2007 Shelby GT500

January 29, 2007 - In the minds of many people, Ford's 500-horsepower Shelby GT500 is the "ultimate" Mustang. On paper, that line of thinking appears to be true; Ford's Cobra-badged two-ton pony car boasts a supercharged 500 horsepower 5.4-liter V8, massive Brembo brakes, a revised suspension and functional aero pieces. It's a good car, to be sure, but "ultimate"? That's a mighty big word... Ford is hoping that its "ultimate" $40K GT500 will invoke warm and fuzzy feelings in wealthy car buyers that remember the original Cobra Jet-powered Shelby GT500KR. We're talking about those older guys who spend their weekends ignoring their children so that they can watch the Barrett-Jackson marathon on TV, spending each and every auction-packed minute wishing that they had an extra 2 million dollars to spend on one of those 35-year-old Dodges. This type of car buyer could also be called "not us". The reason we mention these "older" customers is that the new GT500 is designed for them - not us. 2 million bucks for a muscle car is out of the reach of most people, but that rich dentist in your neighborhood can certainly afford a 40-thousand dollar toy. Those of you that haven't driven this car certainly won't believe this next statement, and that's fine, but this "ultimate" Mustang is actually pretty "soft" around the edges. Those GT500 customers looking to make up for a lost GT500KR-less youth don't want the man-boob-jiggling "rough" ride that a "real" performance car offers. Hell, most GT500 customers don't care (or even care to know about) a car's lap times or lateral G numbers. Sneeze-and-you're-five-lanes-over hyper-sensitive steering is also a big no-no for the "weekend cruiser" weaned on driving as fast as he can in a straight line. Let's be honest for a minute here: the typical GT500 customer just wants big engine in a car that can leave a stoplight right-quick.