The Shelby GT500 is not a luxury liner. It does not have the interior that you would want to set up an apartment in or drive your 2 kids and your schnauzer in unless maybe you dug retro glimming plastic and wall to wall plush carpeting without the plush. But who cares? Trying to compare it on interior cosmetic merits is silly and will just lead to frustration as that’s not what its about. If it is a tidy leather and walnut trim you’re looking for move to England. If it’s a big heavy in your face American ball of fire that you can’t help but smile when you drive it, then this cars for you.

Trying to compare the Shelby GT500 to flashy European and premium sports cars is missing the point. All have their merits and it is not an apples to apples comparison. If this were people it would be like comparing John Wayne to Elton John. The Shelby is all grit, cool and swagger. It’s not flashy, glitzy and wearing funky glasses or carbon fiber for that matter.

The exterior has classic lines that throw you back to yesterday and make you feel like your driving a piece of automobile history in a modern engineering forum because I guess you are. The convertible is relatively comfortable, with a clean retro interior and a nice upgraded cloth top.

Where it really shines is it can send a chill down your spine and put your heart in your mouth when you stomp on it and all hell breaks lose. You can feel its personality really jump up. The outrageous whine of the supercharger is like a scene out of Mad Max : “last of the V-8 interceptors” and the brutal pull of rare power can’t help but make you giggle like a kid if your not too busy wondering if you’re going to die or not. How many cars are out there that can invoke such personality and nostalgia so intensely for the price?

For a relatively inexpensive bolt on and mod. I had mine tuned to 630hhp with 552hhp at the wheels and 550 torque. I am thinking that’s all I will probably need most days to keep up with my fellow commuters in their hybrids and Corollas. And it’s got a little extra for the weekend road warrior in me. Yeah it guzzles gas like a bad ass muscle car should but no more than other big blocks. It makes me think about how much fossil fuel I am burning more than any other car I have. I guess that helps make me environmentally aware at the same time. Therefore, it even has a socially redeeming trait ha ha.

Even at the going prices you are getting a lot of engine,(and yeah you can throw an extra small kid or two in the back and even the dog on those days the wife needs you to behave like a responsible adult. You can’t do that with a corvette unless you have plenty of rope to strap them on the hood).

There is plenty of power, tight enough suspension and over steer to give you that seat of the pants on edge thrill ride and if you really are looking at the plastic interior when you’re going 0-60 in 4.6+ seconds, its shinny enough to see the grin on your face in it which you can’t say for all that dark expensive trim on those fancy pants cars.

The ride in the vert. is quite solid and although this thing should be on the “biggest loser” when it comes to its bloated weight, it’s still nimble enough and handles surprisingly well. Unless you a serious driving expert you won’t notice it in the ride on the live axle. Most of the time you won’t be doing over 60-70 in it anyway unless you make it a garage museum piece and it drives plenty modern enough at those speeds to be an everyday commuter by day and then a fire breathing dragon by Weekend. It feels far more stable and stiff body wise than previous stang vert. bodies. The Top flips down with ease after a quick flick of the two roof latches and sets nice enough behind the rear seats that it looks almost better without the boot over it.

Again trying to rationalize this car is really not going to get you anywhere. There are going to be those that like John Wayne movies and some that love Elton John songs. And some that get both I guess. Its one of those that you love because it invokes something when you drive it. If you feel it and get it you will love it. If you’re trying to pull a Sigmund Freud analysis on it to justify it against other cars you will go crazy and should hold off buying. I personally love mine.

This car says America all over it with a hint of nostalgia, a lot of cool and just plain gritty fun. All American Swagger – get some.

The car was built for drag racing. Already tuners are running low 9s in the 1/4. Forget curves, who cares?

I have serious doubts if chevolet or chrysler will ever produce a vehicle that will touch the GT500. Sorry but the new camaro (if it is ever actually produced) and charger will be left a the starting line. Ford Mustang Rules the Road maybe forever.

I know I had a new vette and it happened to me with my best girl the car.

I drive the 08 shelby now. I ride a GSXR 1000. They both have insane power and thats the way I like it.

I say this owning a 2007 Mustang convertible…

Having purchased one of these so called "MONSTERS", 

The State of Maine isn't known for road maintenance of any kind, and even on our broken up roads, the car is very predictable at speeds well over 50. Super car for an affordable price, and American at that.

Ok, guys, I'll tell ol' Robert what. I'm from ol' Italy, and I am one of the very very few owners of a blue, white-striped GT500. I bought it from a very peculiar dealer, he only deals with overseas cars.

The GT500 is amazing, only thing is, you gotta know how to drive it. Difficult handling? For sure. Rear end sliding if you put the pedal down in a curve? Yeah. So what, ol' Robert? 500-HP-cars owners are pretty used to that. The point is, you have to be a good driver.

Ya think drivin' a 911Turbo or a F430 is that much easier just because you have better electronics? Nah. Just because they have a lower stance, larger tires and are 5 inches lower. (I put 20" wheels on my Shelby) And, of course, no need to tell they cost triple that amount.

So, Robbie, if you grew up driving automatic beat-up cars along the interstate from your backyard to some Betty-Sue's farm, that sure didn't help you to become a skilled driver, so it' pretty likely a GT500 will give you that terrible feeling. You feel you can't control it? You're damn right, pal, YOU can't control it.

I drive it everyday here, along smaller roads and, what's more, my girlfriend lives in tha mountains. Think I ever got a stability problem? Every curve sliding one side or the other, with smokin' tyres? No, man, if you actually CAN drive, that's no problem at all. You have to get slowly USED to deal with 500HP, 'course you don't give your 18-year-old-son a GT500 to race around with his buddies, but once you've made some million miles, it's no problem at all.

The interior is pretty poor, I can agree with that, but I see the world divided in two: people who like, understand, know and get emotioned from cars, and people who buy Porsches, Ferraris, BMWs, because "they are safe".

Cars are NOT safe, Robert, never. PEOPLE occasionally are.

Bye everybody!!

Not a Shelby GT 500 fan? The computer is programed not to let the driver get in a brand new
Shelby GT 500 and put the pedal to the metal. That is what the wheel hop and stuttering is about. Oh maybe I’m wrong, how many miles did the Shelby have before you road tested it? Any way cheer up, sounds like you had a bum experience,
you’ll get over it.

I bought the car as a third car that goes out on an occasional weekend cruise. She will spend most of her life in my garage and will never see rain. I will never take her on any long trips of say more than 25 or 30 miles, I have a Caddy Escalade for longer drives and comfort on the road!

My use of the car will be to go to an occasional car show, drive around on a sunny Sunday afternoon and an occasional zero to 60 race from a traffic light with some wannabee in his Hemi Chrysler or some Cool Cat in his stock Corvette!!

I’m all in the car, with the aftermarket upgrades at about $70K. The way I look at it, if I keep the car as planned for the next 25 years it is costing me less than $3k per year.
And who knows what she will be worth.

In comparison, for $70k I could have bought a brand new mid range Mercedes that looks like every other car on the road, definitely will not get a second look on Fort Lauderdale’s Las Olas Blvd. and will be virtually worthless in ten years! You do the math!!

Just my .$02,

Tom

Senna was F1 champ in 88, 90, 91 with McLaren-Honda.

That ain’t right.

“Sigh” It is very frustrating when they can’t even colour match the same piece of poly.

I am assuming the stripes all come off the same roll of decal materials?

Oh well, maybe there’s a colour changing stripe out there so it can match the instrument panel!

CJ

My God, do you not know anything?? How out of the loop are you? There is currently no X- Box Game with an Acura TL-S in it. It would be sooooo rad if there was though….they could call the game Dork Race 3000 or something.

But I still would love to put the hammer down on it.

And who exactly is Ayrton Senna?

You gotta be f’n kidding me… LOL!

I bet the Acura TL-S really fast on the X-Box, eh?