel is a key part of the Shelby performance
DNA – maybe more so than some of our competition.”

Rounding out the Shelby’s exterior modifications are the unique signature coiled Cobra badges
on the front grille and front fenders, a more aggressive front splitter and lower-drag rear spoiler,
which added to improved aerodynamic features, round out the exterior modifications. “We
wanted the spoiler raked back aggressively to minimize drag, but we also have an integrated
Gurney Flap that provides the downforce,” Saridakis said.

What’s inside counts with the 2010 Shelby GT500
The base 2010 Mustang received a powerful new interior design. For the GT500, the interior
design team members challenged themselves to raise the bar even higher to create the ultimate
Shelby Mustang interior.

Using genuine materials such as real leather in all seats, real aluminum on the instrument panel
and Alcantara inserts on the seats and steering wheel gave the appearance a precisely crafted,
jewel-like yet functional feel. “You’ll definitely know you’re in a Shelby,” said Douglas Gaffka,
Chief Designer, Shelby GT500.

The genuine aluminum finish panels have a unique-to-GT500 three-dimensional dimpled texture
pattern inspired by racing clutch plates, braided hoses and cross-drilled racing brake rotors. The
pattern has been painstakingly tuned to compensate for the compound curvature of the
instrument panels. In addition, the “GT500” logo has been discretely engraved into the
aluminum in front of the passenger as a nod to classic Shelby Mustangs of the 1960s.

This unique aluminum finish panel is fully encapsulated by an exquisite soft seamless TPO
(Thermoplastic Olefin) instrument panel with a shape that resonates with Mustang’s powerful
heritage. The center stack flows into the console and features a sub-flush shifter trim ring, flush
cup holder door and lockable console stowage featuring the word “SHELBY” engraved in its
Satin Liquid Chrome release button.

All 2010 Mustangs and Shelbys feature bright 360-degree rings surrounding the gauge cluster,
uninterrupted by the steering column. These rings will come in chrome for the Mustang and a
Satin Liquid Chrome finish for the GT500. This finish is featured throughout the interior. An
intricate cobra is etched into the center of the aluminum steering wheel badge. The Shelby
Cobra appears at startup on the navigation screen, and the familiar red “SVT” logo utilizes new
ambient lighting to illuminate the door scuffplate.

“When customers drive this car, they’re not only going to be impressed by the performance and
the Shelby heritage, but they’re going to see all these carefully designed details and know
they’ve bought a well-crafted car,” Saridakis said.

Even the classic white shift knob – an icon of Shelby Mustang DNA from years past – received
special attention. First, it had to be the traditional white. It also had to be specific to the Shelby.
The answer was to combine the racing-stripes theme with the traditional “H” pattern found on
shifters to create a one-of-a-kind knob. Like the exterior, the racing stripes wrap from end to
end, encircling the knob.

Wide suite of standard features on the 2010 Shelby GT500

The 2010 Shelby GT500 includes several Ford innovations and industry-exclusive standard
features, including:

• SYNC: The voice-activated hands-free in-car communication and entertainment system
developed by Ford and Microsoft. The system fully integrates most Bluetooth-enabled
mobile phones and digital media players, providing customers hands-free cell phone and
music selection capabilities – plus new 911 Assist and Vehicle Health Report provided with
no monthly fees.

o 911 Assist: When a phone is properly paired, turned on and connected to SYNC, the
system is ready to assist in placing a call directly to a local 911 emergency operator in the
event of an air bag-deploying accident. The key advantage of SYNC 911 Assist is speed,
as calls are placed directly to local 911 operators.

o Vehicle Health Report (VHR): SYNC gathers relevant information from the major
vehicle control modules and packages diagnostic data into a usable format in a matter of
minutes. That data packet is sent to Ford via an 800-number automatically dialed using
the customer’s paired and operable mobile phone.

• Ambient Lighting System with MyColor™ allows drivers to customize the interior lighting
of the vehicle to suit their mood. The enhanced MyColor system features seven base colors –
ice blue, purple, blue, orange, red, white and green. Customers also can create 125 custom
colors by mixing the red-green-blue palette.

Available options:

• Voice-Activated Navigation with SIRIUS Travel Link™ is an industry-leading technology
that will provide users with a unique, information-rich in-car experience. The suite of data
services includes up-to-the-minute real-time traffic data with accident and incident
information for 78 markets, coast-to-coast weather data including current conditions and
five-day forecasts and fuel price information for more than 120,000 gas stations. SIRIUS
Travel Link also offers sports scores and schedules and a listing of more than 4,500 movie
theaters with movie times, theater addresses, movie synopses and more.

This combination of outstanding performance coupled with a fresh, exciting, well-crafted interior
intensely focused on improving the entire experience will make the 2010 Shelby GT500 even
more sought after, and a fitting addition to a long and proud history.

The 2010 Shelby GT500 will be in dealer showrooms in spring. The cars will be built at the
Auto Alliance International Plant in Flat Rock, Mich.

In what is the clearest proof yet that paying attention to your rear view mirrors pays dividends, we noticed this virtually uncamouflaged Shelby GT500 sidle up next to us in the left turn lane at a stoplight in the snowy Detroit suburb of Royal Oak. When you live in Detroit and you write about cars, you have a camera in the car at all times, and since the guy was caught in traffic, the photographic onslaught was on.

We did our best to give chase but there was no way to do it safely, with the super-Shelbyfied 'stang taking off on a left turn faster than we could figure out where he took off too. We're imagining he called in the transport truck and disappeared Spy Hunter style. In any case, the new GT500 shares a lot of the styling elements of the current car with double vents on the hood, a huge aggressive upper and lower grille plus the not-so-subtle stripes on the hood.

What's new is the smoothly styled rear spoiler which compliments the new back-end. Check out those stylish new wheels. Pretty cool looking, huh? But what does it sound like? Sounds a lot like the current one, nice throaty exhaust with a tinge of cockle-stirring supercharger whine. We expect the new GT500 to drop at the Detroit Auto Show in January and yes, we'll be there to see it live.

Fralick said of the car "I just turned 50. So it actually made me feel like I was 18 again." Now, she's cruising around in an early '90s Buick Regal GS, which is good transportation but hardly a Mustang GT. Fortunately, if her now KITT-ified Mustang ever goes back up for sale she gets first dibs. [WOODTV]