The issue of the pronounced clutch that made the former car a less-than-favorable daily driver has been addressed. Ford also attempted to tackle the Shelby's slightly lacking acceleration and poor fuel economy with taller fifth and sixth gear ratios and a lower 3.55 final drive. The changes should improve acceleration in lower gears and add 2 mpg during highway cruising.
Taking another page from the KR's book, Ford enhanced the suspension with new springs and dampers to promote primary body control. To further improve handling and grip, the Shelby GT500 coupes will wear new Goodyear F1 Supercar tires mounted to forged 19-inch wheels. Meanwhile, the upgraded rubber will come standard on 18-inch wheels on the convertible.
The new Shelby GT500 seeks to improve upon its predecessor's lackluster interior with a cabin that is unique and unmistakable. Occupants will know they are in a Shelby by looking at the racing striped seats which are wrapped in real leather with Alcantera inserts. The suede-like material also accents the steering wheel's appearance and makes it easier to grip.
Real aluminum is used for the center steering wheel badge and the dash panels which have a unique texture that was supposedly inspired by clutch plates, braided hoses and cross-drilled racing brake rotors. More stripes can be found on the classic white shift knob whose H-pattern is bisected by two parallel lines that wrap completely around.
Overall the new Shelby GT500 is more functional and refined and offers some of the performance goodies of the $80,000 KR. On the other hand, one attribute we hope the new car will not inherit from the KR is its price. Instead we expect the coupes to retail in the mid $40,000 range and convertibles to start around $50K. Fortunately, if the new car market is anything like its present state when the 2010 Shelby GT500 hits dealerships this spring, dealers that marked up the last generation model will be forced to sell the new car at a price closer to MSRP.
To read more about the 2010 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, go to our 2009 Detroit auto show blogs coverage. All the latest blogs from the Editors of Automobile Magazine can be found HERE. We've got our whole staff wandering the floor at Cobo Hall bringing back live photos and more information about all the new debuts from Detroit.
For complete coverage of the 2009 Detroit auto show, click HERE.