LAS VEGAS, NV (Nov. 2006) -- Ford Racing took the wraps off three specially modified versions of the 2007 Shelby GT500 at this year's SEMA Show to demonstrate the broad range of performance possibilities for the ever-popular Mustang. One red, one white and one blue Shelby GT500 occupied center stage at Ford's Las Vegas monument to go-fast parts and customized cars. The red GT500 is a Shelby Mustang built to drag car specifications, ready to rumble in the ultra-competitive NMCA or FFW mod-motor class. The white GT500 is a "Road and Track" car - a weekend warrior of sorts, one that could be driven to work but used to tear up the track on weekends. And the blue Shelby Mustang is a full-blown competition version of the GT500 - just think of the Man-Racer Mustang on the very edge of being street legal.
All three cars drew plenty of interest at the annual automotive aftermarket extravaganza. And each touted a variety of modifications designed to turn the already impressive factory stock Shelby GT500 into purpose-built performers. Take Paul's High Performance GT500 Drag Shelby, for instance. The street-legal drag car's 5.4-liter V-8 features a Ford Racing 3.3 Supercharger Kit, Throttle Body and MAF unit enhanced by a cold-air box from Paul's High Performance (PHP). The engine is also fitted with a PHP Fuel Delivery System, billet aluminum pulleys from Metco Motorsports, and Ford Racing Long Tube Headers and custom 3-inch exhaust. Putting the power to the pavement is a PHP Front and Rear Drag Suspension, helped by a tubular K-member from Anthony Jones Engineering. The transmission is a GT500 factory TR-6060 six-speed from TTC/Tremec with PHP shifter modifications. Inside, the stock front seats were swapped out for lighter Recaro race buckets, all wrapped by a PHP's sturdy 10-point roll cage.
The Road and Track GT500 is a totally street-legal Shelby that's been modified with a Ford Racing Performance Parts power pack to boost horsepower to approximately 600. To handle the increased power, Ford Racing also installed its Ford Racing cooling pack, as well as the handling pack (lower stance, larger anti-roll bars, new strut tower brace and new dampers), Performance Friction race brakes and three-piece Fiske racing wheels. The interior was fitted with a full roll cage, Sparco race-inspired seats and safety belts, a short-throw shifter and a set of performance gauges - all from Ford Racing Performance Parts.
And finally, there's the Pro Racer GT500. This dark blue, track-only competition Shelby Mustang features a Ford Racing 5.0-liter Cammer engine that puts out more than 500 horsepower and is mated to a six-speed sequential shift race transmission. Fuel is fed by a 22-gallon fuel cell. The brakes have six-piston front calipers with two-piece rotors; the rears have four-piston calipers with two-piece rotors. The racer rides on three-way adjustable dampers front and rear, with an 8.8-inch full-floating rear axle. Pro racer is set off by a carbon-fiber nose splitter up front, a GT-spec rear wing out back, and three-piece BBS racing wheels underfoot. Curb weight is a trim 3,100 pounds - or about 800 pounds less than the showroom stock Shelby GT500. The ability of Ford's hottest new Mustang to provide such a performance "canvas" for the enthusiast helped the 2007 Shelby GT500 capture a prestigious vehicle design award at the 2006 SEMA Show. The award was presented to Ford for the most accessory-friendly car category. Each SEMA Vehicle Design Award recipient was part of a selection process that encompassed SEMA member companies and automakers who regularly participate in technology sharing programs. These programs consist of various data sharing, measurement sessions and technology transfer initiatives which provide valuable information for each specialty equipment manufacturer to be in sync with the launch of new vehicles. The SEMA Vehicle Design Awards were established to honor those newly introduced vehicles that best exemplify the alliance between the OEMs and SEMA-member companies.
"Our participating manufacturing members had early access to the Ford Shelby GT500 and discovered that its unique design and muscular engineering provides several options for customer personalization," said Carl Sheffer, SEMA vice president, OEM Relations. "Based on feedback from the automakers, we are having a positive impact on the design and marketing of future vehicles."
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