Shelby GT500 sucks !

[srothfuss]

According to the C&D article, the GT500 doesn't even have a spare. With the spare and IRS this car would've been close to 4300lbs!!

I totally missed that part of the article! That version would weigh as much as the Charger / 300C cars. The car does dissapoint for my standards. I thought this would be a return to the grass roots of the car where butt kicking was the sole purpose.

 

[05MGT]

I noticed the only thing you people are bitc#ing about is it's straight line performance. Mid-high 12's aint bad. Also, have you even looked at the handling aspect?? It's got to be one of the greatest handling 4000lbs car out there AND with a solid axle.

And to the guy who wanted the new Camaro: GM is "shooting for" 3500-3600lbs for the coupe with an engine possibly BASED off the 6.0L 403hp V8. I'm bankiing on 340-375.

 

[shooterm1]

C/D SUCKS at road testing, infact, i'm willing to bet 5 dollars that within the first few weeks of the GT500 being released, 11 second time-slips from stockers will be seen. F c/d

I tend to agree C/D SUCKS !!

 

[mattkimsey]

I noticed the only thing you people are bitc#ing about is it's straight line performance. Mid-high 12's aint bad. Also, have you even looked at the handling aspect?? It's got to be one of the greatest handling 4000lbs car out there AND with a solid axle.

And to the guy who wanted the new Camaro: GM is "shooting for" 3500-3600lbs for the coupe with an engine possibly BASED off the 6.0L 403hp V8. I'm bankiing on 340-375.

I don't know if I would say the GT500 is one of the "greatest" handling 4000lb cars. For a modern car, the weight distribution is poor and the DOHC motor with a blower on top help to make the car top heavy. A 4000lb car is going to feel heavy no matter what.

For the Camaro, GM won't use a motor that is no more powerful than the old LS1. C&D had a small article saying the 403hp version is most likely going in.

 

[Frank99TA]

Let's face some facts.. For supposedly 500 hp the car should be much faster. As far as the price goes.. You can buy a new C6 for low 40s all day, pending you can even get a shelby for sticker. For the record, shouldn't they compare the 500hp shelby to the 500hp Z06? The vette had 100 hp less and still beat the shelby. I say they take the Shelby name and dump it in the trash, call the car a Cobra, mass produce it and sell it for 35 to 36 grand.. Then you have something on your hands.. They need to promote the car not the name.. The name is just another way for the dealer to screw people.

 

[greg97svt]

Let's face some facts.. For supposedly 500 hp the car should be much faster. As far as the price goes.. You can buy a new C6 for low 40s all day, pending you can even get a shelby for sticker. For the record, shouldn't they compare the 500hp shelby to the 500hp Z06? The vette had 100 hp less and still beat the shelby. I say they take the Shelby name and dump it in the trash, call the car a Cobra, mass produce it and sell it for 35 to 36 grand.. Then you have something on your hands.. They need to promote the car not the name.. The name is just another way for the dealer to screw people.

I totally agree.
The reason they didn't compare Shelby to ZO6 is their performance is NIGHT and DAY difference. Z06 would rape Shelby in every category. Also, Z06 cost $25k more.
If Shelby had mustang's GT weight, then it wouldn't be that bad.

 

[CatmanJJ]

This thread sux, who cares what those 2 ****bag rags say? If u wanna mag race check out the MM&FF article where the GT500 runs 12.257 at 117.18 MPH.

 

[Bowtiesblow]

This thread sux, who cares what those 2 ****bag rags say? If u wanna mag race check out the MM&FF article where the GT500 runs 12.257 at 117.18 MPH.

That sounds more like what it should be running. Evan Smith ran that time correct?

 

[hotmustang331]

That still sucks....lets see what my car would do with 500HP . Darn ford doesnt get it....KEEP THE WEIGHT DOWN IF YOU WANT A GOOD CAR! I wouldnt buy that thing...I dont even like the weight on the 03-04 cobras. 3660 for them and now 3900....eventually they will have 800HP mustang that weighs 7000#s and does everything but brush your teeth.

Ditch the 5.4, go aluminum block S/C 4.6. Ford WONT do a aluminum 5.4, its just too much $$$ for one car as it couldnt be the same as the Ford GT, because the Ford GT needs to stay exclusive and has a dry sump oil setup.

Ford needs some new engineers....fire the clowns they have now, same goes for the peeps at shelby building a pig.
Dont forget the aerodynamics, they are not good (re brick)....given equal weight and HP, the vette would still drive away from it.

 

[05MGT]

That still sucks....lets see what my car would do with 500HP . Darn ford doesnt get it....KEEP THE WEIGHT DOWN IF YOU WANT A GOOD CAR! I wouldnt buy that thing...I dont even like the weight on the 03-04 cobras. 3660 for them and now 3900....eventually they will have 800HP mustang that weighs 7000#s and does everything but brush your teeth.

Ditch the 5.4, go aluminum block S/C 4.6. Ford WONT do a aluminum 5.4, its just too much $$$ for one car as it couldnt be the same as the Ford GT, because the Ford GT needs to stay exclusive and has a dry sump oil setup.

Ford needs some new engineers....fire the clowns they have now, same goes for the peeps at shelby building a pig.
Dont forget the aerodynamics, they are not good (re brick)....given equal weight and HP, the vette would still drive away from it.

It's not the engineers fault. It's not hard to engineer a lightweight high horsepower car. What's hard is fighting the bean-counters. Ford bean counters wanted to keep the GT500's price down. Try doing that with an all aluminum block, 500hp, fully independent suspension, lightwight body panels, and all the other goodies you all want. If you guys had your way and Ford engineers had their way, with money being no object, the GT500 would start at $55,000. Then you'd all bitch about the price. :Zip2:

 

[mattkimsey]

It's not the engineers fault. It's not hard to engineer a lightweight high horsepower car. What's hard is fighting the bean-counters. Ford bean counters wanted to keep the GT500's price down. Try doing that with an all aluminum block, 500hp, fully independent suspension, lightwight body panels, and all the other goodies you all want. If you guys had your way and Ford engineers had their way, with money being no object, the GT500 would start at $55,000. Then you'd all bitch about the price. :Zip2:

But if GM can make a car like the Corvette for low 40's than why can't Ford make the 500 compete in every category? The GT500 also shares it's platform with a mass-produced 25k GT, so that alone should save money.

 

[05MGT]

But if GM can make a car like the Corvette for low 40's than why can't Ford make the 500 compete in every category? The GT500 also shares it's platform with a mass-produced 25k GT, so that alone should save money.

It does compete in EVERY category. Times are only tenths off one another. It's a driver's race between the two. Look at the numbers. The vette doesnt go for low 40s anyways.

 

[knight_rider69]

I say they take the Shelby name and dump it in the trash, call the car a Cobra, mass produce it and sell it for 35 to 36 grand.. Then you have something on your hands..

I wouldn't say dump the name in the trash, but isn't a Shelby supposed to be this "exotic" type of American Race car? So, spend the extra 25K to put it on par with the vette, and those who can afford it WILL feel the cash is justified, and I agree, leave this piggy as just the plain old cobra. I think it soils the good Shelby name.

And if we don't compare it to the vette, let's compare it to the SVTs of 2003, 2004.

390 hp vs 500 hp

and yet... maybe.. a couple of TENTHS difference off the quarter mile....

To each their own, but... I think they missed the mark on this one.

 

[CatmanJJ]

I see what some of u guys are saying. Actually I'm interested to see what happens when some tuners/hot rodders get their hands on them. Doesn't this car have that stuipd torque management thing, I'm sure that's not helping matters any if true. So lets see, with some sticky tires, pulley, exhaust, CAI, and some tuning...oh yeah and some some weight reduction...this car would be pretty scary I think. Ha it's not even out yet. :SNSign:

 

[TheDamned]

The new shelby does suck, I would get a C6 WAY before a Shelby tank.

 

[mattkimsey]

It does compete in EVERY category. Times are only tenths off one another. It's a driver's race between the two. Look at the numbers. The vette doesnt go for low 40s anyways.

Uhh, the 'Vette is about 800lbs lighter, it has IRS, lower center of gravity, less top heavy, better interior, all aluminum motor, handles better, brakes better, faster or about equal in the 1/4, more agile, MUCH better gas mileage, overall, better platform (suspention design) for more kinds of racing, doesn't share a platform with a 19k car.

Brand new 'Vettes can be bought for low 40's. Try getting a GT500 for that!

 

[1mysticowner]

Don't miss the big picture

All to often we get stuck on numbers. The car isn't about beating the world in a drag race. I don't care what you have, on a given night you'll get your doors blown off by someone with a little more HP.

If you base a car's value on one thing (drag times) you miss the car as a whole. In some vehicles you get there, in a car like this "YOU ARRIVE".

You'll spend much more time just driving down the road enjoying the car than you will trying to sand a Corvette. It's that feeling you get when you're alone on a back road on your way home, if you,re smiling you're in the right car and it's worth every penny. If you're worrying about a timeslip don't buy a street car, you'll never be happy.

Corvette owners are more into profiling anyway. Why risk drag racing with a mustang you MIGHT beat when you could wind up in jail or the hospital.
They'll just cruise and smirk like you're not worth racing.

I have a 96 Mystic Cobra which is bone stock. It isn't the fastest car in the world nor is it the best handling but when it took best of show last Sunday I felt like it sat on top of the world. It made me smile all the way home.
I knew I bought the right car, and I think you'll know too just look in the mirror.

Enjoy the ride because there is always someone "faster" coming down the road.

 

[mattkimsey]

^Yeah, I think that is who the GT500 is built for...the boulevard cruiser. The retro looks, Shelby name plate, 50k+ price tag(after markup) 500hp to brag about etc. Hardcore drag racers should probably look into a 03/04 Cobra or some other platform for 5k, i.e, foxbody Why pay close to 50k if you just want the time slips. <---just my opinion, buy what you want.

 

[PonyboyIsaac]

i'm sick of argueing over this, i just cant wait to see vids of it smoking the hides on the street and on the track, oh and just for you guys who think its a big disappointment, ford racing has many upgrade kits in the works for it including a 3.3L whipple blower upgrade, how do u like them apples. now stfu:Zip2:

 

[351CJ]

Some comments,

1. Yea the M6 is a great car, but how can you even mention it in the same breath with the GT-500? The damned thing cost $107,000. You can get 2 GT-500s for that amount of $$. The M6 will bankrupt you if you ever have to pay for an out of warranty repair. For $107K The M6 should do the quarter in 10 seconds flat, give me a back massage and have a cold beer ready on demand. Notice the M6 is almost as heavy as the GT-500. The M6 gets its great 1/4 mile # because it has a 7 speed trannie with a stump puller 3.99 1st gear ratio and 3.62 rear end (GT-500 2.97 1st x 3.31 re).

2. IMHO the GT-500 looks great. I don't like the current generation Vette's looks at all. The front end looks like a Asian rice box and the rear end looks like someone accidentally hacked off the last 8". For looks I'll take the last generation Vette.

3. Don't know the C&D test conditions, but the C&D published #s are not the actual times they measured. They are "corrected" #s for C&D's standardized test conditions. Reportedly the GT-500s have been tested by others in the low 12s. I think M/T got 12.7 on it.

4. With that defense of the GT-500, I don't think I want one. It's flat out too heavy and especially too front end heavy. I'll take a 400 HP normall aspirated / 3400 lb SE with a 52F / 48R weight balance any day over the 500 HP SC / 4,000 lb GT-500 with 58% of its weight on the front wheels.