Shelby GT500KR: The 900 HP King of the Road Celebrates the Company's 60 Years of Existance

The 1967 Shelby GT 500 was the first model built in the Shelby GT 500 range and was based on the 1967 Mustang and equipped with a 7.0-liter Police-Interceptor V8 powerplant. It produced 355 hp and 420 lb-ft (569 Nm) of torque. One year later, in 1968, Ford began utilizing a more potent version of the aforementioned 7.0-liter powerhouse, with a unique, 16-bolt pattern exhaust face, naming it "The Cobra Jet." Consequently, the Cobra GT500 KR was born, with the initials "KR" standing for "King of the Road." Only 1200 units were ever built in its less than one-year production run.

The second iteration of the GT500KR nameplate came many years later, first revealed in 2007, at the New York International Auto Show, for the 2008 model year. It featured a modular supercharged and intercooler version of the GT500 V8 engine, in this configuration producing 547 hp and 510 lb-ft (691 Nm) of torque. The model continues to be a rare sight on the road having a production run of about 1700 units.

The big surprise for enthusiasts came recently when Shelby American announced the return of one of their most famous vehicles, the Ford Shelby GT500KR Mustang, in honor of the company's 60th anniversary next year. The third reincarnation of this icon will either be sold as a standalone model or a post-title upgrade package for the 2020-2022 Shelby GT500. The main caveat is that the vehicle will be produced in extremely limited numbers.

The vehicle will become their most powerful ever production model, the 2022 Shelby GT500KR Mustang getting its muscle from a heavily tuned version of the GT500's 5.2-liter V8 and developing a whopping 900 hp, thanks to a 3.8-liter Whipple supercharger. Other engineering advancements include the addition of a high-volume supercharger intercooler and heat exchanger, an upgraded cold air intake, uprated half-shafts, and, not least, a Borla exhaust system.

The chassis and suspension setups are not forgotten, the new GT500KR getting height-adjustable front and rear springs, upgraded sway bars, and a recalibrated MagneRide suspension system. The vehicle sits proudly on a pair of Shelby one-piece 6061-T6 forged aluminum wheels, measuring 20x11 inches up front and 20x11.5 inches at the rear, enveloped by high-performance rubber.

Exterior improvements include a fully-functional lightweight dry carbon fiber hood, working wonders cooling the supercharged engine bay, a pair of side vents pulling heat off the exhaust manifold. Additional carbon fiber is utilized on the redesigned front splitter, gurney flap, and rear diffuser. There will also be a lot of 60th anniversary badging, but that will be reserved only for the 2022 models. Optionally, buyers will be able to opt for an even more aggressive widebody kit, a polished supercharger, painted stripes, and even a rear seat delete.

Although past iterations of the Shelby GT500KR were produced in four-figure numbers, the 2022 "King of the Road" will be even more limited than that. Shelby plans to offer only 60 upgrade packages worldwide for existing models at a starting price of $54,995. Furthermore, only 225 GT500KR's will be built for the 2022 year, starting from $127,895, a price that takes into consideration the only base GT500 configuration.

In other words, playing with the options list can get even more expensive than that, but for the right buyers, these numbers are entirely worth it. Remember, we are talking about driving a limited edition vehicle called "King of the Road" here, so deep pockets are expected for this unique muscle car to be parked up to your driveway.

The first production car will be auctioned on the 29th of January at an event held by the Barrett-Jackson Auction Company in Scottsdale. Proceeds from this event will be benefiting the Carroll Shelby Foundation and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund (JDRF). After that, the company will open its order book starting from February.