Muscle Car of the Week: 2011–2012 Ford Shelby GT500

SHELBY. The name is royalty in automotive circles. A name sinonamous with innovative design and rumbling ballsy motors. The 60's era Shelby Cobra is a dream restoration project for money enthusiasts. For many of the major car brands it is difficult to pick a future classic. With Ford it has always been easy: Mustang plus the deft touch of Shelby.

50 years after their initial collaboration Ford and Shelby are still churning out classics. The 2012 GT500 is no exception. The top dog of modern muscle cars the GT500 is an absolute beast. Its supercharged 5.4 liter V8 engine kicked out 550 horsepower during chassis dyno testing and 510 pound-feet of torque. It hits zero to 60 mph in just 4.4 seconds.

As always the Shelby touch makes it a beauty as well. With 19-inch alloy wheels, racing stripes and iconic cobra decals the 2012 is a looker. If you want to drown out the mean sound of the motor a 10-speaker, 1000-watt sound system is available. But, then again why would you want to drown out that beautiful rumble?

What will your muscle car restoration project be twenty years down the line? What will your kids choose to restore when they take over the garage? Ford/Shelby is always one hell of an option. 

Photo Credit: Rxcars.com