In the past, $2,500 is all you need to spend for a new standard Ford Mustang Fastback, while at $4,200, you could drive home a new Shelby GT500 with 355 hp. It was very long time ago in 1967.
Today’s generation of the Mustang Shelby GT500 gives you some of a spaceship taste, far different from its ancestor, and this is a radical difference that you can see when they are parked next to each other. Not only in terms of appearance, but power is also much different between the two.
The current car is capable of 760 hp thanks to its supercharged 5.2-liter V8 engine which is the most powerful unit for a production Ford. With such a potent heart, the car can touch 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds and complete the quarter-mile in under 11 seconds.
The model relies on a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission to send its grunt to the rear wheels. Gear changes can be made in 80 milliseconds and the transmission has been designed to be good for both road and track driving. The classic Shelby GT500, meanwhile, packs a 3-speed automatic gearbox and does 50 to 60 mph in first gear. If you’re an expert, you could clear the 1/4 mile with it in 14 seconds at 90 mph.
TFLClassics has checked out the old Shelby GT500 during the new model’s media debut to get to know it more closely. Valued at around $ 110,000, it comes with pretty much no risk to drive. And yes, the organizers, with the help of an experienced driver, did drive the machine to find out what it could do with its old performance. Although the two generations didn’t go head-to-head, it’s still nice to see the two get along so well in a cross-age performance comparison. Watch the video below.