Like most American car enthusiasts, I have my own history with the Mustang, the first car I ever remember steering from my father's lap was a 1965 Mustang Fastback. Fast forward to driving and one of my first cars was a 1990 Mustang LX convertible, red with a black top and interior, and my best friend and I drove that car everywhere. I would go on to buy and sell several classic and late model Mustangs over the years and have been nostalgically thinking about buying another classic Mustang for my next project car. My first real job was working in the Mustang restoration industry, from there end up working for a Ford dealer where I was able to sell the new Ford GT, Shelby GT, and GT500s. I would do a lot more work in the automotive industry and somehow it always revolved around Ford and Shelby.
Back in 2007 when the first modern version of the GT500 came out, I was still selling cars and remember customers having the sticker shock of $41,950 Ford Mustang (would be around $53,590 adjusted for inflation today). So I have to admit when I saw that the new Shelby GT500 could be optioned out to over $100,000 I was more than a little skeptical that any new Mustang could justify a six-figure price tag... until I drove it.
Ford invited me out to Texas Motor Speedway to take part in what they call the GT500 Track Tour, an invitation-only event that allows customers, industry guests, and media to experience what the new Shelby GT500 can really do on a track and to learn more about the development process and the technology that makes the new GT500 a true supercar, and I do mean supercar.
The term "supercar" is mostly reserved for exotics, but the GT500 is about as exotic as they come, especially when equipped with the optional carbon fiber track package, which adds exposed carbon fiber wheels, an exposed carbon GT4 wing, Recaro seats, rear seat delete, and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires. A quick look at the rest of the numbers and the GT500's supercar status is without question. Powered by a 5.2-liter supercharged and intercooler V8, that producers 760 hp and 625 lb-ft of torque, backed by a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission that allows the GT500 to sprint from 0-60 in just 3.3 seconds, on par with the $215,000 Ferrari Portofino and just .1 second behind the Porsche 911 GT3 which starts at $162,450. Suddenly that $74,095 base price for the Shelby seems a lot more reasonable.
On the track the new GT500 also earns its supercar status, posting up faster lap times than the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4, Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Z51, and the Lamborghini Huracán Evo when tested by Car and Driver last year. As I took several laps around Texas Motor Speedway in GT500 equipped with the carbon fiber track pack, it became apparent that the new GT500 is not your average Mustang. The GT500's steering and ABS braking also adjust depending on what drive mode you have selected and work with the remapped MagneRide shocks to provide an incredibly responsive driving experience when in sport, track, or drag mode, while still being comfortable in normal mode.
The 2021 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 is available now starting at $74,095, including destination and delivery. The Oxford White racing strips on the car I tested are a $10,000 option, the Carbon Fiber Track Pack is $18,500, and the Technology Pack is an additional $3,000, bringing the grand total for the GT500 I drove to $105,595. While that is a lot of money for a Mustang, there has never been a Mustang like this ever before, from build quality to horsepower, to technology, the new GT500 has earned the title of being the ultimate production Mustang.
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