Story at BlueOvalNews.com....

http://www.blueovalnews.com/2003/car...aias111803.htm

Rumors are flying....Shelby signed an agreement with Ford earlier this year and now a tip from an ASC source.

Personally, the Shelby name means didly-squat to me...What with the Series 1 disaster and the Z-max endorsement.

 

So basically there won't be a real "Shelby Mustang". Ford is just buying rights to the Shelby name, and renameing the SVT Cobra. I think its a bad move, especially with the recent sucsess of the supercharged SVT Cobra.



How was the Series 1 a disaster???

 

Well, ok, maybe disaster isn't the right word. What I do know is that there have been major price over runs. Shelby has been trying to get suppliers to lower costs and last I heard the car was priced such that the company would lose money on the whole effort. Business-wise that would be a disaster.....That was a while ago though, I havent' gotten any new info for a long time.

As far as the car itself...Well it's a 320HP 290 Ft-Lb Olds V8 powerplant in a car that weighs 3100lbs at a base price of about 140K. 0-60 of mid 4's and 1/4 of 12.8. Top speed 225mph. From R&T 2002. Nice car....very pricey for what you get....

What really gets me though is the commercial I heard last year....Carrol saying that he endorses Z-max and that every Series 1 comes with it. This is AFTER the big Z-max lawsuit and the info that came from that.

 

It'll be interesting to see how this all pans out. There are still persistant rumors that Mustang will have two versions of the Cobra, one with around 400 hp and one with around 500hp....maybe the Shelby Cobra will be one of them. BTW, it's still undetermined if Shelby would be slotted above or below the SVT Cobra.

Let's see what the Mustang performance variants might be:

GT ~ 300hp

Mach1/ Boss ~ 350 hp

Cobra #1 ~ 400hp

Cobra #2 ~ 500hp

 

500 HP in a production Mustang.....I just had to say it again...We are indeed living in crazy times. More like an episode of the outer limits.....Where will this end? You can only put so much power into a car, right?

Only a few years ago jaws were dropping at >300HP F-bodies.

 

All things considered..... a return of the Shelby name could be HUGE on this new Mustang, if for no other reason that the retro styling... I mean, Shelby's are the most sought after versions of the original Mustangs... so, if your going to go down the retro road, why not go all the way?

 

I believe the Series I is considered a disaster because of the pi$$ poor build quality of them. From what I heard, they make a shopping cart feel like solid engineering.

 

Yup. The series 1 was the biggest ripoff in Shelby's history. 100K+ for a car that felt like kit car and couldn't even run with a Viper. Even the series 2 is just a tightened up 1 with a SC to FINALLY bring up performance to the expected level all for only the price of the new Ford GT.

Shelby's a fat old joke, but I guess if the main crowd who will buy the Cobra is the fat old baby boomers who remember the old stuff then it makes sense to put his name on it. I'll still buy one.

 

That is too bad I always thought the series 1 was a hot car

 

I agree with the reasoning, but I still like the SVT name better. Maybe because I didnt grow up with the Shelbys and I did with the SVTs

 

I don't like the sound of it at all. To me, "Shelby Cobra" means this. I'm just glad he didn't call the Series 1 a Cobra.

 

I agree 100,000,000%-BUT these cars will likely come with GT-350/GT-500 badging.And for the record Shelby has his hands in on the development on these cars,So even though they are being built by Ford workers and not in Carroll's shop they still are going to be worth a ton in the future.The interesting part is the "Shelby Cobra" might steal the show at the 04 NAIAS.Yes you heard it here first...Think Ford GT(40)

 

"I believe the Series I is considered a disaster because of the pi$$ poor build quality of them. From what I heard, they make a shopping cart feel like solid engineering."

BINGO.

I once visited the outside source for the body panels.

I say "outside source" not because they were a supplier (they were), but because their plant that made the panels in Mexico City literally DID NOT HAVE A F***ING ROOF. The "plant" was literally a tent/shanty surrounded by a cyclone fence.

 

 

That is so true...my 1995 TA runs 13.60s-13.70s right now when it was stock it was in the 13.80-13.90s terriotory...hell the G35 sedans are running 14.40s even a few reports of 14.20s. The new accords are running mid 14's as well...there are some auto LT1's that would be hard pressed to pull some of those times. The next generation of sedans from Nissan, Honda and probably Toyota will more than likely OWN stock LT1s and maybe even run with the LS1's...thats just your regular old sedan...Think about how far we've come the last 20 years. The vette had what 190 horsepower in 82 then 205 in 84 with cross fire injection...then in 85 TPI came out and they were rated at 230 I believe. 1989 the ZR1 comes out 375 horse to be upped to 405 later in the cars life. 1992 the LT1 comes out 300 horsepower much improved reliability and good mileage especially when had with the 6 speed manual. 1997 the LS1 comes out 340-350 horsepower as it currently sits and 30mpg on the highway. The next round of motors while not for sure is estimated between 400hp and a whopping 625...quite simply AMAZING!