Auto Car | Ford Shelby GT Convertible 2008 | To be honest, we're as shocked as you are. In the wake of the several thousand new and unique Mustang trims Ford has released in the past few weeks, who would have expected another? Yet here it is: the 2008 Ford Shelby GT convertible. That's right, the Shelby GT coupe—which is based on the Shelby GT-H Hertz rental car, which is based on the regular Mustang GT, which is based on the regular Mustang—is losing its lid.
Ford says it will aim to limit production of the new droptop to just 2300 units, although that number surely can be revised upward if demand warrants. Like the coupe on which it's based, the Shelby GT convertible is hopped up from a more pedestrian Mustang GT convertible through the use of a number of Ford Racing bolt-ons.
Under the hood, the 4.6-liter V-8 is pumped up to 319 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque; a freer-flowing exhaust and new engine-management calibration are responsible for the increases 19 hp and 10 lb-ft. A Hurst short-throw shifter tightens up the standard five-speed manual, and a five-speed automatic transmission will be optional.
Unique shocks, anti-roll bars, and a strut-tower brace are aimed at improving handling, and each car—like every other Shelby special edition—gets a numbered plaque on the dash.
The cars will go on sale in August, and pricing has yet to be announced, but we'd bet $43,000 won't be too far off the mark. If you're keeping score at home, that's about $1500 more than a 500-hp 2007 Ford Shelby GT500 coupe, and something like an extra 10 grand over buying a Mustang GT convertible, plus all the upgrades direct from Ford Racing, and building a Shelby GT droptop clone in your garage.
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Ford says it will aim to limit production of the new droptop to just 2300 units, although that number surely can be revised upward if demand warrants. Like the coupe on which it's based, the Shelby GT convertible is hopped up from a more pedestrian Mustang GT convertible through the use of a number of Ford Racing bolt-ons.
Under the hood, the 4.6-liter V-8 is pumped up to 319 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque; a freer-flowing exhaust and new engine-management calibration are responsible for the increases 19 hp and 10 lb-ft. A Hurst short-throw shifter tightens up the standard five-speed manual, and a five-speed automatic transmission will be optional.
Unique shocks, anti-roll bars, and a strut-tower brace are aimed at improving handling, and each car—like every other Shelby special edition—gets a numbered plaque on the dash.
The cars will go on sale in August, and pricing has yet to be announced, but we'd bet $43,000 won't be too far off the mark. If you're keeping score at home, that's about $1500 more than a 500-hp 2007 Ford Shelby GT500 coupe, and something like an extra 10 grand over buying a Mustang GT convertible, plus all the upgrades direct from Ford Racing, and building a Shelby GT droptop clone in your garage.
Source :
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