Fastest Ford Mustang Part 12 : 2007 Shelby GT500

The GT500 is at its best on the boulevard, where his decent ride and comfortable interior make it a great place to hang out in the middle heavy sauces on his swollen curve pair.

Nominal a total of 500 ponies, the 5.4-liter DOHC supercharged V-8 under its hood lined immediately and strongly respond to any rpm. It feels more sensitive to lower than the Corvette's 6.0-liter V-8, which is itself just slouch in the speed department par. And if you like supercharger whine, you'll love the soundtrack of the GT500, but you better love it, because usually you can hear the fan.

However, when it comes to pure performance, the GT500 has trouble leaving the Vette. He won only two races, beating the Vette in the lane change by 1.3 mph and outgunning the Chevy in-50-to-70-mph acceleration gear up running - 8.8 seconds in front of 9.1.

The main reason is the weight of the GT500 and how it is distributed. The hardware needed to convert the 5.4-liter DOHC V-8 into a monster 500 horsepower makes for a long and massive list. There's the supercharger with their pulleys, the intercooler with lines and water pumps. Even block 5.4-liter high resistance outweighs the 4.6-liter set in the Mustang GT. In total, these pieces add about 150 pounds to the car - most of it in the nose. Combine those extra pounds GT500 with large brakes, 19-inch wheels and tires and six-speed transmission, and the result is a porky 3896 pounds Mustang.

That adds up to 321 more pounds than the last Mustang GT we tested and bias weight later, degrading 52.5 / 47.5 percent to 57.7 / 42.3 percent.

The Corvette is not only 616 pounds lighter but also divide your weight 51.9 / 48.1 percent from the rear. That means more distribution more uniform traction line, stronger braking and better handling balance.

On the test track, physics can not be denied. Despite being in the corvette similar size and specification tires, achieved only 0.90 g GT500 on track skid, while the Vette pulled 0.95g.

During our testing of brakes, the GT500 nose dived dramatically but stopped just a little worse than the Corvette. In our usual stop 70 mph, 172 feet needed. At a stop of 120 mph much more punishment, the GT500 stopped in 485 feet. The Vette surpassed the 161 and 462 feet, respectively.

What surprised us, however, was the loss of GT500 in drag racing. Their advantage 100 horsepower should have been enough to stop the Vette in a cloud of dust rubber. The GT500 also has a useful launch control system that is part of the standard traction control. To get an almost perfect hole shot, all you have to do is rev the engine to 3,200 rpm, dump the clutch, and floor it. The system automatically modulates engine power to make the driver look like Kenny Bernstein. With it, we reach 60 mph in 4.6 seconds.

But we have been able to go faster without it, thanks to the engine very easy to drive that makes it easy to keep the tires hooked up. Moreover, the Shelby has a shift light and programmable audible chirp to free the eyes monitoring the 6000 rpm redline on the tachometer.

Under full human control, we shave 0.1 seconds sprint 60 miles an hour, down to 4.5 seconds. The quarter mile requires only 12.9 seconds at 112 mph, 150 mph reached in 30.3 seconds and an electronic leash limits the top speed of 155 mph.

While these are great numbers, they do not seem fast enough for a car of 500 hp. Of course heavy, but the last SVT Mustang Cobra have tried ["Revival Rotary," C / D, April 2003] published the same quarter mile and speed despite a 20 percent ratio worse power-to-weight (110 fewer horses, 216 pounds less). And the BMW M6 tested in this issue [see page 68], which also has an output of 500 horsepower and weighs 12 pounds more than the GT500, ran the quarter in 12.4 seconds at 121 mph. Ford says its own tests of a quarter mile are 0.1 or 0.2 seconds faster with trap speeds of 115 mph. The figure of 500 CV was obtained using the latest protocol SAE certified test, so it is unlikely that the GT500 is not delivering the promised ponies. Maybe we went that day.

In any case, the wonder of fiberglass Chevy pulled to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds and the quarter in 12.8 seconds at 113 mph. He also was 3.5 seconds quicker to 150, which is not surprising given the smaller more elegant Corvette and frontal area.

Despite disappointing straight-line acceleration of the Ford, the GT500 bounded happily around Grattan for several laps. With its reassuring understeer, the GT500 was solid as a rock at high speed, confidently carving through the pieces and white knuckle faster track, with the rear always stay in line. The brakes were also strong, showing little fade, even when the deceleration of about 130 mph at the first corner. In the slower corners, however, he tended to plow nose too, so it is difficult to apply early for a strong power output.

Our best time was 1: 33.30, about three seconds slower than the Vette, and it's hard to forget the GT500 extra poundage. One tester said: "I am always aware of the high center of gravity compared to the Vette, and the GT500 actually comes out and bobs But could spend a day filming this car and never get bored.."

Astute readers may remember that lapped Grattan a Dodge Charger SRT8 in 1: 32.65 ["Bahn Burners, Episode 39", January 2006]. But it had rained heavily the night before we find the GT500 and the Corvette, and we'd be willing to bet our own mass as the GT500 would be faster than the charger if tested both on the same day.

Along the way, the GT500 sits nicely in a relaxed cruise. A published speeds, their behavior is not at all hot roddish, and the journey is subtle enough for a car decorated with racing stripes. Like the original GT500, the '07 car feels more like a competent all Arounder a relentless machine speed. It is refined and quiet enough, and the address has a natural weight for him. The seats are too flat for track use, but are fine for long trips. If the clutch effort were not as pronounced, the GT500 could be a daily driver.

And always ready for those unexpected traffic light duels with reliable launch control and light, positive and accurate gearshift.

In the end, we would like this GT500 had more horses to go with their high price. The latest SVT Cobra is only $ 35,000 and was just as fast. We also could not stop thinking about one Mustang project we tested in February 2000, the Ford-built, FR500 3587 pounds. With a naturally aspirated 415-horsepower V-8, which was as fast as the GT500, it felt much lighter, and loved it. We expected the GT500 to reflect it. It's close, but still a few hundred pounds away. As will four seats, the GT500 is the best bang for your buck on everything but the price for pure performance, there is a better alternative.