Ford officials are over the moon with early sales of the 2011 Ford Shelby GT500, and with 3,300 units already ordered, they feel certain will outstrip the full run of 5,500, making the 2011 version an instant collectors item.
The 2011 Shelby GT500 with the SVT Performance Package makes its public debut at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show.
|
“We are pleased with the pace of retail orders for the 2011 Shelby GT500,” said Fritz Wilke, Mustang brand manager. “The car continues to be popular with sports car enthusiasts and collectors who are blown away by the increase in horsepower and performance. The limited production of the 2011 should make this year even more desirable.”
The GT500 boasts a new aluminum-block supercharged 5.4-liter V-8, which produces 550 horsepower and 510 lb.-ft. of torque, 10 horses more than the 2010 model. What’s more, the engine is 102 pounds lighter, delivering a better power-to-weight ratio, improved fuel economy, acceleration, handling and steering precision.
The new 2011 Ford Shelby GT500's aluminum block engine.
|
As you have seen here before, the new engine uses a state-of-the-art Plasma Transferred Wire Arc (PTWA) liner coating, a process that applies a 150-micron composite coating that contains nanoparticles on the internal surfaces of engine cylinder bores, replacing cast-iron liners typically used in aluminum engine blocks. The Intellectual Property Owners Education Foundation honored the inventors of the Ford-patented PTWA technology with the 2009 National Inventor of the Year Award.
Order numbers suggest buyers appreciate the GT500’s performance on and off the track, as well as its many features, like the new 2.75-inch exhaust system, revised brake cooling and pedal box construction for more consistent brake pedal efforts and feel, and electric power-assisted steering (EPAS). SVT worked hard to make EPAS better than the outgoing hydraulic steering system, with improved torque build-up and road feel.
An optional SVT Performance Package highlights the new 2011 Ford Shelby GT500; available on both coupe and convertible models; making it racetrack ready.
|
New for 2011 is an optional glass roof, providing customers with yet another open-air option that does not compromise the coupe’s versatility, headroom or climate-controlled environment. Is the new lid popular? Three times more 2011 GT500s have been ordered with the glass roof compared to the base Mustang.
Interior options have proven popular, too, with almost 70 per cent of the GT500s ordered with the Electronics Package, which includes voice-activated navigation, Sirius Travel Link, HD Radio and dual-zone electronic automatic temperature control.
The new 2011 Ford Shelby GT500 delivers an all-new aluminum block engine, even better driving dynamics and handling, improved fuel economy and better horsepower than ever before.
|
The new SVT Performance Package is also proving to be a popular option, with just over 68 per cent of coupe orders selecting this all-new option, developed to provide track performance. SVT engineers worked directly with Goodyear to develop all-new Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperCar G: 2 tires that give this already great handling car supercar grip and control levels.
The optional package also offers unique styling, staggered lighter wheels with 19-inch fronts and 20-inch rears, a numerically higher rear axle ratio, stiffer springs and dampers, and a lowered ride height. The SVT Performance Package is available on both the coupe and convertible.
Other standard items new for 2011 include high-intensity discharge headlamps, MyKey programmable vehicle key, integrated spotter mirror and fold-down rear headrests. Base prices hover around $50,000, but that’s been no deterrent so far, and doesn’t look like it will impede the sale of the remaining 2,200 2011 models available.
Comments and Discussion
