truth about domestics

Check out this cool little review (and listen to the awesome sounds) of the new 2011 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 as it tears up some curves.

The German tuner, Geiger Cars, seems to be fascinated with American muscle cars.  Karl Geiger just can’t seem to get enough of them…and speed…and power for that matter.  His latest project involves the Shelby GT500.  The GT500 Ford Mustang already comes from the factory with 540 horsepower but that wasn’t enough, so changes were made.  What kind of changes you might be wondering?  Well, how about a larger Whipple supercharger, larger throttle valves, upgraded fuel injection system and ported cylinder heads.  Some modest suspension tweaks were made as well.  What does all of that get you?  How about 799 horsepower and 697 pound feet of torque.  Yowza!  Geiger predicts a top speed of somewhere around 220 miles per hour.  For more details, head on over to Autoblog.

(Image source: Geiger Cars via Autoblog)

I just had the chance to see the 2011 Ford Shelby Mustang GT500 up close and personal at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show and let me tell you, it is quite an impressive update!  The 2010 GT500 was a substantial body and interior upgrade and the 2011 provides a reworked powertrain.  For more photos from the show, head on over to our gallery!

The 2011 GT500 packs a 550 horsepower aluminum block V8 and new 2.75 inch exhaust that give it the sweet sound you hear in the videos above.  Now all I need to do is find a doctor who will help me sell that spare kidney I have been carrying around all these years…

One of the biggest complaints about the Shelby Mustang GT500 is the weight: the car packs too much and a large portion of that is over the nose.  Well to rectify this issue, Ford’s Special Vehicle Team switched from an iron block to an aluminum one for 2011 and the result is a loss of over 120 pounds!  There are some other goodies added in like a Performance Package.  For all of the details and some great photos, head on over to Autoblog.

(Image source: Ford)

News about the 2011 Mustang GT500 has begun to leak out from all corners of the internet and the news is sounding more and more sweet.  First came news that the ’11 GT500 would feature an aluminum block.  Then came word that a glass roof would be an option.  Now we have rumors spreading that the car will feature 10 more horsepower than the 2010 model, bringing the total up to 550.  There is also an SVT Performance Package available that offers up a 3.73 rear gear ratio, 19″ and 20″ front and rear wheels respectively, and special stripes.  For more details, as well as a teaser video, head on over to Autoblog.

According to Ford’s Chief Engineer for the 5.0L and 6.2L V8′s, Mike Harrison, the 2011 Shelby GT500 will not get a twin-turbo version of the 5.0L Coyote engine.  The complexity associated with mounting turbos in an already cramped engine bay were too great and far too costly for such a low volume model.  Instead, the current rumors floating on the internet say the 2011 Shelby will finally be getting an all aluminum version of the 5.4L supercharged V8 that it currently has.  For more details, head on over to Autoblog and as always, stay tuned for the latest information.

(Image source: Ford)

Car and Driver gets to have all the fun!  In the video above they take the 2010 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 and the 2010 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport out on the track to see which is the superior sports car.  The results?  You’ll just have to watch and see!  Or you can head on over to Car and Driver if you feel like reading about the comparison instead.

The video above is a pretty funny piece of work.  I have always loved the old Godzilla movies and this video does them well, including the terrible voice-dubbing.  It’s an instant classic, even if the GT500 does lose to the GT-R.  I mean, how can you compete with a computer controlled car?

(Video source: Motor Trend)

Jalopnik has had the opportunity to test the 2010 Shelby GT500 and their overall impression is a pretty good one.  I do have one gripe, and that is how they bashed the cars’ interior.  They said it had cheap plastics, a cheesy cue ball shifter and the aluminum on the instrument panel was tacky.  Really?  When the new Mustang was revealed for 2010 everyone loved how much the interior had improved, but apparently it’s not good enough anymore.  I happen to find the GT500 interior to be very sharp and it’s good to see Ford putting higher quality materials in their cars and not being afraid to try new things.

(Image source: Ford)