

Side by side Ford Mustang power
- the 300 horsepower Mustang GT and the 450-plus horsepower
Shelby Cobra GT500. |
The most powerful factory-built Ford
Mustang in history will take to the street next year, following
a unique collaboration between performance car legend Carroll
Shelby and the Ford Special Vehicle Team (SVT).
Ford took the wraps off the 450-plus horsepower Ford Shelby
Cobra GT500 show car at the New York International Auto Show
March 23. Designed in the unmistakable image of Shelby Mustangs
of the 1960s, the Shelby Cobra GT500 melds SVT's modern engineering
with the big-block performance that made the original GT500
the king of the road.
Carroll Shelby lends his support to SVT, adapting his earlier
role as a senior advisor on the "Dream Team" that
was assembled to develop and build the 2005 Ford GT. "I've
worked with the SVT guys for several years now, and I know
they have the guts, the talent and the passion to deliver
the best performance Mustangs ever," says Shelby.
Shelby-Ford Timeline
In 1961, when AC Cars of Thames Ditton, England, lost the
source for its six-cylinder Bristol engine for its two-seat
roadster, Carroll Shelby sent proposal to the company to keep
building the chassis for a special Shelby sports car to be
powered by an American V8. The original plan was to use 221-cid
Ford V8 engines and build the cars at Shelby's Southern California
shop. Prior to the first AC arriving at his shop, Shelby has
a dream in which he determines the car should be called a
"Cobra". The AC Cobra's go on to impressive race
wins, with engine displacement growing to as big as 427-cid.
In 1964 Ford asks Shelby to develop a special edition Mustang.
The Shelby Mustangs were produced from 1965 to 1969. Slow
sales dissolved the Shelby-Ford cooperative in 1969. Leftover
1969 models were modified slightly and sold as 1970 models.
In 1984 Carroll Shelby sued Ford for using the GT350 name
on it's 84 Anniversary Mustang. The suit was settled some
years later. Ford and Shelby re-joined efforts prior to the
'05 Mustang development.
A production version of the GT500 will go on sale in 2006,
continuing the high-performance lineage of the SVT Mustang
Cobra model line. It will be followed by a steady stream of
performance products developed by SVT, possibly including
a version of the production-intent Sport Trac Adrenalin, the
industry's first performance sport-utility truck.
"SVT led the modern-day factory performance trend with
the Mustang Cobra and the industry's first high-performance
truck, the F-150 Lightning," says Hau Thai-Tang, director,
Ford Advanced Product Creation and SVT. "Today, we're
building on that pioneering vision with vehicles like the
Ford GT, Shelby Cobra GT500 and Sport Trac Adrenalin –
great performance machines that connect with enthusiasts in
a way no other companies or vehicles can match."
The production GT500 will be the first in a string of specialty
Mustangs that SVT will help deliver. This will create Ford
Motor Company's – and one of the industry's –
broadest product portfolio, stretching from under $20,000
for the V-6 Mustang coupe to the 450-plus-horsepower GT500,
each offering performance and value.
The GT500 and the production-intent Sport Trac Adrenalin
teaser accelerate the wave of momentum at SVT since the launch
of the 2005 Ford GT supercar. SVT also now will develop non-SVT
branded Ford Division performance vehicles – including
heritage-based performance Mustangs in the spirit of the 2001
Bullitt GT and 2003 Mach 1 – as it becomes more directly
integrated into Ford's mainstream product development process.
Supercharged 5.4-liter DOHC V-8 produces over 450 hp

The 5.4-liter, supercharged, 32-valve
V-8 in the GT500 produces more than 450 hp, and 450 lb.-ft.
of torque, making it the most powerful factory Mustang
engine ever. |
Just as the big-block GT500 from 1968 was a step up from the
GT350, the Ford Shelby Cobra GT500 show car's 450-plus-horsepower,
5.4-liter V-8 is a step up from the 4.6-liter V-8 used in the
previous-generation SVT Mustang Cobra.
In fact, the 5.4-liter, 32-valve, supercharged V-8 configuration
is similar to that of the 2005 Ford GT supercar, offering
the right combination of classic Ford big-block power and
modern technology. Using the Ford GT as a blueprint, SVT has
given the GT500 more total horsepower than any factory Mustang
in the muscle car's celebrated 41-year history.
"We are applying our Ford GT engine experience to the
GT500 to bring over 450 horsepower to a much bigger enthusiast
audience," says Jay O'Connell, SVT chief vehicle engineer.
"It really delivers on the essence of two great names
in Ford performance – a mix of SVT's modern-day experience
with supercharging and the Shelby GT500's heritage of big-block
power." The result: More than 450 horsepower and 450
foot-pounds of torque.
With the stout cast-iron, 5.4-liter Triton V-8 engine as
a starting point, the Shelby Cobra GT500 adds a screw-type
8.5-pounds-per-square-inch supercharger and water-to-air intercooler.
But, adding forced-induction power is more than just a bolt-on
proposition. The engine's internals need upgrading for the
sake of strength and durability. To that end, the Shelby Cobra
GT500's powerplant benefits from unique connecting rods and
forged pistons to handle the extra strain on the lower end
of the block.
An all-new intake manifold helps to efficiently channel the
supercharged fuel-air mixture into the cylinders. The low-profile
manifold design also effectively packages the entire induction
system under the GT500's special air-extraction hood. Fuel
comes from a dual-bore electronic throttle body borrowed from
Ford's 6.8-liter truck engine program. To manage heat produced
by more than 450 horses, a larger radiator and increased-capacity
cooling system also are installed.
Aluminum, high-performance Ford GT heads tout "Powered
by SVT" While supercharging is a key element in the Shelby
Cobra GT500's ability to generate so much horsepower, another
major contributing component is the design of the cast-aluminum,
four-valve cylinder heads sourced from the Ford GT supercar.
Developed specifically for supercharged applications, these
high-performance heads use high-flow ports and specially calibrated
dual-overhead camshafts to deliver optimum engine "breathing"
along with surprisingly good fuel efficiency and emissions.
Also borrowed for use in the GT500 are the Ford GT's proven
piston rings and connecting rod bearings.
To enthusiasts, the real beauty of any performance car rests
with its engine. That idea certainly wasn't lost on Carroll
Shelby because Mustangs that bore his name have traditionally
brought his unique sense of style and personality right into
the engine compartment. One Shelby signature feature –
special finned valve covers embossed with "COBRA Powered
By Ford" – soon became the envy of so many Ford
V-8 owners that they quickly became one of the best-selling
dress-up accessories on the market.
With that in mind, the GT500 is equipped with special "Powered
by SVT" finned cam covers to hint at the beauty of 450
horses lurking in the engine below. Mated to the Ford GT four-valve
cylinder heads are unique exhaust manifolds that help to better
scavenge spent gases out of the cylinders and into the custom-tuned
mufflers and dual-exhaust system.
Few transmissions exist in the marketplace today that can
handle the torque loads generated by the supercharged GT500,
so SVT engineers are opting to stick with the proven heavy
duty performance of the T-56 six-speed manual gearbox. The
T-56 first appeared in the 2000 SVT Mustang Cobra R, powered
by a naturally aspirated 5.4-liter V-8 with 385 horsepower,
and later in the supercharged 2003 SVT Mustang Cobra whose
DOHC 4.6-liter produced 390 horses. For the Shelby Cobra GT500
show car, the T-56 will be geared to make the most out of
the supercharged 5.4-liter's broad power band.
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