Vehicle Description
In the world of Mustangs, few are as legendary as the Shelby
GT500KR. Everyone knows that KR stands for "King of the Road" which
was Shelby's way of stealing GM's thunder, as they were planning a
Camaro with just such a name. So when the new Shelby GT500 debuted,
it was only a matter of time before the KR showed up once again.
With just 1000 built in 2008, they're a guaranteed collectable now
and in the future.
The KR package added a few styling cues that are instantly
recognizable, including the twin-snorkel hood that reaches almost
to the nose of the car. It's rumored that this hood alone costs
$20,000 to replace, but that's understandable since it's 100%
carbon-fiber and includes trick twist-lock hood pins. It also helps
explain the KR's staggering $120,000 original sticker price, making
this one some kind of insane bargain at half the price. With just
18,785 original miles, it's definitely in collector-grade
condition, used just enough to keep it healthy but obviously never
used as a daily driver or even in inclement weather. The paint is
slick silver and even with the traditional blue stripes on this
particular KR, it keeps a relatively low profile, sneaking under
the radar until you drop the hammer. A few subtle badges remind
everyone that this is something special, but for many, the fact
that it's fast, exclusive, and doesn't advertise makes it the
perfect Q-ship for high-speed travel.
The interior is pretty much like any GT500, which is a retro-themed
cockpit that's built for performance. Black leather buckets do a
good impression of the 1967 Shelby's chairs, albeit with a lot more
bolstering. A fat leather steering wheel, comprehensive
instrumentation, and nostalgic accents mean that it neatly
straddles yesterday and today without looking like it's trying too
hard. Shelby adds their own badging, with the most important being
the serial number plate between the center A/C vents (this is
#247). All of the Mustang's options were standard on the KR,
including power windows, locks, seats, A/C, a trip computer, and a
powerful AM/FM/CD stereo with in-dash CD changer. A big, fat white
cue-ball knob for the 6-speed manual is another retro feature
that's been neatly updated for the 21st century and it works even
better than the old Toploaders of yore. There's a neatly finished
trunk that's probably never been used, and I expect it'll stay that
way because baggage adds ballast.
The heart of the KR is an upgraded 5.4 liter supercharged V8. With
an extra 40 horsepower, it sat neatly at the top of the Shelby food
chain. It's still built by the guys at SVT who put their personal
signature on each engine they build, but thanks to a bigger
exhaust, a cold air intake kit, and a few performance calibrations
from Pro-Cal Performance it's an entirely different animal,
registering out at 697HP at the flywheel. The suspension is
augmented with unique spring rates, dampers, stabilizer bars, and
strut tower brace, and the result was so good, it became the
foundation of the next-generation GT500. The undercarriage is
highly detailed and almost like new, so you know it's never seen
inclement weather, and those giant brakes look fantastic behind
those trick forged Alcoa aluminum wheels (extra set included with
the sale!). Those shiny Alcoa's are wrapped in staggered 255/40/18
front and 285/40/18 rear Goodyear Eagle F1s.
Future collectors take note: limited-edition Shelby Mustangs with
big horsepower will always be in demand. This one's available at
half the original price, but surely that's only a temporary
situation. Documented with all of its original manuals and an
original window sticker, this is the one to have. Call today!
