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The Carbon Fiber Revival of the Original Shelby GT500 “King of the Road” Is Here

We first heard about Classic Recreations’ endeavor to bring to life an exact copy of the Shelby GT500 Mustang with a carbon fiber body less than a year ago. Fast forward to the early days of February 2021, and the specialist shop has already developed the first production unit of the 810-hp, 600-pound (272-kg) lighter Shelby GT500CR “Carbon Edition.”
Classic Recreations Shelby GT500CR Carbon Edition 8 photos
Photo: Classic Recreations/Facebook
Classic Recreations Shelby GT500CR Carbon EditionClassic Recreations Shelby GT500CR Carbon EditionClassic Recreations Shelby GT500CR Carbon EditionClassic Recreations Shelby GT500CR Carbon EditionClassic Recreations Shelby GT500CR Carbon EditionClassic Recreations Shelby GT500CR Carbon EditionClassic Recreations Shelby GT500CR Carbon Edition
By the way, Classic Recreations is an officially licensed replica builder of the famous Shelby GT500, so the looks of a pony car that traveled back in time to the late 1960s, taking along with it all of the modern technology of 2021, are by no means a singular incident. Thus, we can even call it as a true heir to the original GT500KR (King of the Road).

Even better, the custom shop promises an initial production run of 25 units, of which just ten are still available. And that’s despite the fact that a Carbon Edition GT500CR is an order of magnitude more expensive than a modern Ford Mustang Shelby GT500.

A comparison between the $72,900 modern reincarnation and the $265k Shelby GT500CR certainly isn’t easy to make, but it’s even harder to fathom a Mustang going for $298k – the cost of the Carbon Edition.

Well, for the money, Classic Recreations and their friends from SpeedKore are offering, with Shelby’s official blessing, an 810-hp vehicle that’s also 600 pounds (272 kg) lighter than stock. By the way, the carbon fiber package is available across a bevy of models, including the GT500CR 900C, 900S, and 545 versions.

Thanks to the partnership with SpeedKore, the CAD designed and engineered carbon fiber panels “are autoclave-cured, creating blemish-free exposed carbon weave alignment panel-to-panel and exact-match replication.”

And that’s not all, because under that carbon fiber body resides a 2.9-liter Whipple supercharged Ford 5.2-liter Aluminator Gen 3 Coyote engine mated to a Ford 10R80 ten-speed automatic. Also worth mentioning are the adjustable Detroit Speed suspension, JRI coilovers, and Wilwood brakes sitting behind those Forgelines.

Moving inside, customers will be greeted by modern amenities such as paddle shifters, an Alcantara headliner, a Kicker audio system powered by the Kenwood infotainment system, as well as ProCar leather seats, among other things.


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About the author: Aurel Niculescu
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Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution.
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