2011 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500
Somewhere in the quarter mile, Ford executive Greg Johnson underwent a transformation.
In a presentation earlier in the day, he'd sounded pretty much like any exec reading his lines when he'd called it "the latest evolution of the ultimate Mustang."
Now the smile wouldn't leave his face and he kept going: run after run. It was 36 degrees Celsius at Calabogie Motorsports Park near Ottawa and you could smell the sticky Goodyear Eagle F-1 tires barbecuing and hear the exhaust crackling as the engine idled before another run between the cones that simulated a drag strip.
Johnson knew everything there was to know about the 2011 Ford Shelby GT500's new supercharged 5.4-litre aluminum V-8, as Ford's man in charge of North American power trains. Still, until most of the journalists had tired of trying the acceleration runs and he asked if he could take a turn, he'd never experienced the end product in a 4,000-rpm-and-drop-the-clutch sort of way.
They say he was even higher after lapping the Calabogie road circuit. Your reporter can't confirm this personally, having already left for the airport, but solving the riddles of Calabogie's many corners certainly made the case for the new GT500 qualifying as the ultimate Mustang. The previous GT500 could smoke its tires as well because its 540 horsepower was just short of the new car's 550, and its torque was an identical 510 lb-ft, but this GT500 can dance.
In this week's What Car? feature, Jeremy Cato and Michael Vaughan help a reader pick the best muscle car
The new engine weighs 46.3 kg less and this transforms the beast. A cast-iron block from Ford's F-150 pickup truck was the heart and anchor of the old car. This one is derived from the short-lived Ford GT super-car, but with a new process, sprayed coating in place of the original's iron cylinder liners.
Being less nose-heavy, the new GT500 is better-balanced and able to change direction more readily.
Lighter, more powerful engines are reviving every 2011 Mustang model's competitiveness with Chevrolet's Camaro and Dodge's Challenger. The 2010 Mustangs fell short in power, but the 300-horsepower V-6 and 412-hp GT V-8 introduced earlier this year reverse the situation.
It's as though the pony car war is renewed and Ford wants to declare victory in every battle.
One demonstration establishes the Mustang trunk holds five suitcases of assorted sizes, the Camaro only four of the five. Another exercise is intended to show the Mustang manoeuvres around a 90-degree turn more easily with its shorter wheelbase, and that reversing is easier too than in the Camaro with its smaller windows. (Your reporter finds little difference between the two, truth to tell.) Possibly mattering most to many sporty car buyers and beyond all argument: the three Mustangs sound decidedly more evil than the Camaro with their new exhaust systems tuned for max blat.
On track, three laps in each car is hardly sufficient to declare supremacy. Certainly the GT felt friskier than the Camaro SS, which weighs 127 kg heavier. Size and bulk were key factors in Car and Driver magazine declaring the Fords superior in a comparison of V-6 and V-8 models in its June issue.
Along the same lines, some journalists (but not this one) favour the GT over the heavier Shelby GT500. Because the three Mustang models differ so greatly in price and powertrain, supporters for each are in wild disagreement.
The V-6 starts at $22,999, the V-8 $38,499 and the GT500 $58,999. For convertibles, corresponding prices are $31,399, $42,899 and $63,699.
The basic Mustang combines 300 horsepower, a fuel efficiency rating of 10.7 litres/100 km in the city, 6.4 highway, and the value-leader price that is certain to be trumpeted in advertising as the cars go on sale this month.
Even at $26,999, the starting price most Mustang V-6 models will command, plus a $1,350 destination and delivery charge, its combination of attributes are hard to beat. Why pay $10,000-plus more for the GT V-8's increase of 112 horsepower, drivers of a practical nature might ask? Because the GT feels so much better, responding with so much more substance, especially so on the track.
A growing number of enthusiasts are extending their cars and improving their driving in lapping days at circuits like Calabogie. Members of the Greater Toronto Area Mustang Club took their cars on track at Toronto Motorsports Park on May 14, for example, and the Golden Horseshoe Mustang Association has Mosport International Raceway booked for June 14. Porsche, BMW and Saab owners' clubs are other track-day regulars.
In our time on track, a V-6 convertible with the new six-speed automatic impresses as being best restricted to pre-race parade laps (the race drivers seated above the back seats waving to the crowd). Otherwise the milder the driving the better - whatever expectations 300 horsepower inspire. Ford's new automatic has no sports mode. Shifting between the gears is never rapid, let alone aggressive.
A V-6 coupe with a six-speed manual is more fun, but when exiting slower corners the 280 lb-ft of torque at 4,250 rpm feels lame compared to the V-8's 390 lb-ft. For those enthusiasts who care enough to pay for track time, the GT's premium performance will more than justify its premium price.
All three models employ new electrically-assisted steering replacing the long-used hydraulic system. Although steering is said to be more precise, it's not in the same class as that of a Porsche or BMW in feel and feedback, and its main contribution is that little effort is required in parking manoeuvres, while on-track effort is appropriately heavier.
Those picking the GT as the choice of Ford's trio zero in on it being much less expensive than the Shelby GT500 - and nearly as fast as a result of being lighter and better balanced front to rear.
The 2011 GT weighs in at 1,624 kg, the 2011 Shelby GT500 1,740 kg. Our three laps around Calabogie suggest the Shelby's advantages in power and torque more than compensate for the difference in bulk. The Camaro SS, incidentally, is heavier than the GT500 by 11 kg.
The supercharged V-8 generates at least 80 per cent of its maximum torque (510 lb-ft) all the way from 1,750 rpm to 6,250 rpm, rendering car control via your right foot a natural initiative and sweetly rewarding. The new six-speed manual shared by the V-6 and GT V-8 may be slicker in operation than is the GT500's holdover six-speed, but this is of little import when available torque makes fast shifting irrelevant.
In this week's What Car? feature, Jeremy Cato and Michael Vaughan help a reader pick the best muscle car
The Shelby GT500s we drove were fitted with $2,000 SVT TrackPack option packages including Goodyear Eagle F-1 tires (265/40 front, 285/35 rear) mounted on lightweight wheels (19 inches front, 20 rear), stiffer springs and a lower ride height. Verdict: a large gain in performance for the price.
Easily topping $60,000 with options and destination charges, the ultimate Mustang is in the same league as a Porsche Boxster or Mercedes-Benz SLK in price if not character. As the class of today's pony car field, though, the Shelby GT500 certainly justifies the price.
globedrive@globeandmail.com
2011 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500
TYPE: Two-door sports car
PRICE: coupe $58,999; convertible $63,699
ENGINE: 5.4-litre supercharged V-8
HORSEPOWER/TORQUE: 550 hp/510 lb-ft
TRANSMISSION: Six-speed manual
DRIVE: Rear-wheel-drive
FUEL ECONOMY (litres/100 km): 14.4 city/8.7 highway; premium gas
ALTERNATIVES: Chevrolet Corvette, Porsche Boxster S, Mercedes SLK 55 AMG, Dodge Challenger SRT8, Chevrolet Camaro SS