2011 Shelby GT500

The Boss is Back Better Than Ever

Every so often I have to pinch myself when I find out a certain test vehicle is heading my way for a week, and such was the case with news the 2011 Shelby GT500 was coming. The Special Vehicle Team, SVT, kicked the high performance bar a bit higher with this car, due in no small part, to an all-new aluminum-block engine, better driving and handling characteristics, with more horsepower and believe it or not, better fuel economy and wicked good looks. The Shelby sports a stance that embodies muscle accentuated by the SVT performance package that came on my tester which includes a lowered ride height and all-new lightweight 19-inch forged-aluminum wheels in the front and 20-inch wheels at the rear.

The look of the Shelby GT500 harkens back to the glory days of the 1969 Boss 429 Mustang, one of the coolest pure muscle cars ever built. Due to smog equipment requirements and other restrictions that were imposed, the Boss 429 wasn’t the fastest car on the street but it was definitely one of the coolest. Any doubt about that was eliminated once you opened the hood and saw the massive wall to wall engine. Once you slid inside and fired it up and heard to the sweet sounds emanating from the exhaust it was all over. The Boss was indeed the Boss. I got exactly the same feeling when I popped the hood to check out the engine, then slipped into the cockpit and fired up the 2011 Shelby GT500. It was a very cool step back in time for me.

 

The new all-aluminum engine is 102 pounds lighter than the previous cast-iron engine, for a better power-to-weight ratio, and uses Ford-patented plasma-coating technology. According to Ford, the process applies a 150-micron composite coating made of nanoparticles on the internal surfaces of engine cylinder bores instead of the usual cast-iron sleeves you’ll find in aluminum engine blocks."

The 5.4-liter supercharged V-8 powerplant produces 550 horsepower and 510 ft.-lb. of torque and the crème de la crème is that Ford’s Special Vehicle Team delivers the new Shelby GT500, not only with a 10 horsepower increase, but the 2011 model will be the first modern Shelby without a gas guzzler tax thanks to the EPA-projected 23 mpg highway and 15 mpg city it’s said to deliver.

For those that want their Shelby to be all it can be, the SVT package provides racetrack ready driving dynamics and handling along with unique styling, lighter wheels, a higher rear axle ratio and stiffer springs, and yes, the SVT package is available on both the convertible and coupe. To control the horsepower and maximize handling, Ford worked directly with Goodyear to develop an all-new Goodyear Eagle tire for the SVT Performance Package. The SVT Performance package moves the 2011 Shelby around a 2.3 mile test track a full 3 seconds faster than the 2010 model.

Ford’s Special Vehicle Team has improved the Electric Power Assisted Steering for a dramatic contribution to the GT500 driving dynamics, with improved torque build-up and road feel that delivers quicker and more precise steering, with increased effort on the racetrack or winding roads, and reduced effort in low-speed parking maneuvers.

Driving the Shelby GT500 was pure joy. I loved the raucous exhaust note that bellows from the 2.75-inch exhaust so much so that I rarely had the 500 watt Shaker Audio System turned on and in truth, that was part of the plan from Ford. They clearly understand that anyone wanting 550 horsepower wants to hear the power so Ford reduced road noise by some 20 percent and tuned the exhaust to perfection.

I could go on for days about being behind the wheel of the GT500 but nothing can replace the exhilaration one feels behind the wheel of this car. Unfortunately having to keep the car on city streets, I couldn’t put the car through it’s paces but knowing the beast that lurked just below the surface and toying with it once in a while was a whole lot of fun. This was one of the very few vehicles I’ve driven over the nearly 2 decades of reviewing cars that I absolutely hated to give back.

There is a whole lot more to the Shelby GT500 than just raw power. Some of the niceties include leather in all seating areas with Alcantara inserts in the seats and steering wheel. Another cool feature that I appreciated was the classic white shift-knob with the iconic “H” pattern; very cool indeed. Other standard features include High-Intensity-Discharge headlights, the MyKey programmable key, fold down rear headrests, Ford’s popular Sync System, Sirius Satellite radio and for those that want the sun streaming in, an optional glass top roof is available.

Pricing on the Shelby GT500 starts at $48,645 and with options and delivery charges on the test car, the sticker came to $55,300. That may seem like a lot of money at first blush, but there is an awful lot of bang for the buck. And I can promise you, if you’re like me and love the grunt of pure muscle and miss the aforementioned glory days, try and build a 69 Boss today and you’ll quickly see that the 2011 Shelby GT500 is a steal.

For an old gear head like me, it’s great to have the pony car wars going full on again without sacrificing fuel economy, and the original pony car has once again set the bar. So if you’ve been waiting for Ford to finally catch up in the horsepower war wait no more. The Shelby GT500 is one bad motor scooter and whether you’re looking to take to the strip and have some fun, or just cruise the streets in extreme coolness, the Shelby GT500 will satisfy the most discriminating performance driving enthusiasts. For more on the Shelby, visit www.ford.com.