Ford's Shelby Cobra: Monster engine, great looks

Yes, yes, I know the new 550bhp aluminium block GT500 is already making waves Stateside, but ours is still the 540bhp 2010 model, which, if you're familiar with how US motoring calendars work, means it's last year's Shelby.

But you don't hear me complaining, because, well, I've still got 540 horses to play with over two days. And what's 10bhp here or there, apart from an extra few inches added to your burnt rubber tarmac decoration.

King Cobra

Once again, Ford's Special Vehicle Team (SVT) has decked out all the best gear available to it and banked on all the experience gained with the 40th anniversary edition GT500KR to produce a lethal Cobra.

Using the same dual overhead cam 5.4-litre as before, the Shelby GT500 now produces 540bhp at 6,200rpm and 691Nm of torque from 4,500rpm, as opposed to the old GT500 which only managed 500 horses. How? A cold air intake — which necessitated the offset placement of the Cobra badge — and a conical air filter (instead of a flat panel item) plus a few minor tweaks free up the extra ponies, while the stiffer springs and firmer damping get rid of the squat and diveassociated with the old car. More importantly, you'll be delighted to know that the rear differential ratio has also changed from 3.31 to 3.35, giving you faster sprint times — 0-100kph now takes 4.3 seconds, a three-tenths improvement. And, since fifth and sixth gears are longer, fuel economy sees a 2mpg spike.

Still going with a sturdy, but seriously stiff Tremec six-speed, the power slips through an upgraded twin-disc clutch, the pedal needing a fair amount of effort and biting quite high up in its travel. But the gear-changes are on another level; although benefiting from an ultra short shift, moving through the H-gate requires Popeye forearms. This experience only ends up adding to the enjoyment of a brute such as a Shelby GT500, so it's actually a welcome characteristic of the car.

SVT also kindly thought about reducing drag and increasing downforce with a good ol' Gurney flap. The aluminium engine cover meanwhile, or should I say ‘hood', gets a better heat extractor to rid the fiery engine bay of high temperatures.

Unfortunately, so far we're conducting this test the wrong way round as I've given you all the good news first. Because, there is a but.

The but

What the SVT team did was gather around the engine bay and spend all their budget and time over there. So once you walk around the rear and stick your head underneath the massive plastic diffuser, what you'll see is a fat solid axle. While I didn't find the rear suspension set-up particularly pleasing on the standard 2010 V6 and V8 Mustangs, I didn't really have a major problem with the three-link solid axle with coil springs in the Shelby. The new spring and damper settings improve road-holding to the extent that you can actually use the loud pedal through the bends this time, instead of just coasting and then powering on when the corner straightens out. Plus body-roll is kept in check with the stabiliser bars, so the Shelby is actually a proper sports car, not just a straight-line tarmac scorcher.

Naturally, when you're just trying to get home that solid axle ensures you do it with as much discomfort as possible, bobbing about over the slightest of bumps. Light the new 19in Goodyears up though, and you'll be tackling the twisties with a whole heap more confidence than you could in the old GT500. That's when you'll actually forget about the rear axle and just enjoy the rest of the car, which is brilliant, right down to the supercharger whine and macho gear change.

Verdict

I may be hearing shouts of "It's not fair" from the Mopar and Chevy camps, but the truth is the Dodge Challenger and Chevrolet Camaro SS have been seriously hurt by the more-than-100bhp advantage of the Shelby. Yes, it's not fair because this is a factory special boasting force-feeding, though that's why the blue oval will charge you Dh235,000 for the privilege to smoke the competition away from the lights.

Anyway, we'll leave the trio battle for another day, so what we can say right now is that your money certainly won't buy every day practicality if you opt for a Shelby GT500. The noise and harsh ride are enough to scare most punters, but if you consider yourself hardcore, you'll be hard pressed to find 540bhp for this much dosh elsewhere. As a performance special, it's pretty, well, special, but with that rear end and Tremec 'box, the GT500 is still slightly compromised to be taken seriously by the Europeans.

Specs & rating