PREVIEW: 2010 SHELBY GT500
This article is from our archives and has not been updated and integrated with our "new" site yet... Even so, it's still awesome - so keep reading!
Published on Fri, Jan 2, 2009
By: The LACar Editorial Staff
TWICE BITTEN
"Working together on the KR, the Ford and Shelby teams developed new systems to
continually improve the iconic Mustang" stated Amy Boylan, president of Shelby
Automobiles. "Those lessons learned are incorporated into the 2010 Shelby GT500.
This approach will help maintain Mustang's leadership position at the front of
the pack and make the ownership experience even more enjoyable."
"The muscle car segment is becoming even more competitive" said Jamal Hameedi,
chief nameplate engineer for SVT. "We need to uphold the Mustang badge with
honor, the Shelby badge with honor and most importantly the Ford badge with
honor. The 2010 GT500 is the car that will do all of that."
The 2010 Shelby GT500 builds off the performance gains pioneered on the special
edition Shelby GT500KR. Horsepower and torque have been increased, while the
ride is more responsive.
Click here to downloadMore horsepower, more refinement, more functionality. The
combination of added horsepower, refinement and functionality makes the 2010
Shelby GT500 a unique high-performance car. The 2010 Shelby GT500 delivers more
horsepower and more torque than the outgoing model, thanks in part to
advancements pioneered on the GT500KR.
The 2010 Shelby GT500 is powered by a supercharged and intercooled 5.4-liter
dual overhead cam V-8 engine expected to produce 540 horsepower and 510
foot-pounds of torque. The redline is 6,250 rpm. The car's aluminum power dome
hood not only adds to the Shelby's appearance, it helps cool the engine through
a hood extractor. The Shelby's open-element air induction system features a
conical air filter instead of a flat-panel closed system to reduce air
restriction. This approach allows more air to be pumped through the engine,
producing more power and increasing the engine's efficiency. A cold-air intake
feeds the coolest air possible directly into the air box, helping further
increase horsepower. The intake necessitated moving the Cobra snake badge to the
other side of the grille to enable maximum airflow.
The twin-disc clutch on the six-speed manual transmission has been significantly
upgraded, improving drivability and NVH. The discs on the 2010 Shelby GT500 are
larger - 250 mm in diameter compared with 215 mm in diameter on the outgoing
model - and made of copper and fiberglass to make them more robust. A unique
component of the twin-disc system is the control of the intermediate disc.
Rather than floating, it instead has six straps that control the engagement of
the clutch, improving drivability.
The 2010 Shelby GT500 offers customers improved straight-line acceleration, plus
fuel savings when cruising on the highway in the top gears. Gears 1-4 remain the
same, but fifth gear changes from .80 to .74 while sixth gear goes from .63 to
.50, meaning that the 2010 Shelby GT500 will turn lower engine RPMs in those
gears and deliver improved fuel efficiency. The new final drive ratio, from 3.31
to 3.55, enables the improved acceleration in lower gears while complementing
the revised fifth and sixth gear ratios.
The Shelby's distinct sounds will be apparent as always, though with new
refinements, thanks to the work of the Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH)
team. A patented resonator placed between the air filter and engine throttle
body helps keep unwanted noise in check. "You still hear the supercharger but
not so that it's intrusive" said Kerry Baldori, chief functional engineer for
SVT. "It's the same with the exhaust. You want people to know you're driving
something special, but you don't want an exhaust note that overpowers the whole
interior. "We spent a lot of time getting the right sound quality out of the
exhaust so you get that nice, crisp Shelby sound outside and a pleasant sound
inside the cabin. It's a nice balance; one isn't overpowering the other."
Driving dynamics also are improved, thanks to SVT's signature chassis tuning as
well as new 19-inch Goodyear F1 Supercar tires and forged aluminum wheels on the
2010 Shelby GT500 coupe and 18s on the convertible. Spring and dampers have been
optimized for better roll control, giving customers more confidence when
braking, accelerating or turning. The new chassis tuning takes its philosophy
from the KR program, with a greater emphasis placed on primary body control. The
team also stiffened the steering shaft.
"All our changes were about making the car to respond as fast and as predictable
as possible" Hameedi said. "The 2010 Shelby GT500 conveys an athletic,
confident feel. The shifter, clutch pedal, brake-pedal efforts and overall
steering efforts are easier now. We wanted to make sure we had a nice, crisp
short-throw shifter that was easy to go from gear to gear."
The Goodyear F1 Supercar 19-inch tires have been upgraded, too. SVT members
developed a "recipe" for the attributes and characteristics they wanted in the
tire, which Goodyear's team of engineers, designers and manufacturers brought to
life. The result is better grip, better handling and better NVH properties,
leading to a better customer experience. The wheels themselves complement the
high-performance nature of the 2010 Shelby GT500. The 19-inch wheels are forged
aluminum wheels milled on both sides. The extra machining process creates
"blade" spokes with very thin, yet strong, cross-sections. The spokes have a
specific curve from the rim to the hub, not only for strength, but also to
accentuate the offset and width of the tires.
The 2010 Shelby GT500 features AdvanceTrac, Ford's stability control system with
several options for performance. The default "on" mode accommodates every-day
driving, and a Sport mode delivers for those wanting to put the Shelby GT500
through its paces on the track. The system also can be turned completely off,
although the anti-lock brake system and other active safety systems remain in
place. Standard safety equipment includes: dual stage front air bags,
side-impact air bags and Ford's Personal Safety System.
Numerous aerodynamic upgrades, including a redesigned splitter, were made to the
front end of the 2010 Shelby GT500. "We worked hard to get as much downforce
with as little drag as possible" Baldori said. "We worked to seal off the air
that comes in the front so it can't go underneath the car. We spent a lot time
sealing components such as the radiator and intercoolor to get rid of all the
leak paths. "The result of this evolution of aerodynamics is we've increased
downforce, reduced drag and improved the overall efficiency of the 2010 Shelby
GT500."
Directing the air so it's used most efficiently was a painstaking process that
ultimately will be rewarding to customers. The design of the front fascia and
the car's "flush" hood helps focus air flow. The top grille focuses air into the
radiator, with a rubber flap inside the engine compartment helping to seal the
system. The lower grille helps cool the intercooler. SVT engineers also went as
far to block off specific diamonds in the front of the 2010 Shelby GT500's
distinctive grille to help maintain the correct cooling and aerodynamic balance.
The 2010 Shelby GT500 is the most-robust design and most-distinctive model of
the new 2010 Mustang lineup. "The design we chose was a 'flush' hood where the
fascia defines the entire front of the vehicle" Hameedi said. "That's very hard
to execute from an engineering standpoint, but it really sets the Shelby off as
very, very different from the base Mustang." "This epitomizes the ultimate
Mustang" added George Saridakis, Exterior Design manager of the Mustang and
Shelby GT500. "It's all about power and expressing power." Saridakis said his
team took a cue from the Shelby AC Cobra 427 with respect to the front grilles,
which are gaping and appear ready to swallow the road.
Another obvious difference for the Shelby is the addition of racing stripes,
which also will now be available on the convertible. "Racing stripes made their
mark on 1960s-era Ford performance vehicles" Hameedi notes. "That's something
we feel is a key part of the Shelby performance DNA - maybe more so than some of
our competition."
The all-new interior of the 2010 Shelby GT500 features genuine leather in all
seats, genuine aluminum on the instrument panel and Alcantara inserts on the
seats. The racing stripe theme is carried through on the seats. The base 2010
Mustang received a powerful new interior design. For the GT500, the interior
design team members challenged themselves to raise the bar even higher to create
the ultimate Shelby Mustang interior. Using genuine materials such as real
leather in all seats, real aluminum on the instrument panel and Alcantara
inserts on the seats and steering wheel gave the appearance a precisely crafted,
jewel-like yet functional feel. "You'll definitely know you're in a Shelby"
said Douglas Gaffka, Chief Designer, Shelby GT500.
The genuine aluminum finish panels have a unique-to-GT500 three-dimensional
dimpled texture pattern inspired by racing clutch plates, braided hoses and
cross-drilled racing brake rotors. The pattern has been painstakingly tuned to
compensate for the compound curvature of the instrument panels. In addition, the
"GT500" logo has been discretely engraved into the aluminum in front of the
passenger as a nod to classic Shelby Mustangs of the 1960s. This unique aluminum
finish panel is fully encapsulated by an exquisite soft seamless TPO
(Thermoplastic Olefin) instrument panel with a shape that resonates with
Mustang's powerful heritage. The center stack flows into the console and
features a sub-flush shifter trim ring, flush cup holder door and lockable
console stowage featuring the word "SHELBY" engraved in its Satin Liquid Chrome
release button.
All 2010 Mustangs and Shelbys feature bright 360-degree rings surrounding the
gauge cluster, uninterrupted by the steering column. These rings will come in
chrome for the Mustang and a Satin Liquid Chrome finish for the GT500. This
finish is featured throughout the interior. An intricate cobra is etched into
the center of the aluminum steering wheel badge. The Shelby Cobra appears at
startup on the navigation screen, and the familiar red "SVT" logo utilizes new
ambient lighting to illuminate the door scuffplate.
"When customers drive this car, they're not only going to be impressed by the
performance and the Shelby heritage, but they're going to see all these
carefully designed details and know they've bought a well-crafted car"
Saridakis said.
Even the classic white shift knob - an icon of Shelby Mustang DNA from years
past - received special attention. First, it had to be the traditional white. It
also had to be specific to the Shelby. The answer was to combine the
racing-stripes theme with the traditional "H" pattern found on shifters to
create a one-of-a-kind knob. Like the exterior, the racing stripes wrap from end
to end, encircling the knob.
2010 GT500 Convertible
The 2010 Shelby GT500 will be in dealer showrooms in spring. The cars will be built at the Auto Alliance International Plant in Flat Rock, Michigan.