Shelby GT500CR by Classic Recreations: Cloning Greatness

One of the most exciting things to come out of SEMA this year wasn't a lifted Fiat 500, 89” rims, or a oil-pan-mounted plasma. It was a sentence. Classic Recreations (C.R.) announced it had been licensed by legend  Carroll Shelby to build continuations of his famous 1967 Ford Mustang GT500; hands-down one of the greatest cars of all time. Without an example or even pictures, the story got lost among the tire-clad insanity of SEMA. Well C.R. just released its initial concept drawings, and has my full attention. The car is called the Shelby GT500CR by Classic Recreations , and upon seeing it I immediately put my kidneys on craigslist.

C.R.'s owner Jason Engel has been making client's dreams into reality for 10 years, but he was “humbled” when tapped by Shelby for this project. Carroll Shelby has built some of the most iconic cars in history, so re-creating GT500 is a delicate task. Having Carroll Shelby himself over-seeing is like re-painting The Last Supper with Da Vinci standing behind you; do well or you're losing an ear. I have a special place in my heart for the GT and the drawings give me complete confidence in C.R. It looks incredible; subtly modernized yet barely deviates from the original.

3 trim-levels are available:   Intro, Performance and Venom. Each will be built by C.R. with Shelby Performance Parts. Engel wanted his GTs packing supercar power so all 3 get the legendary Ford 427c.i. V8.  Intro and Performance  models come with 545hp, a 150hp NOS kit, drilled and slotted rotors, and a manual transmission. The Performance    model gets upgraded suspension, special Shelby Rally 1000 seats and wider rear tires (17x9.5 vs 17x8).

The first two trim options pack ample firepower, but just in case you're not satisfied, there's the Venom  model. Its 427 gets a F1-R procharger and puts out an atom-splitting 780hp, enough to soften Eleanor's drive-shaft. It gets powerful “track-system” brakes, adjustable suspension and a 200mph speedometer. 11" rear rubber puts the fury to use. To me the combination of supercar-caliber parts and GT500 looks is the end-all-be-all of Mustangs. It even has a stereo and A/C, perfect for quick errands.

Cloning perfection comes at a price. “Investments" (as CR calls them) are $119,000,$149,000, and $199,000, respectively. That's about the price of an original, but these will be entered into the official Shelby Registry, making them instantly collectible. A super-car caliber GT500 is certainly a dream, what more do you need? Thanks to the Shelby GT500CR   by Classic Recreations  , it will be a reality. So, who needs a kidney?

Source: Classic Recreations