The Shelby Series 2 Coupe Has Been Resurrected, Can Be Specced With the Godzilla V8

The Series 1 Coupe was this high-performance roadster, this exclusive automobile that saw the light of day back in 1998 to celebrate Carroll Shelby's vision. Designed by Shelby himself, the only car ever conceived by him from a clean sheet of paper, and produced by Shelby American, the car was unveiled in the fall of 1997 at the Los Angeles Auto Show, at a time when such events were all the rage.

Carmakers survived from one auto show to another, barely containing themselves before releasing a new model. And the Series 1 Coupe dropped like a bomb. It was a contemporary interpretation of the Shelby AC Cobra, a two-seat fastback coupe with supercar credentials and looks to match the figures.

It ran from 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 kph) in 4.1 seconds. It had power steering, power windows, power everything, and came with air conditioning. Some cars were sold with no convertible top. That was what customers wanted.

The 249 examples that Shelby American built were not completely produced in-house as they first stated. General Motors supervised production and supplied several components, the engine included. It was a 4.0-liter Aurora V8 that delivered 320 horsepower (324 metric horsepower) in standard specification. But wait and see what they've got in store in 2024!

Back in the late 1990s, customers could choose more potent versions: either the 374-horsepower (324 metric horsepower) Series 1 Coupe with the X50 power upgrade or the 450-horsepower (456-metric horsepower) version with a supercharger.

Shelby American also built 11 cars with both the X50 and the supercharger, which took the output all the way to an exhilarating 540 horsepower (547 metric horsepower).

The Monsoon sound system was GM-sourced, the cassette/radio player came from Buick, and the instrument cluster and climate controls were provided by Pontiac. Not quite an in-house model, wasn't it?

In 2018, the Shelby Series 2 Coupe arrived as a successor to the Series 1 in an ultra-limited production run. Just four units were built per year. It had redesigned bumpers, new headlights, and extra oomph for $225,000 each. Almost all production slots were sold out shortly after the official unveiling at the 2006 Concourse Italiano in Monterey, California.

Seven years later, Carroll Shelby Licensing, Wingard Motorsports, and Custom Coaches partnered up to roll out the Shelby Series 2 Coupe reiteration. The model has been revived to mark the anniversary of the Series 1's debut. A total of just ten units will be manufactured, all built by hand and intended to be sold as rollers by WMC.

The model is 169.0 inches (4,292 millimeters) long, 76.5 inches (1,942 millimeters) wide, and 47.0 inches (1,194 millimeters) tall, sporting a wheelbase of 96.0 inches (2,428 millimeters).

It all started seven years ago when Wingard Motorsports purchased the remaining Shelby Series 1 chassis and components. The team reworked it to reduce weight, retuning the suspension, chassis rigidity, braking, and drivetrain, all in the name of performance. According to Bob Wingard, Founder of Wingard Motorsports and Custom Coaches, the platform will be able to support over 1,000 horsepower.

Built around the original aluminum honeycomb monocoque frame of the Series 1, one of the stiffest in the world, seven of them will be aluminum-bodied models, while the others will feature carbon fiber.

They will be available with various engine options. Customers will have to choose from the Carroll Shelby Engine Company 427 Windsor V8, a supercharged version of the almighty Ford-sourced 7.3-liter V8 Godzilla engine, or an electric powertrain as part of the Performance EV package. The performance figures remain undisclosed for the moment.

The model will come with an almost 50/50 weight distribution between front and rear, and will weigh under 3,200 pounds (1,452 kilograms) and will feature an inboard cantilevered suspension. The Shelby Series 2 Coupe 25th Anniversary Edition will ride on 19-inch monoblock wheels with Potenza performance tires.

Whoever wants to drive an aluminum-bodied super exclusive coupe home will have to pay $498,200. This one will be either polished or painted with the Shelby signature racing stripes on display.

Meanwhile, the carbon-fiber-bodied versions are more affordable, if "affordable" makes any sense at all in the same sentence with $385,600. The powertrain, including the engine (or electric motors) and the six-speed transaxle, will cost an extra $83,500. And you will surely need those.

What do you get for the money? Your preferred engine, concours fit and finish, and even a six-inch paddle adjustment, depending on your preference. Each example will be unique and will have the Shelby American CSX5500 series serial number, which will be recorded in the official Shelby American Registry.