Has the Ford performance crown been passed? Most agree that the Shelby won't just walk onto the stage and steal the show. Its predecessor is quite venomous and is in prime condition for defending its territory.
Rumor has it the GT500's original plan included an IRS, but it was later discarded. While the solid axle lightens the already heavy behemoth, this decision has people arguing on both sides.
"Ford hit a home run with the solid axle in the S197," says '03 Cobra owner John English. "The '06 Roush and Saleen '06 Mustangs on street tires were taking corners faster and braking later than I was on R compound tires at the Autobahn Invasion road-course event."
Lacobelli says, "Thank you, Ford, for not hindering and plaguing any of the current and hopefully future Mustangs with any sort of an IRS. There is just no place for its added weight, cost, complexity and unreliability in our beloved Mustangs."
D'Amore Jr. made a good point by saying, "The Shelby will really impress a lot of the naysayers who feel the solid axle will hurt handling. Ford's FR500C cars carrying the new solid-axle setup out back are making a name against Porsche, Audi, BMW, Corvette, and many other big-name companies running an independent rear."
From a technology standpoint, SLP's Director of Engineering Brian Reese believes, "The IRS is the only competitive option for production cars any more. Solid axles are disappearing quickly. The only catch is making it as bulletproof as a solid axle."
But the lack of an independent rear sus-pension won't be the deciding factor for most who are looking to purchase the new Shelby GT500. Most people we surveyed say the price and dealer markups are going to be the deciding factor, at least in the interim. While the $41,950 suggested retail price is a bargain, with markups-some rumored to be in the $25,000 range-is the performance really worth it?
Jason Lusher, owner of an '03 10th Anniversary Cobra, says, "I will most likely either trade my Cobra for one or just buy it outright depending on how long I can wait, or how long the crazy prices last."
Even at sticker, the Shelby's performance value will have to face the Terminator's outstanding record. "With the starting price of over $40,000 for the Shelby (not to mention the markups we'll see), the better bargain remains the original Terminators," says Tampa, Florida's John Robb. "I contemplated waiting for the Shelby, but at $15,000 less than the starting price of the '07 Cobra, even with mods, it's a no-brainer.
The Shelby GT500 packs a serious 500 hp thanks to its 5.4-liter, Four-Valve supercharged power plant.
Panciarello believes the GT500's price will keep a lot of potential buyers away, thus allowing the cheaper alternative, the Terminator, to "com-mand high resale prices."
Dealer markups or not, we all know the Shelby GT500 will sell, but will the collector crowd drive the real enthusiasts away? Shelbys are hot these days with the Barrett-Jackson auto auctions showcasing the stuffed-wallet types and their ego-driven accrual of six-figure Shelby products. That crowd will no doubt be looking to snag some of these prized ponies, and the dealers have realized this by taking bids for places on the GT500 ordering list. Check out eBay and you'll see people paying upwards of $20,000 on top of the retail price. Sort of takes the fun out of buying a secretary's car, doesn't it? The good thing, though, is that Ford plans on building 8,000 Shelbys per year for about five years. The price will eventually come down.
Collector car or not, the '07 Shelby GT500 out of the box will be a force to be reckoned with at the street light and on the racetrack.
"The Shelby is going to be a street/strip animal with minimal modifications," says D'Amore Jr. "With bolt-ons, more boost, full exhaust, gears, and a good tire, the new Shelby should run 10s, The Terminator with similar parts will still run very low 11s."
That advanced thinking shows respect for the GT500, and for good reason. Its 5.4 Four-Valve powerplant has proven to be extremely powerful and reliable at increased power levels. The SVT Lightning and Terminator Cobra have proven there is plenty of untapped power in Ford's super-charged modular engines, and we have even seen modified Ford GTs eclipsing the 800hp barrier on pump gas.
With Terminators regularly running around with 575-plus rear-wheel horsepower these days, the GT500 will, as Larry Vanderpool of Dayton, Ohio put it, "have awfully big shoes to fill."
With respect like that, the '03-'04 Terminator Cobras will always be at the top of the Ford performance hierarchy. SLP's Brian Reese says, "While they will not retain the king-of-the-hill title from a power or performance point of view, they'll always retain value and a top place in the Mustang history. People still drool over '93 Cobras, which were dethroned long ago."
Perhaps the Shelby will gain a whole new following, and we'll have to check back to see where its sales have gone and if the price gouging is still going on. Certainly, there will be a whole crowd who hopes the Shelby name will allow them to sell and retire in five years. But we doubt that will happen. It won't be until Shelby is long gone and these cars are 20-30 years old before the price goes up, up, and away. Expect it to be high at first, as we are seeing, but then it will drop like most new cars.
Until then, we leave you with Tampa, Florida's John Robb who says, "I own an '03 Sonic Cobra. I have the Shelby covered . . . bring it."