We Drove the 2008 Ford Shelby GT500 KR. It Sounds Like Pure American Excess.
Key takeaways
- With 540 supercharged horsepower and a thunderous exhaust note, this Shelby earns its crown.
- [This story originally appeared in the July 2008 issue of Motor Trend with the headline "It’s Good to Be King."] You know it's different the moment you twist the key.
- The current GT500 is fast, sophisticated, and a MotorTrend fave.
Why this matters: an automotive development that could shape industry direction or buying decisions.
With 540 supercharged horsepower and a thunderous exhaust note, this Shelby earns its crown.
[This story originally appeared in the July 2008 issue of Motor Trend with the headline "It’s Good to Be King."] You know it's different the moment you twist the key. It idles with the burble of a twin-engine Cigarette speedboat. Zing the gas, and the GT500 KR barks hard from its large, brushed stainless exhaust pipes. The roar is accompanied with a moan from the cold-air intake and a whine from the supercharger. Select first, plant your right foot, and take it through the gears. The most powerful factory Mustang ever sold bellows like a Cup car.
The current GT500 is fast, sophisticated, and a MotorTrend fave. But we've always known there were sharper teeth hidden within. "Can we have less understeer, please? Not so much front-end lift at high speed? A more planted rear end is a must, and nastier intake and exhaust noises would be just ducky. And, whatever you do, don't forget the additional horsepower."