Shelby Car reviews

Given the growing popularity of expensive trucks, Shelby has come with an F-150 iteration of its own. It comes with changes inside and out, and also under the hood. The Shelby F-150 now makes close to 800 horses! It also comes with an upgraded suspension setup. If you are disappointed the standard F-150 Raptor didn’t come with a power boost for the 2021 model year and you don’t want to wait for the Raptor R, this will float your boat. The only catch is that it has breached into the six-digit price bracket.

Remember the Shelby GT500CR 900S? Silly question, of course you do. The 770-horsepower (also supercharged) muscle car concocted by Classic Recreations is not the kind of car that leaves your retina that easily and to further reinforce that statement, it just got a new all-carbon-fiber-everything attire.

The 2020 Mustang Shelby GT500 is a speed demon in itself but here comes the Shelby GT500 Dragon Snake, a vehicle that Shelby says it designed and developed for blistering performance on the drag strip. The GT500 Dragon Snake packs north of 800 horsepower, is said to be lighter than the regular GT500, and it also puts the power down more efficiently thanks to a retuned transmission and other bits and bobs.

We know the 2020 Shelby GT500 is theoretically capable of blazing from naught to 60 miles per hour in 3.3 seconds and run the quarter mile in 10.7 seconds. Car and Driver, however, estimates that under normal conditions, on regular pavement (i.e. in the absence of a drag race-prepped surface), the Shelby GT500 will need 3.5 seconds to hit 60 miles per hour and about 11 seconds to clear the quarter mile. So, we must ask: can the new 2020 GT500 Dragon Snake accelerate to 60 miles per hour in less than three seconds and match the Demon’s 2.3-second 0-60 sprint? Let’s find out.

In 1965, Ford won the World Manufacturer’s Title in the GT ranks with the Cobra Daytona Coupe. But you wouldn’t have found the aerodynamic Kamm-tailed endurance racer on almost any bedroom wall around that time. Instead, everyone was hooked on Shelby’s new roadster - the Cobra 427. Sporting the ’side-oiler’ big block 7.0-liter V-8 good for at least 500 ponies, the revised Cobra was five inches wider than the AC Ace-based examples before it, handled slightly better due to an all-new chassis with independent suspension, and was one of the fastest cars you could register in 1965. With a 0-60 mph time of four seconds flat and tires that would go alight at the lightest depressing of the gas pedal, the 427 was unruly but that’s what made it a legend.

Think about what American cars you have loved throughout your life. It’s almost certain that the Cobra 427 was (or still is) in amongst your favorites. With rounded, flared arches, a gaping mouth and a scoop on the hood, and a pair of racing stripes traversing the (usually) blue paintwork, the baddest Cobra found its place in the history books from the moment it entered production. It was as loud as a pack of lions - if lions were ever to attack in packs - and more unruly than a teenager who’s going through a phase that’s "totally not a phase". The first 50 cars made were Competition or Semi/Competition-spec while the other 260 copies built until late ’67 were tuned to be more street-oriented, although even this can be considered a stretch. That’s why probably no other car can boast with such a wide variety of replicas quite like the Cobra and, naturally, most try to copy the look of the Cobra 427.

One of the most iconic American cars of all time, the Shelby Cobra, came to be in 1962 when Carroll Shelby combined Ford-made V-8 engines with British-designed AC Ace bodies. Although the Ace was fairly old and close to discontinuation in 1962, it’s lightweight structure helped Shelby create one of the greatest American sports cars. Built until 1968 in various road-legal and race-spec configurations, the Cobra reached its performance peak when the Super Snake was launched in 1966. Called the "Cobra to end all Cobras," the Super Snake is the rarest of the bunch, and it still holds the title for the most expensive American car sold at auction.

"When I built this dual supercharged 427 Cobra in 1966, I wanted it to be the fastest, meanest car on the road," Shelby told Barrett-Jackson in 2007 when the roadster was auctioned for its record price. "Forty years later, it will still kick the tail of just about anything in the world. It’s the fastest street legal Cobra I’ve ever owned."

Let’s find out more about this tremendous classic in the review below.

Continue reading to learn more about the Shelby Cobra 427 Super Snake.

It’s been only four three model years since the sixth-generation Ford Mustang arrived in showrooms, and the pony has already spawned an impressive number of versions wearing the Shelby badge. Although the iconic GT500 has yet to be revived, Ford has already launched the GT350, the Super Snake, GT-H, and GTE, just to name a few. The GT500 may still be a year away, but sixth-gen Mustang, but Shelby just launched yet another performance model. This time around it’s the Shelby 1000, the brand’s most menacing creation in terms of output and straight-line speed.

The Shelby 1000 is closely related to the GT500, as the first model to wear this badge, launched in 2011, was based on the fifth-generation GT500. Offered in both street and 1000 S/C track versions, the first iteration of the car was discontinued in 2012. The 1000 returned in 2013, once again based on the GT500, but now with the 5.8-liter V-8 instead of the old 5.4-liter unit under the hood. Both the street package and the S/C track package were offered. Also available as an upgrade for the GT500, the package was discontinued in 2014, after only two years on the market. The new Shelby 1000 is the first such model based on the sixth-generation Mustang, so everything about it is new compared to previous iterations. Let’s have a closer look at the car in the review below.

Continue reading to learn more about the Ford Shelby Mustang 1000.

The history of the Ford Mustang extends more than 50 years, and in that span, a the muscle car’s legacy has been defined by a number of custom tunes and special edition models. As rich as that history is though, there is one model that trumps them all, largely because Shelby only built one model of it as a prototype. That model was the 1967 Shelby GT500 Super Snake, and to this day, it remains as the most expensive Mustang ever sold when it fetched $1.3 million at a Mecum auction back in 2013.

Over the years, Ford has revived the Super Snake name a number of different ways, most recently with the 2015 Shelby Super Snake, a special edition Mustang that was limited to just 300 units. Fast forward to this year and the Super Snake name is making another comeback with the launch of the Shelby Super Snake 50th Anniversary Edition. Yes, the one-and-only original 1967 Shelby GT500 Super Snake is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and for a car that has turned into arguably the most iconic Mustang in history, a special edition run of 500 units (499 more than the original Super Snake!) is the least Ford can do to commemorate the original Super Snake.

Like with most special editions, the 2017 Shelby Super Snake 50th Anniversary Edition comes with a long list of exclusive features and details, including new bodywork from Shelby, commemorative appointments to indicate its status, and best of all, the option to get the car’s power up to 750 horsepower.

The 2017 Shelby Super Snake 50th Anniversary Edition may never have the lasting legacy of the legendary 1967 Shelby GT500 Super Snake, but it is a fitting tribute to a muscle car that was completely ahead of its time in more ways than one.

Continue after the jump to read more about the 2017 Shelby Super Snake 50th Anniversary Edition.

The Mustang was Ford’s biggest commercial success since the golden days of Model T production. Originally conceptualized as a strict two seater, Ford’s senior executive, Lee Iacocca, realized that its success hinged on volume sales. And volume sales were exactly what Iacocca got, over 22,000 Mustang’s were sold within the first day and more than 100,000 rolled off the production line inside the first four months. Within two years, more than a million would be sold, but come summer 1964, Ford’s executives thought the bubble was about to burst.

All GT350s started life on the Ford production line as Wimbleton White K-Code DSO fastbacks with a 271-horsepower 289 V-8 and black interiors. The DSO code referred to the unique blend of upgrades these cars were built with, which included several special bits from the Ford parts bin – all before being shipped to Shelby. The front disc brakes were kept, but sintered metallic pads were used instead of the softer stock ones. Station wagon drum brakes with larger metallic-lined shoes were added at the back. Also added was a nine-inch Detroit Locker differential, under-hood ’Export’ bracing, and close ratio T-10 Borg Warner four-speed manual transmission with an aluminum housing.

Cars were shipped from Ford’s San Jose plant to Shelby America’s Los Angeles facility without hoods, grilles, rear seats, exhaust systems, or emblems. Then the transformation really began.

Continue reading for the full review

In its first two years on the market, the Mustang has already received a handful of updates bearing the Shelby badge, including the GT350, GT, GT EcoBoost, and a revival of the iconic Hertz GT-H model. Come 2016, and Shelby launched a new nameplate, this time around featuring the "GTE" logo and offering a more diverse engine lineup, including the 2.3-liter EcoBoost, the naturally aspirated "Coyote" V-8, and a supercharged version of the latter.

Unveiled in December 2013, the sixth-generation Mustang introduced not only a new design language, but also a brand-new platform that features an independent rear suspension for the first time since the pony was launched in 1964. It also received a revamped interior with classic cues and an updated engine lineup that includes a turbocharged, 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine. The sixth-gen car also became the first Mustang to be sold in European Ford dealerships.

Available for all Mustang built for the 2015 to 2017 model years, the GTE package can also be had on convertible models, a feature not offered with many other Shelby upgrades. But much like other Shelby models, it can be optioned up with several features, ranging from exterior elements to carbon-fiber panels and drivetrain components. Keep reading to find out more about what sets it apart from the standard Ford Mustang.

Continue reading to learn more about the Shelby GTE.

If you ask any car enthusiast the name of the person who has been the most influential to the automotive world, nine times out of ten you’ll get the answer “Carroll Shelby.” And, rightfully so – Carroll Shelby had an amazing automotive legacy. And, that legacy all started out with the car you see here: a 1962 Shelby Cobra CSX 2000. While all early Cobras are special in their own right, this one is excessively special because it was the first Cobra built. Ever. It came to be at the hands of Carroll Shelby and a few other people in a small garage in California.

There’s a lot more to this specific Cobra, though. See, this Cobra was built by Carroll Shelby and was owned solely by him. Furthermore, there is a funny story behind it. When the car was complete, it was shown at a number of different venues used by the motoring press and used for testing and development. The funny part is that Shelby had the world convinced that Cobra production was running at full force when in fact the CSX 2000 was the only Cobra at the time. To pull this off, the car was repainted prior to most appearances to give the illusion that there was more than just one for the first seven months of its existence.

With that said, this specific Cobra is ready to go home with a new owner and is being auctioned off by RM Sotheby’s in Monterey in August of 2016. It is being offered by the Carroll Hall Shelby Trust and, as such, should come with proof of authenticity. The car isn’t exactly in the best condition it has ever been in – there is definitely wear here and there. But, that is a part of the car’s history. So, let’s take a good look at it before it goes under the hammer in a couple of months.

Update 08-21-2016: This gorgeous car just broke the record for an American car sold at Auction. Check out the Prices section below for all the details.

Keep reading for our full review of this very special Cobra

Ford gave birth to the GT350 nameplate in 1965, the same year when Carroll Shelby was commissioned to build high-performance versions of the first-generation Mustang. Built in 1965 and 1966, the initial GT350 was not just lighter than a regular Mustang, but more powerful too. Originally rated at 271 ponies, the ’Stang’s 4.7-liter V-8 was uprated to deliver 306 horsepower at Shelby American’s shop, where it would also be equipped with heavy-duty rear axles, larger rear drum brakes, and front disc brakes. All 1965 models were painted Wimbledon White with Guardsman Blue stripes, while the 1966 model year brought more colors to the car. The GT350 continued in 1967, 1968 and 1969 with more cosmetic changes that performance updates. The GT350 moniker disappeared until 2011, when it returned for the fifth-generation Mustang. As the redesigned pony rolls into dealerships for the 2015 model year, the Shelby GT350 has made yet another comeback as a track-prepped version of the sixth-gen Mustang.

Introduced for the 2016 model year, the first Shelby Mustang GT350 to feature an independent rear suspension is Dearborn’s answer to the Chevrolet Camaro Z/28. The body panels were reshaped into a more aerodynamic and aggressive shape, including a completely new front section, while the GT’s standard 5.0-liter V-8 was replaced by a slightly larger unit specifically developed for this muscle car. But enough with the spoilers. Keep reading to find out everything there is to know about the new Shelby GT350.

Updated 06/28/2016: Ford dropped a new video featuring David Patterson "That Dude In Blue" tackling the GT350 Time Attack at the Ford Performance Octane Academy. Hit "play" to watch the new video.

Click past the jump to read more about the 2016 Ford Shelby Mustang GT350

Carroll Shelby certainly created a name for himself in the 1960s, not the least of his accomplishments being the 1-2-3 win at the 24 Hours of LeMans in 1966. That marked the first time an American car had won the iconic race. Shelby’s fame as a car builder skyrocketed in the fallout. To help celebrate the Shelby on his 85th birthday, Shelby Distribution USA and Shelby Automobiles reproduced 255 examples of the GT40 race car for the 2009 model year.

The car was offered the three color schemes, each mimicking the three racing liveries that saw action in the 1966 Le Mans race. In total, 85 examples of each were built. Each car could customized to have either left- or right-hand drive, and were completely road-legal. Each car received a Shelby Automobiles MSO and sales were recorded in the Shelby Registry, making the whole process even more historical. A dash plaque records each car’s build number and authenticity as a legitimate and licensed replica.

The design of the replica Ford GT40 is an exact copy of the originals’, though these 2009 examples were constructed from electro-galvanized sheet steel. This helps prevent rust, ensuring each car lasts for decades to come. The pieces were also laser cut to the exact measurements of the originals.

The only kicker to the MKII GT40 – it was only offered without an engine. Yep, in order to skirt emissions and crash testing regulations, the car was sold as a rolling chassis. Customers were expected to install their own engine, which of course, should only be a 427 Ford V-8. Anything else would be heresy. Those who wanted to track their Shelby MKII GT40 could opt for the available race version. The package included a roll bar, fuel cell, and air conditioner delete.

Continue reading for the full review

Caroll Shelby cherished one dream while racing in Europe and North and South America throughout the 1950s; building the world’s fastest sports car. By 1956 he had already come up with a name for his car, it would be called the Cobra. Soon after his 1959 victory at the 24 Hours of LeMans for Aston Martin, Shelby was struck by heart problems. Reluctant to do so, he was forced to give up racing as a driver. This lifestyle setback turned out for the best, however, as Shelby had the opportunity to pursue his Cobra-building dreams.

A few years earlier and on the other side of the globe, John Tojeiro designed a small sports car, which sold under the AC Ace name. The open-top car was a simple tube-frame chassis with a Bristol 2.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine derived from the BMW M328 engine. The lightweight combination made the Ace a moderately successful racer. However, its success was jeopardized when BMW began phasing out the 2.0-liter. Other engines were tested, including American V-8s, but the AC Ace’s future seemed dim. So dim in fact, Tojeiro decided to end production of the car.

That’s when Shelby heard about the AC Ace and its lightweight design. He immediately contacted AC, along with his long-time associates at Ford Motor Company. He convinced AC to continue constructing the Ace and Ford to supply special versions of its Fairlane engine for installation in the AC chassis. Shelby and his team of engineers and builders shoehorned the V-8 into an AC at Shelby’s Venice, California shop. Of course, these early AC Ace cars were the roadsters that became known as the Shelby AC Cobra. The cars enjoyed a successful racing career, but could never outrun Enzo Ferrari, Shelby’s longtime Le Means rival, and his Ferrari 250 GTO.

That’s where the Shelby Daytona Coupe comes in. Shelby had Pete Brock design a more aerodynamic body for the AC Ace – one that would allow for higher top speeds at Le Mans’ Mulsanne Straight. The design worked, allowing the coupe to hit 190 mph. The car’s debut race would be the 1964 Daytona Continental 2000 at the famed Daytona international Speedway in Florida.

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Ford Motor Company and Carol Shelby have a long and rich history together. Shelby, a WWII flight instructor and test pilot turned professional racecar driver, started his company named Shelby America company in 1962 building a modified version of the AC Cobra. Shelby transformed the small, European roadster into an American muscle car thanks to a Ford V-8. He soon turned his attention to other vehicles as well, including the then-new Ford Mustang.

Shelby’s relationship with the Mustang would be his most iconic. His first would be the 1965 Shelby Mustang GT350. It was followed by the Shelby Mustang GT500 in 1967 and the GT500KR in 1968. After 1969, Shelby stopped modifying the pony cars, but not before making a name for himself.

It was in 2005 that Shelby decided to revive his Ford heritage. The fifth generation Mustang had just been released and its retro design begged for Shelby’s touch. Working with Ford’s SVT team, Shelby and the crew developed the GT500 – a supercharged V-8 Mustang with 450 horsepower, a matching amount of torque, upgraded suspension components, brakes from Brembo, and a bespoke exterior treatment that make the Shelby Cobra GT500 unique. The car didn’t hit showrooms until the 2007 model year, and within that development time, the GT500’s horsepower had grown to an even 500 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torque.

The GT500 was the most powerful production Mustang Ford had ever created and helped reignite the high-horsepower wars between Detroit’s Big Three – Chevy, Dodge, and Ford. So without further introductions, let’s take a look at the 2007 Shelby Cobra GT500.

Continue reading for the full review