Autoblog

Shelby boosts production of 575-hp Raptor on early demand

Michael Harley — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 08:45:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Performance, Truck, Ford, Off-Road

Shelby American unveiled its all-new Shelby Raptor at the New York Auto Show last month, saying that it would build just 100 examples of its off-road bad boy, a pickup priced at $17,995 over the cost of the donor Ford F-150 SVT Raptor. But the Las Vegas outfit apparently underestimated just how popular the supercharged 575-horsepower 4x4 would actually be.

Strong early demand reportedly has Shelby singing a whole new tune, as the company is now saying it will build upwards of 500 units annually. While the increased production will likely make for at least 400 more happy owners, those who were on the original short list - possibly speculating on future values - might not be grinning as much. Needless to say, the company has assured everyone that each and every one of the modified Raptors will still be listed in the official Shelby registry.

Keep in mind that Ford isn't sitting idle on its trophy-truck-for-the-street, either. The company will reveal its own 2014 F-150 SVT Raptor Special Edition this month.

Shelby boosts production of 575-hp Raptor on early demand originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Apr 2013 08:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shelby Raptor is a 575-horsepower off-road goliath

Jeffrey N. Ross — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, New York Auto Show, Performance, Truck, Ford, Off-Road

Shelby American has definitely proven itself when it comes to tuning the Ford Mustang - look no further than its new 1,200-horsepower Shelby 1000 - but now the Las Vegas tuner has turned to the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor.

The big change for this already high-performance off-road pickup is the addition of a supercharger atop Ford's 6.2-liter V8, with spent gasses exiting through a Borla exhaust system. This improves the horsepower rating from a stock rating of 411 up to a shenanigan-ready 575. For a Shelby, the styling of this F-150 is very toned down, with only the company's name etched into the Raptor's digital mud to go along with custom wheels wrapped in 35-inch tires.

The company is only planning to build 100 of the Shelby Raptors per year, with pricing set at $17,995 on top of the stock donor Ford, which starts at $43,630. Scroll down for the official press release.

Continue reading Shelby Raptor is a 575-horsepower off-road goliath

Shelby Raptor is a 575-horsepower off-road goliath originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 Mar 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Carroll Shelby passes away at age 89

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 11 May 2012 15:48:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Performance, Celebrities, Racing

Carroll Shelby has passed away at the age of 89. The legendary tuner and proprietor of the famous marque that bears his name had been in the hospital for several weeks, suffering from pneumonia. Shelby addressed his fans fourteen days before his death, saying that he was resting comfortably and being taken care of by his children.

Anyone familiar in the least with automotive history is well aware of Shelby's vast vehicular exploits, so we'll just touch on them here. Carroll was a successful race car driver in the 1950s before creating his own racing team to take on the likes of Ferrari, using Ford-powered sportscar called the Cobra. Suffice it to say, Shelby and his Cobra were extremely successful. Later, Shelby's name would become synonymous with the fastest and most powerful Ford Mustang models ever created.

Shelby is survived by his three children Patrick, Michael and Sharon, his sister Anne Shelby Ellison of Fort Worth and his wife Cleo. An official press release can be found below.

Continue reading Carroll Shelby passes away at age 89

Carroll Shelby passes away at age 89 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 May 2012 15:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ailing Carroll Shelby addresses health on Facebook

Jeff Sabatini — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 17:29:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Etc., Celebrities

A few members of the Autoblog team have been grappling with the issue of our ages recently. Yes, some of us are feeling old. Given that a primary motivation for getting into this automotive journalism racket in the first place was a desire to avoid growing up by spending our whole lives playing with cars, it is frustrating to find out that having Peter Pan Syndrome does not prevent man from turning 40.

So how's this for some much needed perspective: Carroll Shelby will be 90 in January.

His exploits on the track made him an American hero and his success as a car designer and businessman only reinforced his status as one of the great ones. But it's no secret that the octogenarian racer and legend has not been in the best health lately. It's the sort of thing you have to expect when you start pushing nine decades on this planet, especially when you have lived the sort of life that Carroll Shelby has, pushing the limits in a way that most of us will never experience. He's even got his fair share of aftermarket parts, having had both heart and kidney transplants.

Shelby shared this message concerning his health on Facebook yesterday:

There have been some rumors about my health lately. So I wanted to clear them up.

I've been in the hospital over the last several months with pneumonia. But I'm resting comfortably with my family and working on getting better. My kids are taking good care of me.

I am sorry that I can't make any appearances right now. If you want someone from Shelby at an event in my place, contact Scott Black at TimePiece PR in Dallas. He'll give those requests to my team, who will determine the right person to represent me.

I also have asked them to post on my behalf to keep you up to date.

Thanks for the all good wishes and thoughts.

Here's another: Let's hope he has a great party on January 11, 2013.

Ailing Carroll Shelby addresses health on Facebook originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shelby sued over non-payment of GT500KR hoods, true price of parts revealed?

Drew Phillips — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 10:29:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Government/Legal

2008 Ford Shelby GT500KR - Click above for high-res image gallery

Shelby, whether good or bad, has a knack for staying in the news. Unfortunately, the latest item to come across our desks is not about an upcoming variant of the Ford Mustang, but rather a lawsuit involving the limited-edition GT500KR built in 2008. According to papers filed in Vermont, Plasan Carbon Composites, the maker of the carbon fiber parts on the car including the hood, front spoiler, and mirror covers, is suing Shelby for non-payment of the components as well as a bonus promised by Shelby if the parts were delivered on time.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the story is that the lawsuit reveals the cost of the carbon fiber parts. Remember that whole fiasco in which Shelby was charging nearly $18,400 for a replacement hood? According to one of the documents in the lawsuit, a set of 200 carbon fiber components costs $760,000. Do the math, and that's just $3,800 for all the carbon fiber parts on the car. But straight division doesn't work here.

As we learned when Shelby announced it would drop the price of the carbon fiber hood to $9,700 (dealer cost), it's not about the exact end cost of the components, it's about the development and testing. The GT500KR is the first U.S. production vehicle to get a full carbon fiber hood and the amount of energy, resources and testing involved in bringing it to market far outweighs basic production costs. Making the hood - along with the other assorted tidbits - involves all the extensive OEM-level, Tier One testing that every automaker has to endure to meet federal crash standards. In short, it's not cheap and the price reflects that.

Complicated math and pricing aside, Jim Owens, Shelby's Vice President of Marketing and Communications, told us that Shelby has already paid Plasan over $8 million and that the lawyers are hashing out the details as you read this. Expect an update in the coming months.

Gallery: 2008 Ford Shelby GT500KR

Photos by Drew Phillips / Copyright (C)2009 Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: MustangHeaven.com]

Shelby sued over non-payment of GT500KR hoods, true price of parts revealed? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Jan 2010 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shelby unveils F-150 Super Snake Concept, turbocharged Mustang package

Drew Phillips — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:57:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Coupe, Performance, Truck, Ford

Shelby F150 Super Snake Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

We figured that anything and everything automotive in Las Vegas would be over at the convention center for SEMA all week, but apparently, we were wrong. Amidst the introductions of custom cars and aftermarket parts, Shelby Automobiles introduced two new vehicles at its Las Vegas facility.

The first is the F150 Super Snake Concept. Built as a pickup version of the potent GT500 Super Snake, the truck version has similar features including a Whipple supercharger system, Borla exhaust system, 22-inch wheels and tires, six-piston brakes, custom Shelby bodywork, and Shelby embroidery inside. Even though it is labeled as a concept, Shelby is offering the package to F150 owners who can get the parts installed only at Shelby's headquarters.

The second car is a (you guessed it) Mustang that features Shelby's new turbo package that can be installed post-title on any 2005-2009 GT at any of the company's mod shops around the country. Using a Turbonetics single-turbo system, Shelby has increased the output of the Mustang's 4.6-liter V8 to by nearly double to 550 horsepower. A variety of other components come with the package as well including a short-throw shifter, Borla exhaust, Shelby grille, 18-inch wheels and more. Other items like Baer six-piston brakes, Eibach suspension system, eight-point roll cage, and the Shelby GT-H hood are optional.

Learn more about each of the cars after the jump.

Gallery: Shelby F150 Super Snake Concept

Gallery: Shelby Turbocharged Mustang

[Source: Shelby Automobiles]

Continue reading Shelby unveils F-150 Super Snake Concept, turbocharged Mustang package

Shelby unveils F-150 Super Snake Concept, turbocharged Mustang package originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Grown-ups want a pony, too: Shelby GT details, photos

Alex Nunez — Sun, 13 Aug 2006 15:55:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Ford

With the release of Bold Moves Episode 9, Ford has officially launched the new Shelby GT Mustang. As we'd already reported, the Shelby GT is essentially a retail version of the rental-only Shelby GT-H. In some ways, it's more appealing, though. For one thing, it can be had with a five-speed manual that appears in the form of a classic Hurst cueball-topped shifter.

The Shelby GT begins life as an ordinary Mustang GT which is then shipped off to Shelby Automobiles in Las Vegas for transformation into a 325-horsepower snake. Its soul comes largely from Ford Racing performance parts. First up: the Ford Racing Handling pack, which drops the car and gives it more athletic suspension settings. To accent the changes, all the important suspension bits are painted Ford Racing Blue.

The Ford Racing Power Pack improves on the stock 4.6L V8 by adding a new cold-air intake, performance-oriented engine recalibration, a freer-flowing, better-sounding exhaust, and a shorter rear axle ratio. The aforementioned short-throw Hurst is also included if the car's equipped with the standard tranny. Power numbers rise to 325-hp and 330 lb-ft of torque.

Outside, cars are painted either Performance White or Black and receive silver LeMans striping. Lower side accent stripes with "Shelby GT" markings also appear in the transformation. GT-H-style front and rear fascias are installed and centered Shelby badging is added to the trunklid (this looks better than the offset "SHELBY" on the GT500). Unlike the GT-H, the Shelby GT does not include the rear declkid spoiler -- a change for the better, in our opinion. The stock Mustang GT badge stays in its familiar spot on the front quarter panels, and 18" chromed "Bullitt"-style rims reside in the wells. Finally, hood pins and a Cobra-style scoop are added to complete the visual upgrades. (This is another area where the Shelby GT differs from the GT-H, which wears a Shelby Performance hood).

The interior is highly reminiscent of the Hertz car, with its prominent dash and branded sill plates. Shelby GT floor mats and the Hurst (on 5-speed-equipped cars) complete the look. The number on the dash plate matches the one found on a similar plate in the engine bay.

Still no word on pricing, which will slot in somewhere between the Mustang GT and Shelby GT500. Whatever the cost, we certainly like the appearance of the new Shelby, and expect that it should be as fun to drive as it looks.

Author's Note: The standard transmission was erroneously referred to as a six-speed in the original post. The error has been corrected. The Shelby GT is available with a five-speed manual transmission.

(Hi-res photo gallery, press release after the jump)

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Grown-ups want a pony, too: Shelby GT details, photos

Grown-ups want a pony, too: Shelby GT details, photos originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 13 Aug 2006 15:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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