Wtf more limited edition GT500's?

[nickdrinkwater]

The Focus was a great car... in 1998

Well that's typical Ford....make a good car, but leave it to rot over time.

Ford already stated that the Euro Focus would cost too much to bring to NA.  The next Euro Focus is being developed to be used on both continents.

That's bad news then.

[SVT666]

That's bad news then.

Which part is bad news?

[Nethead]

I'm not talking about him personally, I'm talking about the Shelby name as a brand and I'm talking about it from the perspective of Ford, not Carroll Shelby, whom I assume would love to see it on as many cars as possible as long as he's collecting a licensing fee.


Brand equity can be a tremendous asset and it's something that the Big three have historically done an absolutely horrible job of managing.? When you have a really great, premium brand like Shelby you have to be careful how you use it or you risk diluting the brand's value.? A perfect example is GM slapping the "SS" logo on everything under the moon.

The Shelby GT500 is one thing, but now we've got Shelby rental cars, a Shelby GT (I didn't even know what the heck that was, when I was reading about it in C&D I saw the name and thought it was a GT500 at first - that sort of thing that confuses consumers is exactly what you want to avoid), and god knows how many other Shelbys ford is going to throw at us, who knows maybe a Shelby version of the V6 mustang as well.

The sort of limited edition high end cars in this thread aren't really what I'm complaining about, but in general slapping the shelby name on ever Mustang under the sun is a bad idea.

Leblowski:   LebDude, there's good points in your posting, although taken out of context they can be misleading.

Brand equity in the Shelby name:  It ain't diluting the equity when you offer a 500 HP GT500, a 540 HP GT500KR, and a 600 HP or over 725 HP GT500 Super Snake--consider how few cars for sale in the USA even offer 500 HP.  Then consider how few offer 500 HP for under $68,000, or whatever the sticker is on the cheapest Z06.

So you reply "The Shelby GT-H, however, doesn't offer but 319 HP!"  Yeah, but they're commemorative editions--to give Hertz the equivalent of 1965's G.T. 350H, the most famous rental car of all time.  You could hardly envision Hertz renting out GT500s, now could you?  Those original G.T. 350-Hs had 306 HP 289s with 3-speed automatics--which ain't that different from the current 319 HP 281s with 5-speed automatics, now is it? 

But you have made a really good point about the Shelby GTs--they don't offer 500 HP and they aren't commemorative G.T. 350Hs, either.  Ford should have done the Shelby GT in-house, but SVT is full up for two years building GT500s.  Shelby's organization is set up for the Shelby GTs--after all, they are basically Shelby GT-Hs with available 5-speed manuals and a second paint color.  Shelby built the 500 GT-Hs and created a demand for "ownable" versions of them with the option of 5-speed manuals.  Shouldn't Shelby's people benefit most from the demand they themselves created?? 

Less well known are the Shelby CS8 and the Shelby CS6--the former offering a supercharged 4.6 V8 and the latter offering a 350 HP supercharged V6.  The CS8 and the CS6 preceded the Shelby GTs, but I don't think they preceded the Shelby GT-Hs--check out Shelby's website if that info is important to you.  So, yes there are V6 Shelbys--which may become really hot if they switch to Ford's brand-new 3.5 V6!

And Shelby's name is hardly on every Mustang under the sun--since the S197 Mustang hit the dealerships in the Fall of 2004, Shelby's name is on less than one percent of the thundering herd so far.  It may become as high as two percent in some regions (SoCal here being one, Florida perhaps another), but even at two percent that would be only every fiftieth Mustang you'd see on El Camino Real.  Besides, other tuners like Saleen, Steeda, Kenny Brown, Roush, Foose, Xtreme Mustang Performance, Dream Car Factory, Fang Performance, Black Widow Enterprises, Cervini, Temple Performance Cars, Pure Power Motorsports, Cragar Wheels, Heritage Customs, GeigerCars, Vortech, Shinoda Performance, Sanderson Sales & Marketing, Knudsen Automotive Design, Wheel to Wheel Powertrain, Miller Motorsports Park, Hennessey, Finishline Performance Design, Galpin Ford, Mark III Custom, and doubtless others are selling specialty Mustangs in competition with Shelby--every tuner Mustang bought from one of them is one less tuner Mustang that will be bought from Shelby.  We keep reading rumors that Ford itself will soon be introducing competition as either Bullitts or Bosses or Mach 1s or all maybe even all three, so Shelbys will continue to be quite exclusive--more exclusive even than in the late 'Sixties because there are so many, many more cars on the road today than there were back in the day. 

Besides, other manufacturers promise imitations down the road--but the only hardware you can drive today is the genuine item, available from Ford or from twenty-five other specialty/tuner shops offering the genuine item in various states of tune & trim up to 900 HP.

[Nethead]

565:? Sign up for therapy, 565Dude, because it's gettin' crazier:
From themustangnews.com

05-01-07: Steeda Shelby? Talk about double trouble. Buy hey, this is America right? The GT-500 is a great platform for an aftermarket tuner as it is a widely accepted fact that the car can use some major improvement in the handling arena. All that weight needs more suspension than the Ford marketers were gutsy enough to muster up.

Steeda Autosports President Dario Orlando chose the 2007 Camp Steeda / SVT Owners Association Open Track Event at the famed Sebring International Raceway for the world debut of the new Steeda GT500. Steeda Autosports took the fine platform that Ford Motor Company's SVT Team developed and performed that special Steeda magic to further transform the stallion into an all out performance vehicle ? perfect for the discerning performance enthusiast who wants only the very best in engineering and performance.

Not wanting to rest on their laurels, the Steeda Engineering Team took the GT500 to the ?Ultimate Level? by using their sophisticated CAD/CAM engineering modeling intelligence, rapid design, and in-house manufacturing capabilities to deliver a completed vehicle worthy of the name:? The Steeda GT500.

With powerful engine upgrades and the most extensive suspension upgrades available, Steeda claims their version of the Shelby GT500 is the most finely tuned and best performing one on the planet. Included with this upgrade is the all new and patented Steeda Coilover Suspension System, derived from over one year of research and development, that greatly enhances aggressive performance driving without detracting from ride quality.

The Steeda GT-500 upgrade package has an MSRP of $13,995.

Performance modifications made to the vehicle include:

Engine:

?? Steeda GT500 Pro-Flow Cold Air Intake

?? Steeda /SCT Performance ECU Tune

?? Steeda Upper Supercharger Pulley

Exhaust:

?? Steeda Axle-Back Stainless Steel System

Brakes:

?? Steeda 13? Rear Brake upgrade Kit

?? Steeda 14? Slotted Front Rotors and upgraded pads

Drivetrain:

?? Steeda Tri-Ax Shifter

Suspension:

?? Steeda Coilover Suspension System

?? Steeda Performance Alignment

?? Steeda Billet Rear Lower Control Arms

?? Steeda Lower Control Arm Relocation Brackets

?? Steeda Adjustable Panhard Bar

?? Steeda Double Adjustable 3 rd Link

?? Steeda Competition Front Swaybar

?? Steeda Billet Swaybar Mount Kit

?? Steeda Competition Rear Swaybar

?? Steeda X5 Balljoints

?? Steeda Bumpsteer Kit

Contact your local Steeda authorized dealer, call Steeda directly at 954-960-0774, or visit www.steeda.com for more information.

[nickdrinkwater]

Which part is bad news?

That they are designing it for the American market.  If previous Focuses are anything to go by.

[SVT666]

That they are designing it for the American market.? If previous Focuses are anything to go by.

All that means is that it will pass American crash testing and safety regulations.

[nickdrinkwater]

All that means is that it will pass American crash testing and safety regulations.

Oh, that's cool then!

[Nethead]

As of June 27th, Amy Boylan says Shelby American already has 1500 callbacks from GT500 owners wanting to schedule Super Snake upgrades to their GT500s.  For those with the bucks now, they can schedule bringing in the GT500 now.  For those who need some time to come up with the bucks, they can schedule the upgrade up to three years from now.   'Sounds fair enough...