In May of 2007, Ford celebrated a significant anniversary with the launch of the company’s 2008 model Ford Shelby GT500KR at the New York Motor Show. The 2008 model is a celebration of one of the most famous “cult” cars of all time, its name sake that was introduced almost exactly forty years beforehand, and from the Mustang from which it was modeled.
The revival of the Mustang was a step back in history for Ford as was their collaboration with the Shelby Company to produce the car. It begin in the
middle of 1968 with the launch of the Shelby Cobra GT500KR 1968 Shelby GT500. It was Ford who added the Cobra suffix to the Shelby name way back then, and it was the enigmatic founder of the Shelby Car Company, Carrol Shelby that added the letters KR to the end. For those of you who ever wondered what these letters mean, they are simply an abbreviation of the words” King of the Road” That is what Carrol Shelby and his company set out to create together with Ford, a car that was a true king of the road, and that it was it turned out to be, both in 1968 as well as in 2005 when the 2006 model was first relaunched.
Cobra, it goes without saying, refers to the recently developed 540 horse power Cobra Jet supercharged V-8 engine. This is the most powerful standard engine within the Ford stable and its power has been augmented by the company’s Racing Power Upgrade pack providing 510 feet per pound of torque. That kind of engine power will allow the GT500KR to travel from 0-60 miles per hour in exactly four seconds.
All that power is harnessed and delivered to the GT500KR rear wheels by way of Tremec’s model TR6060 six-speed manual transmission through a 3.73:1 rear axle ratio, which is an upgrade from the standard GT500's 3.31:1 ratio. For those who still hanker for the thrust that can only be provided by a manual gear change, the GT500KR provides the Steve McQueen thrill of changing up and down using a the white ball handled short throw gear stick, specially designed for the GT500KR .
The extra tight suspension tuning on the GT500KR was developed as a team effort by Ford Racing and Team Shelby.
Ford and Carrol Shelby will hasten to tell you that the Shelby GT500KR was designed to be a toad car as well as a track car. Eye catching to an extreme, this car will take the breath away from anyone who beholds, and bring back some fond memories of those who remember the first versions of the car when it first hits the roads in the late 1960’s. Today’s model boasts a hood produced in light weight but tough carbon composite, with its own distinctive hood pins and scoops. The associations with the classic 1968 "King of the Road" GT500KR are commemorated by badging, distinctive racing stripes, and seat embroidered with the signature of the master, Carrol Shelby himself.
For those of you want a car with a past as well as a future, the 2008 Ford Shelby GT500KR could well be the car for you. There are 1,000 cars to be produced in total of this model so don’t wait to long to think about it.