2013 Shelby GT 500 - Mustang Lovers And Ford Fans Gotta Smile At This One!

OK, so I don't usually do car reviews.  I leave that to the real experts like Motor Trend and Car and Driver and the other select few journalists that are way better equipped to bring you all that great stuff.  But, every now and then this little gear-head gal finds something that just gives me goosebumps and I just have to throw in my two-cents! 

Now, for those of you that know me, I'm kind of a Chevy gal.  Camaro gal to narrow it down a bit....So, you can see why Ford's announcement of the 2013 Shelby GT 500 caught my attention, and the attention of muscle car and speed freaks everywhere, for that matter!  Even this Chevy loving, Camaro preaching grease monkey has to admit that this thing is a beast! 

This stunningly beautiful monster has been affectionately labeled "the widow maker" by even the big boys in automobile journalism. The heart of this new Ford stunner is a 5.8-liter, aluminum-block V8, complete with a larger, more efficient supercharger. Nearly the entire powertrain has been upgraded for 2013, including a new cross-drilled block and heads, updated camshaft profiles, a carbon fiber driveshaft and upgraded clutch, transmission and axle. The cooling system has also been upgraded, and the new six-speed manual transmission now has a final drive ratio of 3.31-to-1 – optimized to handle the massive amounts of torque put down by the new engine.  What that boils down to was Ford's claim of 650 hp and somewhere around 190 mph out of the box!

What's even more amazing is that upon further testing, Ford was wrong!  Yup, a little further investigating turned up the fact that Ford was slightly off in it's calculations.  This little puppy was recently certified at 662 hp and 630 lb. ft. of torque that will take you to a speed of around 200 mph!  And, that's just the way it arrives in your driveway!  I've got chills just thinking about the ride in this one!  See Ray Wert's 4/27/12 article in jalopnik.com, 2013 Shelby GT500 Actually Hits 662 HP.

Now that I've slowed my heart down a little, here's the answer to the inevitable question....how much is this gonna set you back?  Ford just recenly released the pricing of this incredible engineering wonder. The base price is $54,200 for the standard model and the $59,995 for the convertible, but if you want to add the SVT Performance Package, it jumps up by another $3,495. This package includes: Torsen limited-slip differential, 19" forged-aluminum front wheels or 20" forged-aluminum rear wheels, Bilstein adjustable dampers, unique rear springs, a unique instrument cluster, and an SVT gear shift knob. A glass roof will add yet another $1,995, while an electronic package adds another $2,340.

OK, so you might have to take your banker out to dinner and break out a seriously good bottle of vino to gain his attention and beg for a slightly larger loan on this one.....but, what an investment! 

My question?  Will Chevrolet come back with a trump for this one?  C'mon guys!  The new  Camaro ZL1’s LSA 6.2L supercharged V-8 engine producing an estimated 550 HP and 550 lb.-ft. of torque is nothing to shake a stick at for sure.....but, alas, we have been "one up'd" yet again.  But, I will keep the faith that our friends at Chevrolet will not let this be the last word in the newly founded "muscle car" wars!  AND, according to my favorite writer's blog, Jalopnik.com and Ray Wert, the Z28 is still comming!  Or, is the new Camaro 1LE actually the Z28 in disguise?

My guess....my love of Chevy and my beloved Camaro will have the last word here!  And so we will wait and see just what comes of this situation.  I'm not taking off my black silk Chevy racing jacket just yet!

I'd really like to hear from our readers on this one.  Chevy and Ford fans alike must have some sort of opinion here....so send me your comments!  I hear tale that GM would love to hear about what you'd like the Z28 to be too!  Send us your ultimate Z28 configuration and what you'd like to see when, and if, one gets unveiled! 

Happy Motoring!

Larry and Dee