Mustang Monthly

2012 Shelby 1000

A 1000-Horsepower Mustang From Shelby American

March 27, 2012

By Donald Farr

Photography by Jerry Heasley

Shelby American tried to keep it quiet until the car's official introduction at the New York Auto Show on April 5. But when you've got a 1,000 horsepower street car, and a Shelby Mustang at that, it's difficult to keep it under wraps.

You'll be able to read all about the new 2012 Shelby 1000 in a special drive report in the May issue of Mustang Monthly. But with the news leaking out, we wanted to let our website readers in on the latest from Shelby.

First off, the Shelby 1000 is not a Super Snake. Although some SS bits and pieces find their way into the new car, the Shelby 1000 is a separate model, created to showcase what modern technology can do for a car that is best suited for high-speed time trials like the Texas Mile. And don't expect a loud-mouth, teeth-rattling race car; that same technology has allowed Shelby technicians to tune the car with normal street manners. At low speeds, it drives just like a brand-new Shelby G.T. 500 from your Ford dealer.

Here are the quick details: For the post-title Shelby 1000, the Shelby American team rebuilds the G.T. 500's 5.4L engine with heavy-duty crankshaft, rods, and pistons, then enhances the breathing with a larger supercharger, ported heads, and performance exhaust, along with improved cooling. To handle the power, the factory rear end is replaced by Ford 9-inch. The Shelby 1000 also incorporates braking improvements (6-piston calipers in front, 4-piston in the back) and an upgraded suspension.

Unlike the in-your-face G.T. 500 Super Snake, the Shelby 1000 is purposely subtle, with only a taller hood dome (to clear the supercharger) and reflective side and trunk lid graphics.

The Shelby 1000 will be offered in both a street and "off-road" S/C version. According to Shelby American, the street-legal version dyno's at approximately 950hp on pump gas, while the S/C edition is rated at over 1,100hp.

"Carroll Shelby is a visionary who has pushed the boundaries of performance his entire life," said John Luft, president of Shelby American. "He challenged the Shelby American team to develop the Shelby 1000 and wanted to unveil this amazing new Shelby at the New York Auto Show to celebrate 50 years since he unveiled his first Shelby Cobra. We will have that very car, Cobra #1 (CSX2000), along with the Shelby 1000, on display in our Shelby American booth in New York."

A limited number of Shelby 1000s will be built, each numbered and documented. The street package starts at $149,995 and the track S/C version starts at $154,995, not including the base G.T. 500. Shelby American will begin accepting orders when the Shelby 1000 is unveiled at the New York International Auto Show. Those interested in reserving a car can contact Shelby American at 702/942-7325 or visit www.shelbyamerican.com after April 5, 2012.