2007 Ford Shelby Cobra GT500

I was just looking through my Car & Driver magazine today and saw the new '07 GT500. What does everyone think about it? Sorry if this is a repost, I searched and didnt find a thread on this.

http://autoshow.edmunds.com/media/2005/newyork/07.ford.shelby.cobra.mustang.gt500/ford.shelby.cobra.mustang.f34.396.jpg

The Shelby's supercharged 5.4-liter, 32-valve V8 is similar to the engine in the GT. Ford started with the cast-iron 5.4-liter Triton V8 truck engine and added aluminum heads from the GT, specially calibrated camshafts, a screw-type supercharger making 8.5 pounds of boost, and a water-to-air intercooler.

Horsepower: 450+
Torque: 450+

:biggrin:

Not really a fan of the new Mustangs exterior look, interior too for that matter...although you can't deny that its going to be powerful. I do like the look of Roush Performance stage 2 kit, gives it the more aggressive look it needs.

It looks awesome. I hope they make a new GT350.

The production version will change slightly from the car shown at the 2005 New York Auto Show.

The following is from Motor Trend May 2005 pages 54, 55, and 56:

"Hau Tai-Tang, the 2005 Mustang's chief program engineer, was handed the reins at SVT last fall."

"Visceral feedback from all driver inputs will be greatly increased; differentiated, yet well harmonized."

"We won't hesitate to have you do a driving comparison against IRS-suspended competitors."

Automobile said in its June 2005 issue on page 56 that the new GT500 has leather on the door panels, steering wheel, shifter, parking-brake handle, dash top, and console.

Carroll Shelby rejoined Ford in the summer of 2003.

http://automobilemag.com/photo_gallery/0505_shelby_gt500_06_1024.jpg

http://shows.dealerrater.com/gallery/2005-new-york-auto-show-lg/IMG_4124.JPG

eh...it's nothing special...not much different from a stock GT. No where near the differnece between previous generations of GT/Shelby.

hang on, does that mean they're still going with the cheaper live axle?

I think so...

the engineers said that a live rear axel could handle more torque than independent rear suspension, so if ppl added power they wouldn't have to worry about damaging it with too much torque

cheap liars!

eh...it's nothing special...not much different from a stock GT.

Yeah, 0.8L more, DOHC, supercharger, upgraded brakes, and an upgraded suspension is no different than a GT :rolleyes:

No where near the differnece between previous generations of GT/Shelby.

The last Shelby Mustangs were back in the '60's and they weren't more different than the one seen here. This 500's engine is bigger, has more power, and looks better, just like the last Shelby 500's.

As for the IRS debate, when the last '03/'04 Cobras were out, many people bitched to Ford about having an IRS in the things. They said the thing could of been faster and quicker had a live axel been in them. It was said that straight line performance was the name of the game for those things and not handling. Ford decided then for the GTs and the latest Cobra to put the live axel in there due to the demand for them.

Yep a live axle. Keeps the cost down makes it affordable, better for launch those sons a bitches! It's beautiful better looking than most cars with IRS like the ugly as 350Z. Simply put I love it!

and cost had nothing to do with it at all......

You'd think they'd offer at least ONE Mustang with IRS.

You'd think they'd offer at least ONE Mustang with IRS.

The 1999 Ford SVT Mustang Cobra had IRS. The new Mustang GT rides and handles much better than that car though.

As I said before...

The following is from Motor Trend May 2005 pages 54, 55, and 56:

"Hau Tai-Tang, the 2005 Mustang's chief program engineer, was handed the reins at SVT last fall."

"Visceral feedback from all driver inputs will be greatly increased; differentiated, yet well harmonized."

"We won't hesitate to have you do a driving comparison against IRS-suspended competitors."

and cost had nothing to do with it at all......
I believe I said keeps the cost down? As a matter of fact almost positive that I did, go back and check.

You'd think they'd offer at least ONE Mustang with IRS.


I agree somewhat as when they first started talking about the next SVT it was suppose to be a refined BMW type high class coupe, now it's a mean street machine to me a big difference. With all the nitches that Ford uses the mustang to fill I thought they should've gone ahead with a refined SVT with a great engine and IRS, and brought back the Shelby as a completely different entity.

The 1999 Ford SVT Mustang Cobra had IRS. The new Mustang GT rides and handles much better than that car though.

As I said before...

The following is from Motor Trend May 2005 pages 54, 55, and 56:

"Hau Tai-Tang, the 2005 Mustang's chief program engineer, was handed the reins at SVT last fall."

"Visceral feedback from all driver inputs will be greatly increased; differentiated, yet well harmonized."

"We won't hesitate to have you do a driving comparison against IRS-suspended competitors."
I was talking about the new model. A live axle only works in a world where all cornered roads are perfectly flat and perfectly cambered. Otherwise IRS has more potential.

my point is, they all go on about how the re-instatement of a live axle was primarily because customers wanted it.
whilst this is probably true (which probably says a lot about mustang drivers...) i'm pretty sure Ford jumped at the chance to be able to sell a car that would cost less to make for pretty much the same as the one that cost more to make.

my point is, they all go on about how the re-instatement of a live axle was primarily because customers wanted it.
whilst this is probably true (which probably says a lot about mustang drivers...) i'm pretty sure Ford jumped at the chance to be able to sell a car that would cost less to make for pretty much the same as the one that cost more to make.


Yep and a sweet job they did.

my point is, they all go on about how the re-instatement of a live axle was primarily because customers wanted it.
whilst this is probably true (which probably says a lot about mustang drivers...) i'm pretty sure Ford jumped at the chance to be able to sell a car that would cost less to make for pretty much the same as the one that cost more to make.

As good handling and MUCH better launching. They were talking about offering an option, live or IRS, but my guess is the IRS didn't have any advantage handling wise(besides over bumpy pavement), and the solid certainly had the advantage at the strip. Why would anyone want the IRS? That was always a big turn-off for me for the past few cobras.
It looks like a very nice car and I think it'll suprise a few people.

Even with the live axle, I think the car will handle very well for being close to 4000 pounds. Car and Driver estimated it to pulling .94 g when it hits the streets. We won't know for sure until someone actually tests one, but I feel that number will be accurate. So not only will this "rustang" ass rape just about everything thats thrown at it acceleration wise, the ole "but I'd smoke you in the twistys yo" counter by ricers is going to be put to bed. And if it takes to mods as well as the 03+ Cobras, oh boy...

not gonna happen.
a magazine tested the 05 stang GT vs 05 RSX type S vs 05 miata turbo vs one other car which i forgot
the mustang was hands down the worst handling car there. and .94G? ill believe it when i see it

independent suspension has absolutely no downside to it. the only reason that drag cars dont use it is because they dont need it! they dont need to handle well driving straight all the time, and so they just put the cheapest most direct system on their car

the cobra had independent suspension because ford realized that some people were going to use it for racing besides drag. thats all.
but still the 00 cobra was tested vs a 03 lotus elise with a 200hp 1.8L honda vtec motor(bone stock)
and the elise SPANKED the cobra in handling, braking, and 1/4 mile.
and this was with IRS. live axle will be WORSE.

not gonna happen.
a magazine tested the 05 stang GT vs 05 RSX type S vs 05 miata turbo vs one other car which i forgot
the mustang was hands down the worst handling car there. and .94G? ill believe it when i see it

independent suspension has absolutely no downside to it. the only reason that drag cars dont use it is because they dont need it! they dont need to handle well driving straight all the time, and so they just put the cheapest most direct system on their car

the cobra had independent suspension because ford realized that some people were going to use it for racing besides drag. thats all.
but still the 00 cobra was tested vs a 03 lotus elise with a 200hp 1.8L honda vtec motor(bone stock)
and the elise SPANKED the cobra in handling, braking, and 1/4 mile.
and this was with IRS. live axle will be WORSE.


Saw that article and it didn't really spank it though it did win. Pretty cool a carbon fiber car the Elise is sweet. I disagree however on drag racing solid axle is better as IRS has u joints and a solid axle is not only better for launch but much tougher. I would like to see a version with IRS for track though like I said above. This Mustang as well will be alot faster than the Cobra R as well. It will kick ass on most cars out there today.

elise isn't a carbon fibre car.
it's 'plastic' on an aluminium tub.

elise isn't a carbon fibre car.
it's 'plastic' on an aluminium tub.


Ehh, either way still lightwieght and pretty sweet.

not gonna happen.
a magazine tested the 05 stang GT vs 05 RSX type S vs 05 miata turbo vs one other car which i forgot
the mustang was hands down the worst handling car there. and .94G?

What magazine is this? Car and Driver and Motortrend have talked about how well the Mustang handles for a live axel.

independent suspension has absolutely no downside to it.

Can't handle the power like a live rear axel. If you want an IRS to handle tons of power without breaking you're going to pay thousands and thousands of dollars.

the only reason that drag cars dont use it is because they dont need it! they dont need to handle well driving straight all the time, and so they just put the cheapest most direct system on their car

Wrong again. IRS weighs more, can't handle as much power, and is useless for drags. In drags weight is the name of the game and why would I put a heavier rear end in my car if it can't handle the power of a lighter rear end?

IRS is good for all around driving but if you like to go fast in a straight line, it sucks. If you want a state of the art IRS I hope money grows out of your ass.

the cobra had independent suspension because ford realized that some people were going to use it for racing besides drag. thats all.

Uh huh.

but still the 00 cobra was tested vs a 03 lotus elise with a 200hp 1.8L honda vtec motor(bone stock)

There was no '00 Cobra except for the Cobra R. If that was the case it doesn't matter for handling because everything else would of been a joke.

and the elise SPANKED the cobra in handling, braking, and 1/4 mile.
and this was with IRS.

Handling yes and braking but in the 1/4 there's no way in hell if it was the R. If it was a normal '99 though they would of been near the same.

live axle will be WORSE.

I promise you if the '03/'04 Cobra had a live axle it's 1/4 would of been lower. Why? IRS can't get the power to the ground as well.

What magazine is this? Car and Driver and Motortrend have talked about how well the Mustang handles for a live axel.



Can't handle the power like a live rear axel. If you want an IRS to handle tons of power without breaking you're going to pay thousands and thousands of dollars.



Wrong again. IRS weighs more, can't handle as much power, and is useless for drags. In drags weight is the name of the game and why would I put a heavier rear end in my car if it can't handle the power of a lighter rear end?

IRS is good for all around driving but if you like to go fast in a straight line, it sucks. If you want a state of the art IRS I hope money grows out of your ass.



Uh huh.



There was no '00 Cobra except for the Cobra R. If that was the case it doesn't matter for handling because everything else would of been a joke.



Handling yes and braking but in the 1/4 there's no way in hell if it was the R. If it was a normal '99 though they would of been near the same.



I promise you if the '03/'04 Cobra had a live axle it's 1/4 would of been lower. Why? IRS can't get the power to the ground as well.


It was an import car magazine. My buddy had a copy of it.

It was an import car magazine.

That surprises me :rolleyes:

not gonna happen.
a magazine tested the 05 stang GT vs 05 RSX type S vs 05 miata turbo vs one other car which i forgot
the mustang was hands down the worst handling car there. and .94G? ill believe it when i see it

A Mazda Miata is a sports car.

The new Mustang has won four out of the first six races in Grand-Am Cup against Nissan 350Zs, BMW M3s, and Porsche 911s.

http://www.grandamerican.com/

Yeah I heard about the the FR500C winning those races and the new cobra has the same rear end setup as the FR500C. I fail to see how handling will be an issue with this car. What was that about the IRS having no downside? There were tons of people with the 03-04 cobras that put the solid rear end back in because the power they were putting down was breaking the halfshafts. Also the drivetrain isn't the only difference between this car and the GT. The whole interior on the Cobra is leather, that includes the seats console dash and doors from what I have read.

What magazine is this? Car and Driver and Motortrend have talked about how well the Mustang handles for a live axel.

sport compact car


Can't handle the power like a live rear axel. If you want an IRS to handle tons of power without breaking you're going to pay thousands and thousands of dollars.

maybe but a stock cobra? 385 hp 385 ftlb wont break anything


Wrong again. IRS weighs more, can't handle as much power, and is useless for drags. In drags weight is the name of the game and why would I put a heavier rear end in my car if it can't handle the power of a lighter rear end?

sure

IRS is good for all around driving but if you like to go fast in a straight line, it sucks. If you want a state of the art IRS I hope money grows out of your ass.

sorry but i like using my steering wheel


There was no '00 Cobra except for the Cobra R. If that was the case it doesn't matter for handling because everything else would of been a joke.

it was a cobra R
and it was the best handling mustang ever made up to that point

Handling yes and braking but in the 1/4 there's no way in hell if it was the R. If it was a normal '99 though they would of been near the same.

it beat the cobra R by a good .5 sec in 1/4
btw the elise ran i think 12.8? i left the mag at my gf's apt so i cant check it yet

I promise you if the '03/'04 Cobra had a live axle it's 1/4 would of been lower. Why? IRS can't get the power to the ground as well.

not .5 sec lower

Not a chance pulling .94 huh? Well since Car and Driver have been testing cars for what I don't know 50 YEARS, I think they would have a pretty good feel on what the car would do on the skid... Your right slide, we won't really know until it's been put on a track, but with those big , wide tires, I think it will be easily attainable. And by the way, you compared the miata and what and something else and something else I don't remember to a STOCK 05 GT. Well that is fine and good. The plain and simple truth is, the GT500 is going to handle very well for being such a heavy car. And with 450 hp (trust me, underated) I don't think .02 on the skidpad is going to matter much in the overall scheme of things. But hey, you just got to love the RSX interior though...

not .5 sec lower

I really wouldn't be suprised. You ever seen one of those IRS cobras launch(well, try to launch) without suspension mods? those things squat and lean like crazy. So you have to go easy on the launch and possibly have to lift to keep it goin straight, .5 seconds isn't that crazy. People have gained significant numbers just by tweaking the suspension, let alone swapping an axle.

Also the lotus elise is basically a race car. The cobra is not. The cobra has a lot of power, yes, but it still has an interior, AC, power steering, comfy adjustable seats, radio, sound system, etc. Elises are bare bones stripped(I don't think they even have a radio), they're all aluminum and fiberglass/CF, and they cost $10k more than a '03 cobra. Personally, even if the cobra was .5 sec slower, I'd much rather have the cobra.

Also the 05(or 07 GT500 for that matter) is an entirely different chassis, the lincoln LS chassis. So comparisons to any other cobra are pointless.

really... how much does an 03 cobra cost? for that matter how much does the car(00 cobra R) it raced against cost?
the cobra R and elise were chosen because their price was basically the same

and no, live axle wont add .5 sec. no way

when FWD drag cars started using wheelie bars, that didnt even add .5 seconds, and that was with 400+hp lightweight cars.

the cobra R is just as much of a race car as the elise. your telling me that an SVT created cobra that had different parts than almost any other mustang wasnt created to be a race car?
all the options you talk about are just weight, and youd think the 185 hp and 250ftlb advantage would offset this...

The elise ways about 1800 pounds from what I've heard... so yeah, it should carve corners, and have a great power to weight ratio. But it costs nearly 50,000 U.S. to get one. For all that "BRITISH CHARM", you would think that you would get a little civility... Well, if you can deal with a little "my alternator belt is slipping" noise, you can get a pretty bad ass car for under 40k (not including the ginormous mark up). As I understand it, there are plenty of WRX STI and EVO 8 MR people ready to take on the p4p title.

sorry but i like using my steering wheel

I'm with you on that one.

really... how much does an 03 cobra cost? for that matter how much does the car(00 cobra R) it raced against cost?
the cobra R and elise were chosen because their price was basically the same

and no, live axle wont add .5 sec. no way

when FWD drag cars started using wheelie bars, that didnt even add .5 seconds, and that was with 400+hp lightweight cars.

the cobra R is just as much of a race car as the elise. your telling me that an SVT created cobra that had different parts than almost any other mustang wasnt created to be a race car?
all the options you talk about are just weight, and youd think the 185 hp and 250ftlb advantage would offset this...

I thought the thread was about the 2007 cobra? How much power did the cobra R have? I don't think it was over 450, and the 2007 cobra is said to have 460hp. Yes the cobra R is a full out race car and around the same price. Cobra R also used the old chassis. The new chassis is gobs better than the old. I'll bet the 2007 competes very well against a Elise and have many more creature comforts than the elise.

'03 cobra was $33,460 base price.

Wheelie bars on a FWD? Its a fwd, it doesn't belong dragging in the first place. Wheelie bars in a FWD basically are there to try to keep weight transfer to the rear wheels to a minimum. Again, have you ever seen one launch? Its pretty ugly. And there is no doubt that a lot of people who buy a 450+hp rwd car are going to be drag racing it, even if its from stoplights. 60 foot times in drag racing are very important.. if you can't launch the car, you aren't going to run anywhere near what the car is capable of.
No question a live axle belongs in these cars. A small, even negligable difference in handling versus much better drag racing abilities, its a no brainer.

There is a definate advantage to live axles in drag racing. Big dollar, no limits nitro drag cars use a live axle, not because its cheaper. It is very very difficult to engineer a IRS system that will provide good anti-squat and keep the tires straight up and down. On a live axle you don't have to worry about tire angles, and anti squat is very easy to achieve. A decent 4 link or traction bars on leaf springs will do that.
The only IRS I'd be interested in on a car such as the cobra would be a De Dion tube type. Its a blend of independant and live. Basically the wheels are attached to each other with a solid tube, this keeps them straight up and down. The differential is attached to the frame, and half shafts connect the diff to the wheels. With this setup you can put a nice 4 link setup to control the tires, but have less unsprung weight, which is the main advantage of a IRS.

With IRS in a drag car, if the rear end of the car squats or lifts, the camber will change in the rear wheels. Anything other than straight up and down will lessen traction. With 450hp, there is no doubt that the rear of the car will move a good ammount.

I've heard that there will be more high performance Mustangs besides the 2007 Ford Shelby Cobra GT500. Perhaps a lighter GT350 will be made.

how much the camber changes depends on the set-up.
depending on your location points and springs, double wishbones do a good job of keeping the camber pretty much the same over bumps.

Just thought I could set some info straight. The 2000 Cobra R was the best handling mustang ever...when it was produced. It no longer is. The IRS was revised in 03 with stronger half shafts and its got a lot less play in it and dosn't hop as much around corners anymore. The cobra R was a race car though. It had NO AC, NO Radio, a full size spare, side exhaust, a rear differential cooler, brake cooling ducts, NO back seat and the first 6 speed in a mustang. Hell the manual has racing instructions in it. The 03 cobra could run a faster quartermile and was easier to upgrade, it also had a full interior. All in all I think the 03 cobra was a better package seeing how it was priced in the mid 30000 dollar range, while the R was 55000. Anyone who says that IRS is just as good for drag racing, is just plain wrong theres nothing more to it than that. Same thing goes for anyone who assumes that a live axel = bad handling, is also wrong. I have driven an 03 cobra and its awesome, I sat in but wasn't allowed to drive a 2000 Cobra R, I looked at all the manuals and took pictures and everything of me sitting in it, It was cool but kind of sparse for me. I have also sat in the 05 GT (can't test drive it yet because they are all sold from the factory) but just sitting in it is nice. Its a completely different car and is fast already. The new cobra sets new standards and really has no direct competition. I personally think that this is a good thing and that Ford is thinking ahead. People always complain about the "big 3" making the same cars and marketing them directly at each other, I think its great that there is a car thats really different than anything else really out there right now. People looking for a Vette will buy a vette, people looking for a Cobra will buy a cobra, and people looking for a GTO will buy......either a Cobra or a vette haha. So take it for what its worth but the new cobra has an IRS but is not set up for drag racing. This is a well rounded car with massive power, that can easily be upgraded. This is a step forward for the american muscle car.

Also on a side note, I would rather compare other cars to the new cobra or even the 03 cobra than the 2000 Cobra R, that comparison is rediculous. Nobody is really going to buy one because there were only 300 made anyway and they are almost all in collectors hands. You have a better chance running into a skyline in america than getting caught at a redlight next to a 2000 Cobra R in america, haha. If you want to comare a factory mustang thats a striped down race version, compare the new FR500C thats racing in the grand am races. Its pricey but it comes straight off the production line ready for the race with a 440 HP NA 5.0 liter DOHC engine. I am sure there are more produced than the limited 300 Cobra R's in 2000.

I've heard that there will be more high performance Mustangs besides the 2007 Ford Shelby Cobra GT500. Perhaps a lighter GT350 will be made.

Don't know about a GT350, but there will be a Bullit, a Mach 1, and possibly a Boss variant.

I talked to my dad and he knew several guys that raced at a local track while he was in the Air Force. The guys that raced Corvettes kept breaking their IRS rear ends. Why? They COULDN'T HANDLE THE POWER and would break.

The guys though that had live axels couldn't go around the corners as fast but guess what, their rear ends didn't break.

As I said before, if you want a high tech rear end then be prepared to pay. NASCAR uses IRS and the rear ends cost as much as the cars we're talking about. They've very high tech and can handle as much power as most stree live axels.

I thought I'd also throw this in about the Cobra R. Car and Driver or Motortrend test a Cobra R and the thing topped out at 170 in 5th gear. The thing is said to top out at over 200 in 6th but the front end will flip the car over if it goes over 180.

i wish they brought back the 428 cobra jet :frown:

A KR 500 with 7.0 litres of displacement, low compression, with a KB blower... now that would kick the devil in its ass. I'm dreaming right now, but hey... With the Shelby and ZO6, the horsepower wars are in there golden age. Not to mention all the AMG and M series cars that have been made. How could I forget about the 1000 hp Carrera GT's? Or the 2000 hp Vipers? If the have the money to spend, you can have any of these. It's all about what your prefrence is. My two cents...

A KR 500 with 7.0 litres of displacement, low compression, with a KB blower... now that would kick the devil in its ass. I'm dreaming right now, but hey... With the Shelby and ZO6, the horsepower wars are in there golden age. Not to mention all the AMG and M series cars that have been made. How could I forget about the 1000 hp Carrera GT's? Or the 2000 hp Vipers? If the have the money to spend, you can have any of these. It's all about what your prefrence is. My two cents...

That'd be cool. Hey as I said in an earlier post, I didn't think there'd ever be a day when I'd see a NEW Shelby Mustang, or Boss, Mach1 etc. I didn't think they makem look like the originals either. I thought the GTO was dead forever, the 427 Vette would forever be legend, two seat Tbirds an urban legend, and the Charger gone for good. Not only are all those things here now, Chrysler is suppose to be bringing back the Challenger! All is OK with the world, oh wait GM cancelled the rebirth of the Camaro, oh well we're close to OK.

I think a KR Shelby would kick ass!

Don't know about a GT350, but there will be a Bullit, a Mach 1, and possibly a Boss variant.

oh really? I think what we need is a GT350. Just to fill the gap between the Mustang GT and the Shelby GT500. Priced right around 35k, it should have the GT500's design with a 5.0L producing anywhere from 375-400hp.
What are your sources for news on a Bullit and Mach 1?

oh really? I think what we need is a GT350. Just to fill the gap between the Mustang GT and the Shelby GT500. Priced right around 35k, it should have the GT500's design with a 5.0L producing anywhere from 375-400hp.
What are your sources for news on a Bullit and Mach 1?


Motor Trend August 2005. Goes into more detail about the upcoming Bullitt, and briefly talks of a Mach 1. Also says Ford has been talking to the Shinoda family about possibly bringing back the BOSS. I think a GT350 is a good idea as well, I think as you said 5.0 (4.6 stroked) to about 400hp.

Hell I'll jump right on the bandwagon for a car that has 450+Horsepower and 450+Lbs/ft. of torque, espically if its for under $40,000