Photo: Bring a Trailer
When Ford came out with the GT500 variant of the fifth-generation Mustang back in 2007, the press mostly gave it a big thumbs-up. There were also those who found it heavy and not particularly agile through the twisty bits. Looking back, they weren’t wrong in voicing those concerns.
It didn’t take Ford long to address those “issues,” the solution being the Shelby GT500KR, which arrived only a year after the regular GT500’s debut. Named after the original 1968 Shelby Cobra GT500KR, where KR stood for “King of the Road,” this newer model featured various performance enhancements over the standard GT500, including an extra 40 hp and 30 lb-ft (40 nm) of torque.
The 5.4-liter supercharged V8 engine would put down 540 hp (547 PS) and 510 lb-ft (691 Nm) of torque, but it was the tuned suspension, carbon fiber elements, revised exhaust, and Ford Racing strut tower brace that ended up making most of the difference. There’s no escaping the fact that the GT500KR is a better driver’s car than the GT500.
As luck would have it, chassis no #170 of the 712 units produced for the 2009 model year is currently up for grabs through Bring a Trailer, and it’s got just 260 miles (418 km) on the clock. It’s basically brand new and in need of somebody to finally light up its rear wheels.
The exterior is painted in Brilliant Silver Metallic and features Vista Blue stripes. Other highlights include the carbon fiber front splitter, fog lights, carbon fiber mirror caps, a rear spoiler, dual chrome exhaust tips, and polished 18-inch alloy wheels with Goodyear Eagle F1 tires measuring 255/45 at the front and 285/40 at the rear. A Ford Racing brake duct kit is also included in the sale.
Inside, there’s black leather upholstery to match the door panels and carpets, embossed Shelby Cobra logos, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, air conditioning, DVD-based sat-nav system, and other basic conveniences.
Our favorite bit is that sporty-looking shifter knob which operates the Tremec six-speed manual gearbox for maximum driver involvement.
The 5.4-liter supercharged V8 engine would put down 540 hp (547 PS) and 510 lb-ft (691 Nm) of torque, but it was the tuned suspension, carbon fiber elements, revised exhaust, and Ford Racing strut tower brace that ended up making most of the difference. There’s no escaping the fact that the GT500KR is a better driver’s car than the GT500.
As luck would have it, chassis no #170 of the 712 units produced for the 2009 model year is currently up for grabs through Bring a Trailer, and it’s got just 260 miles (418 km) on the clock. It’s basically brand new and in need of somebody to finally light up its rear wheels.
The exterior is painted in Brilliant Silver Metallic and features Vista Blue stripes. Other highlights include the carbon fiber front splitter, fog lights, carbon fiber mirror caps, a rear spoiler, dual chrome exhaust tips, and polished 18-inch alloy wheels with Goodyear Eagle F1 tires measuring 255/45 at the front and 285/40 at the rear. A Ford Racing brake duct kit is also included in the sale.
Inside, there’s black leather upholstery to match the door panels and carpets, embossed Shelby Cobra logos, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, air conditioning, DVD-based sat-nav system, and other basic conveniences.
Our favorite bit is that sporty-looking shifter knob which operates the Tremec six-speed manual gearbox for maximum driver involvement.
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