Shelby GT500 Laps Laguna Seca! - 2009 Best Drivers Car

Ride along for a hot lap at Laguna Seca in Ford's venomous Shelby GT500 Mustang as part of Motor Trend's 2009 Best Driver's Car competition. For the full story, check out the October issue of Motor Trend magazine.

[@eviltwin777]

Nice, so whats the MSRP?

[@NZhouldhavewon]

at last a good review that gives an honest opinion. instead of just saying the car is perfect all the time. nice vid

[@JesseEnclave]

Read between the lines. I only mentioned Mustangs because that was one of the subject cars. The real justification is that there's pretty much nothing in the Z06's price bracket that can outperform it. The only car that comes to mind in the under-100k group is the Dodge Viper, and it's around 90k. And when Mustang guys talk about the price of Corvettes, they seem to forget the 80k disaster that was the GT500KR. But I'm actually loving the current GT500. I think It's quite impressive.

[@free2game]

@racoonpooon Those weren't anywhere near stock mustangs though, they were race built cars that cost 80k base. The weight distribution is a lot more balanced, It's over 900 pounds lighter than this and I'm pretty sure it has a live rear axle.

[@Greendude33]

The new 2011 560HP Z28 debuts in late 2010. It will utilize more aluminum to shed weight with an expected curbweight around 3500lbs (GT500 3900lbs) The Aluminum 6.2 Liter LSA will be dropped in along with the clutch and flywheel from the Vette. It will also use GM's magnetic selective IRS, and track tuned LSD from the CTSV. GM said it would be priced competively with the GT500, but with that suspension, engine and LSD its worth paying a little more than a GT500.

[@StoneRiderM3]

q: iz the cobra independent rear suspension or straight axel

[@Elmo187]

actually, some imports are supercharged also. Holdens are imports, and the Vauxhall VXR8 Bathurst has a Walkinshaw supercharged LS3. also, Mercedes-Benz is an import company, and they're previous 5.4L was supercharged in some models. hell, the upcoming Mercedes-Benz SLC Gullwing is suspected to have a supercharged version of the 6.2L V8.

[@jazu40]

Who was 1st with with stripes? Dodge or Ford?

[@Elmo187]

although '94 and '95 are the same SN95 body style than the '96-'98, they both were the last years for the 5.0 in the Mustang.

[@JesseEnclave]

I highly doubt that the KR was meant as a showpiece(though they probably tried to use that to justify the price), seeing as how "KR" stands for "King of the Road". Not only was it more powerful, it also had custom tires and suspension tuned to be more "sporty". Then there's the gimmicky hoodpins meant to keep the lightweight CF hood from flying off at high speeds. That thing was meant to show off. The problem was, it didn't have much to show off. But all that's changed, as far as I can tell.

[@50RNDCLP]

@TheTubbylover69 ...The only mustangs that came from Ford with IRS is the '99 / ' 01 Cobra's , '00 Cobra R & the '03-'04 Cobra's.

[@joshua626]

@americanman911 The corvette zo6 starts around 75k. The shelby starts at 48k and after the few options and destinations fees etc etc. You can walk out of their with a shelby for 60k. And you can quote me on that. Thats -15k less than the zo6 more than a enough room to play catch up. :)

[@sspope]

I see you watched Top Gear or Good Bad Ugly... But that was a 2006 GT and this one is a 2010 model. But still, this price is dangerously close to that of BMW M3 and Mercedes C63 AMG.

[@PennWesterfield]

Great job Motor trend!!! Awesome driving by Randy Probst!!!! Joke on Ford all you want but I don't sweat haters. Go Ford and God Bless America

[@818silencer818]

Long live the Mustang. The only pony car to have survived since its debut, GT500 is KING.

[@marshknute]

@NobleM15fan The majority of performance cars come out of Europe, so the "benchmark" track (Nurburgring) is appropriately located in central Europe. Also, many European cars are not road legal in the States, so there is little point shipping something like a Radical SR8 to Laguna Seca if it will never be sold here. The reason Lotus doesn't test at the 'Ring is b/c real gearheads know and appreciate the fact that Lotus' are solely about handling and fun, and not about numbers.

[@RatkoMladic43]

I'm not from USA and I don't know soo much but this car is amaZing!

[@BlackTransAmdude]

I miss hearing that supercharger whine from the previous GT500

[@DCuerpoJr]

True, they should have replaced the live rear axel with rear independent suspension. The SS Camaro and the Shelby GT500 are both awesome cars and if I had the money I'd have the following: SS Camaro Convertible, Corvette ZR1, Shelby GT500, Challenger SRT8 and Viper SRT10 Converitble.

[@lurgee29]

My dad had lots of Chevy s back in the day, and I still remember riding in his 1969 Nova SS with an L88 427 in it, we still have the engine... but when I was old enough to buy my own muscle car, I looked at Firebird, and he said "for what"?! See , he caught on to the Mustang craze for one reason, those cars reminded him of the early 60's era muscle cars, heck, the stang even had headers from the factory, compared to manifolds and a Y pipe w/ a fake 2 pipe exhaust stick out back.

[@TehFunk101]

o man, he slid that sucker through the corkscrew! i didnt think it would handle as well as it does in this video. good lookin car!

[@coolerdude44]

not enough. they might have tightened the dampers, but the anti-roll bars, the brakes (up until 2008) and the diff were identical to the standard mustang. the new one seems to be a better effort, but we'll see when they compare the roush to the shelby. roush has the reputation of changing everything important to the car, whereas shelby always had the reputation of simply swapping engines/fitting a supercharger. look at the ac cobra if you think i'm wrong.

[@halflife103]

just so you know, just because a motor is a V8 or V12 doesent mean it will produce MAJOR amounts of power. the size of the motor doesent really matter, but the power and torque does.

[@hsuyu112]

By looking at the wheel he's correcting oversteer all the time and everytime he does that he loses time on a track. It handles a lot better than I thought it would be thought.

[@heliscat]

haha, looks like Mr. Garrison from South Park: "Mr Hat loves driving Laguna Seca"

[@marvel__ink]

@liellibg its not 1:04.3 its 104. 3 seconds. that means 1:44.3

[@racoonpooon]

@free2game yeah i know they're lighter and still use the live rear axle. but that was my point, that even with the live rear they run exceptionally well. as for the price that's still the cheapest race car you could possibly buy.

[@cal920c]

I bet Carol Shelby is going to make an even better SuperSnake Frome This thing. It looked like he was having a hard time steering through some of the turns.

[@DCuerpoJr]

Awesome Car! On turn 8 "Corkscrew" you can see the car diving forward a little too much as it went down the Corkscrew, but it still handled well coming out of the turn. This is probably the best track oriented Shelby Mustang. The new 2010 Super Snake has too much power to do a fast hot lap on a track like Laguna Seca, but it'd do well on any drag strip.

[@RopeJesus]

I like how he's just driving relaxed and not really enjoying it. Most people won't even sit in a car that fast, and he's not really effected by it at all.

[@mtooshort20]

that or you could add a STS turbo kit and hook up the suspension a lil

[@gixxxer1000]

The Cayman is almost 1.5 seconds quicker around Laguna Seca. That counts more then acceleration, because the fun is in the corners and not the straight line.

[@turbodreamst88]

i think you ment zr1....c6 refers to 2005 and up corvettes. zr1s cost 100-120k

[@leonhart423]

Ford has built a mid engine car before, in the 1960's Ford had the GT40 (which btw killed Ferrari in the Le Mans 24hr) There is also the Saleen S7 and the remake of the GT40, the Ford GT. If you count kit cars then the Factor 5 (FFX?) kit car is a good example as well. All wheel drive? Not sure about the S7 they might have done AWD on the TT model but I don't think any of them are AWD I know the Ford GT and GT40 are RWD.

[@leonhart423]

ever hear the phrase "If somethings not broke don't fix it?" the suspension works just fine for the car

[@rhcprule4]

wouldnt it be a 1994 ford mustang gt5.0? im probably wrong but ive never actually seen a 1995 ahah

[@SRTluigicool]

@hispolarbear06 You forgot about the Viper tehehehe =)

[@dancinballa23]

yea laguna seca man i live like 5 min away from it i love that track

[@AlternativeUses]

I4s, V6s, V8s, V10s, and V12s... they all produce greater power in line with more cylinders. everything being equal (engine technology, supercharging, turbo, etc) the higher capacity engine will always win in a straight line. that's why engine capacity increases in company model ranges as you go to high trim models. weight and handling, on the other hand, is another story.

[@damncritics]

mazdamusprime, i dont think it was a bmw steering wheel. it looked more like one of those crash test logos...

No that one they did right. Modern powerful and a great drive. Strangely few Americans bring it up.

[@essboarder23]

I turned on the engine myself sitting in the seat (not shelby tuned, but still 2010 mustang). so sweet

[@818silencer818]

2010 GT500 has much better handling than last years KR. The guys at Top Gear made a video about the 2008 GT500 and bashed on it.

[@Elmo187]

um the AC Cobra was never supercharged and it was just that, a Cobra. they didn't swap anything into it. if you mean the AC Ace that became the Cobra, then yes, they did swap an engine into it. but the Cobra was totally different than the ace with a wider stance and the whole car was redesigned to become the iconic Shelby Cobra. also, there is NO car in the old Shelby lineup of the 60s that is supercharged. the twin supercharged Cobra wasn't a production car, it was Mr. Shelby's personal car.

[@JesseEnclave]

Actually, the Z06 is around 76k, unless you want to bring dealer markup into this. As I am a Z06 owner myself, I can say that all the justification we need is the ability to murder stock 'Stangs anytime, anywhere. Hell, a stock Z06 can put the hurt on several 100k+ exotics. Not hating on Mustangs, just calling it like I see it. Also, GM never called the Corvette a musclecar or an exotic. It's ALWAYS been a sportscar/psuedo-Supercar. It seems you're the one who's confused here.

[@ViperGTS737]

see that from 1:43 to 1:52 that's the corkscrew, in that section your car wins or loses

[@comcastchinomike]

What's the definition of a good car people? A car can put a smile on the driver's face after he takes it for ride~~

[@iStoleYourPC]

Thank god they FINALLY changed the suspension on those things.

[@jamesbach54]

i love te new mustang desighn i see why they did that. the front of the mustang was covered so the front was not arodynamic so they changed it to the grill only to have the covered to give it tha classic shelby/mustang look

[@6SpeedSilverado]

@TheTubbylover69 last i checked fiberglass wasn't plastic

[@boobsmaster]

i like this car but as far as corvette being the only car thats faster, what about the Viper line? the ford GT? the saleen S7? more costly but still...

[@818silencer818]

That was the 2009 GT500. This one has 540HP to the Flywheel and 500 To the Wheels.

[@kornseph]

God the corkscrew looks terrifying!!! I wanna do it!

[@racoonpooon]

"portly caveman mobile"? i dont know if you've looked under your corvette, but your rolling on leaf springs. yes, the same suspension used in the 70's just like the solid rear. and if you payed attention to racing at all, you'd know that the mustang with the antiquated "solid rear" outhandles cars with more advanced suspensions. helping it win 2 KONI challenges with maybe a 3rd this year, a 2008 FIA GT4 win, and could possibly win this years SPEED world challenge.

[@cadkins90]

Oh Ford, thank you for not failing the fans.

[@themaxxray]

I hope they added an active rear supension. The first Shelby that they re-released was an epic fail. But seriously, get The Stig to drive it and maybe I'll be impressed.

[@DCuerpoJr]

Head to Head, the Hennessey SS Camaro and the GT500 are neck and neck in terms of raw performance. I'd go for the GT500 as it would still be covered under Ford's warranty. Hopefully Chevy will release a Z28 version of the new Camaro.

[@MrLalalooney]

car looks great,handling looks a bit rough,as does the gear change!

[@free2game]

@KarlSmithJones25 No those wins have to do as much with the car as the driver and those FR500 mustangs don't have much to do with the street car.

[@arushbhai]

yeha man i found laguna seca really hard when i played in gran turismo lol but its exactly the same man wow

[@RickardLejonhjarta]

yeah me too ^^ that downhill S-bend has killed me more times than i care to count

[@ManusFilms]

Now thats the best statement ever!!

[@LoganGraf]

FYI, Ford isn't named after and acronym but the creater of Ford, Henry Ford.

[@Tbowers129]

you can say the zr1 is faster but what happens when I bring up the ford GT. think about that one.

[@mrdarkknight]

yea with engines twice as big as the ones in their competitors,,,,,,,with the zr1's supercharged. great!

[@mrdarkknight]

oh and if you wanna stay on topic; GT500; engine size: 5.4 horsepower: 540 torque: 510 cayman; engine size= 3.4 horsepower= 320 torque= 273 with the cayman having almost half the size, power and torque........you'd think the GT500 is faster? WELL, according to motortrend's feature the cayman's lap is FASTER than the GT500 so blow me.

[@silencethesilenced]

Sounds somewhat like the GT390 in Bullitt.

[@marvel__ink]

he put up a really good time with this car...

[@alanack67]

all have solid rear axles

[@redghost105]

is this the worlds fastest production car? cuz some guy told me it was i dont htink it is though

[@herzglass]

He reminds me of Garth from "Wayne's Wolrd" at 2:41 when he's smiling

[@ZR1Terror]

It seems like European and Japanese cars are staying behind, if you look up "laguna seca production car record you will see the acr, the zr1 and the z06 carbon" even the z06 carbon is faster than the Nissan gtr now. Awesome

[@mozo25]

omg that racetrack looks just like the on in gran turismo 3!!! anyway that car is going to be awesome

[@brudel001]

Average more powerful car owner will mostly use its power for accelerating or for higher speeds on the highway. Most of those cars never see a track or go under a intense cornering at high speeds. So the car doesn't have a alot more expensive suspension from the factory.

[@Derangedteddy]

I'd like to point out that it's the driver's skill and not the car itself that gets it through the corkscrew.

[@mtooshort20]

true, this is the best handling shelby, but the roush is still so much better. if i had the choice between them, i would get the Roush and STS twin turbos to it ;)

[@joshua626]

@americanman911 yes you are right until ford revised the gt 500 again for 2011. That version can beat a corvette and if you pour say 10-15k into loosing weight and adding other things that would put more power down effeciently. You could possibly have a worthy opponent to take on the zo6. That is very commendable by ford/shelby.

[@WyvernSone]

why does it have a bmw steering wheel?

[@DCuerpoJr]

It'd be faster and more controlled around corners if it had rear independent suspension. The Roush Mustang with its upgraded suspension is actually faster around a track than the Shelby GT500, even though it produces less HP.

[@gweggorz]

I love that Shelby. I'd seriously take it over any Camaro or Corvette. But that's all personal opinion of course. What's FACT is that you seriously can't compare the ZR-1 to this. 2 very different cars with different motives.

[@Bibazavr]

why would you make it 2-ton in the first place ? Its like pissing on hands just to have a reason to wash them.

[@pizzy1969]

Well said. And anyway, the Mustang is simply a cooler ride, solid rear axle and all.

[@jacknocf]

ill have to agree with u on this one. I love the new Mustang GT500

[@doogieass]

Keeps getting better with each new version...Now if they improve the brakes and lose a little weight...it could do some real damage to all those expensive sports cars

[@CamaroJunkie1]

I just cant get over the Fact that its still just a 12 Sec car. All that Power and Money. I rather have a Z06.

[@szewei85]

yeah i know but still i find the car handling is damm good and because of that not a single sign of under/oversteer spotted through corkscrew so far. of course i wont credit 100% on the car handling alone 4 that praise. cheers! :D

[@TylerZ]

@makattak88 Nope it doesn't. The only mustangs with IRS are the 99/01 cobras and the 03/04 cobras.

[@Hypnot47]

im not american, but muscles r my fav. speacilly mustangs like this one

[@MerlinUsesCtrl]

its lost its look of the hard bulky style which i really liked, the front of the car know looks like some streeting raceing car =SS and the back has jsut gotten smoother

[@mtooshort20]

that's b/c they are lighter...power to weight ratio is everything

[@mrdarkknight]

oh really? i didnt know that? how does that affect my original statement that americans cars aren't fast? i know the caymans lighter and that its mid-engine'd but so what? its faster isnt it, with half the power(which is a big thing to me)? oh and @ svt1111: i think he meant well balanced with drifting not cornering.

[@xxMafia101]

This car pulls almost as many Gs as the GTR with all wheel drive. And with a SOLID AXLE.

[@morningstomper123]

But the GTR is four wheel drive. The two cars are in a different class.

[@ptitkinoz]

belle voiture

[@Stevenhiggles]

thats the Hennessey car, you can add the engine for almost the same price, give or take a grand of the GT500.

[@anthony6151]

Ever heard of Camshafts? How about High Compression Pistons? With only that and supporting mods the new Camaro would be pumping the same amount of power. I've driven the Camaro SS and the GT500 and the Camaro handles better and has way more potential.

[@pizzy1969]

Yeah well, since they don't come with anything BUT a live rear axle I'm pretty sure it has one. Damn dude.

[@RomaniaTricolor]

0:19 coolest shift knob I' ve ever seen! Too bad it has that crappy rear axel.

[@casmako]

Do tell what a real car is, and lets keep it within the mustang price range, whether it be a GT or GT500.

[@IGOTTASRT8]

Kudos on living up to your name!