When the first Shelby GT500KR hit showroom floors in 1968, people started to realize that it truly lived up to its name as the King of the Road.  With a worked over 428 Cobra Jet, the classic muscle car produced 335hp and 440ft. lbs. of torque, deeming it virtually untouchable. After setting the standard for the performance car industry in the ’60s, Carroll Shelby knew he had to make a comeback when he noticed the muscle car wars were about to get bigger than ever between the “Big Three” car manufacturers, so he decided to build an all new GT500KR.

Let’s face it. The price tag and dealer mark-up wasn’t the only major turn-off for the 2007 Shelby GT500 Mustang. One of the main reasons it wasn’t as big of a hit as it could have been, is the fact that it weighed just shy of 4,000 lbs. Thankfully this flaw didn’t go unnoticed, as Ford is putting a lot of their concentration toward keeping the GT500KR as light as possible. With the help of a carbon fiber heat-extracting hood, mirror covers, and front splitter, the weight difference will barely be noticeable, but as any hardcore racers will tell you, every single pound makes a difference. Rather than using the 20″ wheels that were seen on the concept, Ford has decided to utilize the same wheel style in 18 inches instead. Road holding will be a breeze since they will be wrapped in Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tires.

The GT500KR will only be sporting minor upgrades over the GT500, including an exhaust system specifically designed for the KR, a short throw shifter with a “Hurst style” white ball knob, special dash plaque, exclusive KR stitching on the headrests, and an all new intake system that, working in harmony with the exhaust, is expected to give 40 extra horsepower alone. With all new suspension, the GT500KR will be sitting approximately one inch lower than the previous GT500, and according to SVT engineers, the car will be capable of consistently maintaining 1.0g lateral acceleration numbers.

If 550hp isn’t enough to satisfy you, you can have your GT500KR shipped to the Shelby facility in Las Vegas and have the custom “Super Snake” package installed. At an estimated $28,000, the Super Snake package will give your car another 200hp, resulting in a total of 750hp. Thinking about buying a GT500 and converting it to a KR with OEM parts? Think again. Ford has decided that GT500KR parts will only be sold for existing KRs. This should definitely benefit any aftermarket company willing to reproduce certain body parts.

Will the GT500KR live up to its hype? That’s for you to decide. Feel free to discuss it in the comments section.

© BWAL09 for Modded Autos, 2008. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Ford, GT500KR, Mustang, Shelby

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