-- Ford's Special Vehicle Team (SVT) delivers a more powerful 2010 Shelby GT500 increased to 540 horsepower, torque increased to 510 foot- pounds, downforce increased and drag reduced
-- New gearbox enhancements, plus a standard 3.55:1 rear axle ratio, mean the 2010 Shelby GT500 will deliver improved acceleration performance, while providing better highway fuel efficiency
-- Aggressive new exterior design features new functional details, such as the hood extractor to remove heat from the engine and "Gurney Flap" spoiler to tune rear downforce; world-class materials and craftsmanship create the most unique GT500 interior yet
-- 2010 Shelby GT500 will be in dealer showrooms in spring
DEARBORN, Mich., Jan. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The new 2010 Ford (NYSE:
F) Shelby GT500 delivers the most power and refinement ever for a Ford
SVT-tuned performance Mustang -- and a few surprises, too.
"The 2010 Shelby GT500 demonstrates Ford's continuing commitment to
high-performance vehicles," said Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president,
Global Product Development. "In addition to the numerous performance and
refinement improvements inside and out, the 2010 Shelby GT500 is an estimated
2 miles per gallon more fuel efficient on the highway."
"We're proud of the many enhancements that were developed jointly by the
Ford and Shelby Automobiles team last year that we've now incorporated into
the new 2010 Shelby GT500," said Carroll Shelby, founder of Shelby
Automobiles. "Building on what we learned to create the Shelby GT500KR, this
new car offers a great combination of power, handling and braking. It is
truly a special car that is a great deal of fun to drive."
Ford's Special Vehicle Team used the gains made on the 40th anniversary
edition Shelby GT500KR "King of the Road" Mustangs as the performance starting
point and built from there. The design team, with a nod to the original Shelby
Cobras from the 1960s, takes those design cues even further with nuanced
improvements in both the coupe and convertible, each of which boasts a more-
refined interior.
"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."
More 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 intercooler 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.
A meaner, reskinned snake ready to take to the streets
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."
Rounding out the Shelby's exterior modifications are the unique signature
coiled Cobra badges on the front grille and front fenders, a more aggressive
front splitter and lower-drag rear spoiler, which added to improved
aerodynamic features. "We wanted the spoiler raked back aggressively to
minimize drag, but we also have an integrated Gurney Flap that provides the
downforce," Saridakis said.
What's inside counts with the 2010 Shelby GT500
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.
Wide suite of standard features on the 2010 Shelby GT500
The 2010 Shelby GT500 includes several Ford innovations and industry-
exclusive standard features, including:
-- SYNC: The voice-activated hands-free in-car communication and
entertainment system developed by Ford and Microsoft. The system
fully integrates most Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones and digital
media players, providing customers hands-free cell phone and music
selection capabilities - plus new 911 Assist and Vehicle Health Report
provided with no monthly fees.
* 911 Assist: When a phone is properly paired, turned on and
connected to SYNC, the system is ready to assist in placing a call
directly to a local 911 emergency operator in the event of an air
bag-deploying accident. The key advantage of SYNC 911 Assist is
speed, as calls are placed directly to local 911 operators.
* Vehicle Health Report (VHR): SYNC gathers relevant information
from the major vehicle control modules and packages diagnostic data
into a usable format in a matter of minutes. That data packet is
sent to Ford via an 800-number automatically dialed using the
customer's paired and operable mobile phone.
-- Ambient Lighting System with MyColor(TM) allows drivers to customize
the interior lighting of the vehicle to suit their mood. The enhanced
MyColor system features seven base colors - ice blue, purple, blue,
orange, red, white and green. Customers also can create 125 custom
colors by mixing the red-green-blue palette.
Available options:
-- Voice-Activated Navigation with SIRIUS Travel Link(TM) is an
industry-leading technology that will provide users with a unique,
information-rich in-car experience. The suite of data services
includes up-to-the-minute real-time traffic data with accident and
incident information for 78 markets, coast-to-coast weather data
including current conditions and five-day forecasts and fuel price
information for more than 120,000 gas stations. SIRIUS Travel Link
also offers sports scores and schedules and a listing of more than
4,500 movie theaters with movie times, theater addresses, movie
synopses and more.
This combination of outstanding performance coupled with a fresh,
exciting, well-crafted interior intensely focused on improving the entire
experience will make the 2010 Shelby GT500 even more sought after, and a
fitting addition to a long and proud history.
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, Mich.
SOURCE Ford Motor Company
