Shelby Mustang GT500KR - Beauty meets beast
Anthony Daras January 18, 2008
Wheelsmag first-time blogger, Anthony Daras hits the rev limiter about the latest KR (King of the Road) Mustang, at least one of which is headed Downunder.
Mention mustangs, and most animal lovers probably think of horses and cute ponies. Other people may think of the World War II American fighter plane, the P-51D. But most would know that you’re talking about the iconic American performance car.
Over the past 40 years, the Ford Mustang has been updated both outside and in. Boss 302, Boss 429 and Mach 1 have become household names worldwide. Legendary Ford driver Carroll Shelby released heavily modified GT350 and GT500 Mustangs from the mid-1960s onwards. Now, Shelby and his team return to the world stage with this, the Shelby Mustang GT500KR. It’s the new ‘King of the Road’, and the fastest Mustang yet.
The KR is a limited production of only 1100 worldwide. Australian importer, Mustang Motorsport, has confirmed at least one car will come here later this year.
The GT500KR packs a Ford-SVT (Special Vehicles Team) supercharged 5.4L 32-valve V8, sweetened by a Ford Racing power upgrade. There’s around 403kW on tap and just under 700Nm of torque. The suspension has been tuned to suit the new found power, and the car sits 5mm lower than the standard Shelby Mustang.
Like a true muscle car, power is sent to the rear wheels and the brakes are huge. The front discs are 356mm up front, and the rears are only slightly smaller.
Other highlights of this Mustang on steroids include a Tremec 6-speed manual transmission, unique 18-inch Shelby designed rims, high-performance Ford Racing exhaust system, various 40th Anniversary badges and the iconic “silver-with-blue-stripes” paint finish. The bonnet is carbon-composite and, inside, there’s an ultra-retro white snooker ball gearknob on a shortened shifter.
Performance claims for the GT500KR haven’t been released, but it should reach 0-100km/h in less than five (yes, five) seconds and sprint from rest to 400m in around 11 seconds.Ford/Shelby Mustang GT500KR
Drivetrain: Front-engine (north-south), rear-wheel-drive
Engine: Front mounted, 5398cc, 32-valve V8 supercharged
Power: 403kW
Torque: 691Nm
Transmission: 6-speed (Tremec-6060) manual
Dimensions (l/w/h): 4780/1880/1380mm
Price: $A530,000
(published by Wheels Magazine, January 18, 2008)
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