Ford preps mega Mustang for New York show
Neville Contractor :: 12 April 2007 :: Filed under Coupe, Front engine sportscar, Ford, Ford Mustang, Trade shows, US
[Click on an image to view]
Old name for new 'Stang
So, Ford has offloaded Aston Martin to Dave Richards and his band of merry (and considerably richer than thou) men in return for a modest 500 million sterling sum. But with its losses measured in many billions, FoMoCo ain’t quite back in the black. Still, that hasn’t prevented the boys from Ford and Shelby from prepping a mega-powerful limited production Mustang. Known as the Shelby Cobra GT500KR, it’s claimed to be quickest production Mustang ever launched …
As for the evocative GT500KR moniker, in part it’s a not-quite-on-the-money measure of the potent pony count on offer. The 5.4-litre supercharged V8 actually produces 540 ponies and 510 lb ft of twist, up from the standard Shelby GT500’s mere 475hp rating. Thank a spot of electrickery - altering the throttle maps and calibration - and a cold air intake system for the extra horses. The ‘KR’ suffix, as it goes, stands for ‘King of the Road’, thereby cashing in on the 1968 version immortalised in the same way.
All that extra power is pummelled through the rear wheels via slightly longer gearing, while the whole shebang rides on a heavily modified suspension system. Ford Racing, Shelby and Ford SVT all had a hand in development, with the ride/handling balance tilted heavily in favour of the latter.
The centrepiece of the exterior revamp is the bonnet, or more correctly in Yankee parlance, the hood. Predictably fashioned in carbon fibre, it’s a sensuously curvaceous construction, again harking back to the 68’ Mustang GT500KR. Festooned with slits and slats, it’s fastened with racer-stylee twist down hood pins. A composite front air dam, complete with brake ducts, helps cool the 14-inch front Brembo rotors, which reside behind 18-inch hoops (sadly not the 20-inch rims the concept version shown here rolls on). The usual longitudinal racing stripes, topped off with GT500KR badging, completes the visuals.
For the record: An original '68 GT500RK
Minor changes inside include a 25 per cent shorter gear shifter, which will certainly increase driving interaction; Carroll Shelby signature headrests embroidered in the cowhide and a commemorative badge won’t.
The American market will be the full beneficiary of the 1,000 units pencilled in for production in Spring ’08. But we dare say a couple will turn up in an importers back garden back in Blighty. No pricing yet, but it will likely offer major bang-for-yer-bucks value. Those power and torque figures are within a piston stroke of the GT40…
