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2007 Ford Shelby GT500 Convertible Photo Gallery

500 horses that prefer to go straight

AS
by Autobytel Staff
October 27, 2006
6 min. Reading Time
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Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Convertible – Photo Gallery: Ford has a hit on its hands with the 2007 Shelby GT500, and for more reasons than its styling and historic badge. Anyone sliding into the driver’s seat, from a hardened ex-con to a dorky kid to a mousy office assistant, becomes an intimidating badass. One of our editors, a relatively quiet and unassuming guy, talked freely about rejecting an impromptu street race invitation, but subsequently made sure to fill that challenger’s rearview mirror with an intimidating Cobra badge courtesy of Ford. The Shelby is raw, muscular, aggressive, and demands respect. Whether or not it deserves it is another issue entirely.

2007 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 – Handling

Thanks to a 500-horsepower, supercharged engine that’s strapped in, engineers would really have to muck things up to produce a GT500 registering anything but fast. With a 0-60 mph time in the low four second arena, it’s admittedly quick, but not the quickest, though with a base price in the $40,000s it’s not the priciest either. But what the Shelby lacks is handling on par with its power. In NASCAR terms, the Shelby would lose the race in the corners, a point likely of little surprise to anyone who has driven a Mustang.

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2007 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 – Overview

There are vehicles offering superior handling and better 0-60 scores than the Shelby, many with the added benefits of practicality and versatility. There are expensive competitors with added power and performance. What they don’t offer is the Shelby GT500 name and Mustang heritage, which to some buyers, is worth whatever the cost.

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2007 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 – Features

Simply put, the 2007 Ford Shelby GT500 is about power and style. When future generations talk about this particular Mustang, which they will undoubtedly do, discussion of leather seats and tilt steering wheels will probably be left off the table. But for today’s buyer of the GT500, that kind of stuff matters, as do items like cruise control, keyless entry, a power driver’s seat, and air conditioning. All are standard on the new Shelby.

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2007 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 – Pricing

Ford has priced the Shelby GT500 at $42,975 in coupe guise and $47,800 in convertible form (prices include destination charges and a gas guzzler tax). In exchange for that handsome sum, new owners of the Shelby will also enjoy power mirrors, a 500-watt sound system with an MP3 player and six-disc CD changer, front and front-side airbags, as well as power door locks and windows. In other words, while the interior amenities are nice, buyers are obviously paying for the powertrain and not a slew of upgrades such as navigation systems or ventilated seats.

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2007 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 – Options

Though limited, there are a few options available with the Shelby GT500. The standard 500-watt sound system can be dropped to make room for the so-called Shaker1000 that adds an iPod jack, dual subwoofers, and ad you might’ve presumed, 1000 watts of eardrum-busting power. Sirius satellite radio is also available for serious audiophiles and/or Howard Stern fans. Lastly, Ford offers a GT500 Premium Interior Trim package with an automatic dimming interior rearview mirror, a compass, alloy pedals, and upgraded trim and stitching on the console, doors, and instrument panel.

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2007 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 – Engine

The 2007 Ford Shelby GT500’s presence, from the raised and vented hood to the deep rumbling exhaust, suggests some serious internal combustion angst, and sure enough, a simultaneous lift of the clutch and drop of the throttle prove the goods are there aplenty. Power for the Shelby comes from an supercharged 5.4-liter, 32-valve V8 with dual overhead cams that’s good for 500 horsepower at 6,000 rpm, 480 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,500 rpm, and 0-60 mph runs in the low four second range. The block is cast iron, whereas the heads borrowed from the Ford GT are aluminum. A boost gauge tells how hard the Eaton supercharger is working.

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2007 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 – Hardware

The only available gearbox is a six-speed manual which serves as the conduit between the engine and the rear 285/40ZR18 Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tires. The front rubber measures 255/45ZR18. Even with a curb weight ranging between 3,920 (coupe) and 4,040 lbs. (convertible), those tires face a challenge in translating power to grip, so Ford has added standard stability and traction controls systems as well as a limited slip differential. When things get hairy and slower speeds are in order, an antilock braking system works with Brembo vented discs measuring 356 mm up front and 300 mm out back work to cut speed.

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2007 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 – Suspension

Ford turned to its in-house SVT tuners in developing the Shelby GT500’s suspension, comprised of a MacPherson strut setup and 34-mm stabilizer bar up front coupled with a three-link, live-axle assembly and 20-mm stabilizer bar in the rear (coupe; 20-mm for the convertible). A power rack-and-pinion steering system, bolstered by a unique steering pump and a brace connecting the lower arm bushings, aims to provide a higher level of responsiveness than found on the base Mustang GT.

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2007 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 – Styling

A raised hood with functional vents, some stripes, unique 18-inch alloy wheels, honeycomb grille inserts sans fog lights, a few badges, rear lower strakes meant to mimic a diffuser, and enhancements to the fascias and rocker panels – that’s what visually separates the GT500 from the Mustang GT. It’s not a lot, especially if you’ve got an example like our test convertible, which included a no-charge stripe delete package (the lower side stripes remain). In a world where it’s becoming increasingly difficult to stand out, those minor design cues may not seem recognizable, especially in traffic-clogged areas like southern California.

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2007 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 – Exterior

If you’re like the admirers we encountered while driving the GT500, you have eagle eyes for chrome letters on a tailgate that spell SHELBY, your pupils dial in on a raised cobra decorating a fender, and that domed hood is a dead giveaway. The GT500 was built for people like you, and hence, there’s no need for garish rear wings, over-the-top body kits, or wheels so big they border on absurd. That being said, Ford did upgrade the GT500 with some functional design cues, like those hood vents that disperse engine heat, a lower front air splitter that lessens lift, and a rear spoiler which provides necessary down force at high speeds.

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