Shelby American, the legendary outfit created by Carroll Shelby that’s responsible for countless historic motorsports victories, talented drivers, and ultra-powerful street-legal machines of all kinds, teased us last month, saying that it had something special in store for the month of December. Now, just in time for Christmas, that something special is the new Ford Shelby GT500KR Mustang, a truly momentous car that also serves as a 60th anniversary tribute to the iconic company.
The Ford Shelby GT500KR Mustang, or the “King of the Road,” as it’s better known, will return to mark this special occasion, as it is one of Shelby’s most famous creations over the last six decades. However, it will be limited to just 60 units for the entire world and reserved for the 2020-2022 model year Ford Mustang Shelby GT500. This is just the third time in history that a Mustang has worn the KR designation, joining the original 1968 and 2008/2009 models.
The biggest upgrade present on the latest GT500KR lies under the hood, where Ford’s 5.2L Predator V8 has been treated to a Shelby by Whipple 3.8L supercharger system, high-volume intercooler, heat exchanger, an open-air intake, and a Shelby by Borla cat-back exhaust system. Shelby says that these upgrades are good enough to bring horsepower up from 760 to over 900, a significant increase of more than 140 ponies.
To get all that power to the ground, Shelby gave the GT500KR a special MagneRide suspension calibration, heavy-duty performance driveshafts, adjustable Shelby springs, Ford Performance sway bars, and caster camber plates. The fortified snake rides on a set of one-piece Shelby 6061-T6 forged aluminum wheels measuring 20×11 inches in the front and 20×11.5 inches in the rear, which are wrapped with Performance spec tires.
In the looks department, the GT500KR stands out thanks to a carbon fiber hood, front splitter, rear diffuser, and Gurney flap, Shelby rocker and body stripes, while other options – including a widebody, painted stripes, and Le Mans-style over-the-top stripes are also available. The cost for all this goodness is $54,995 for those that have a donor 2020-2022 GT500 already or $127,895 including a 2022 GT500 with an MSRP of $72,900.
Source: Ford Authority
