(Shelby American)
Billed as the "most powerful production, street legal muscle car in the world," the 2013 Shelby 1000 S/C is headed to the New York Auto Show next week. Here's your first look at it.
Powered by the same 5.8-liter V-8 as the standard Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, but with extensive work done to bring it up to 1,200 horsepower, the 1000 S/C is, like its 662-horsepower donor, conservatively named. Last year, Shelby launched a similar 950-horsepower model, the Shelby 1000, at the New York Auto Show (and infamously faked a photo of the car doing a wheelie).
There appear to be no such photo-faking shenanigans this year, and best of all, the 1000 S/C makes its power on standard pump gas--as a "production car" should.
Extra power isn't the only thing the Shelby 1000 S/C brings to the table, however. Launch control, an adjustable suspension setup, and appearance modifications are also included. Full details will be revealed next week.
So how much will you have to fork over for this beastly muscle car? The list price is $154,995--on top of the price of the GT500 it's based on. Total price: $209,645. That's almost Ferrari or McLaren money--but double the horsepower.
For those smirking at the comparison to Ferraris and McLarens, Shelby's test driver Vince LaViolette says it has some cornering chops, too. "[T]his car cannot be defined by just its amazing power. The steering provides wonderful feedback and the car tracks beautifully, giving it an athletic feel. It attacks corners, ripping through them with minimal body roll and tremendous grip. Yet the Shelby 1000 can be so docile that you can cruise it down the streets of Manhattan."
Look for all of the details, plus live photos and more, from the floor of the New York Auto Show next week.