Shelby Series 2

400bhp sports car from the man himself. But can he sell them to the Brits?

By PH Staff / Tuesday, 28 January 2003 / Loading comments

Think Shelby, think Cobra. It was Carroll Shelby who conceived and masterminded the legendary car. After enormous success on the race track, Shelby went on to build the iconic 427 SC which has spawned dozens and dozens of copies.

A modern Shelby is a rare sight on Britain’s roads. In 1999 Shelby created what was described by Top Gear TV as "The best handling American muscle-car ever." The car boasted a normally aspirated, 320hp Aurora V8 engine developing 290lb ft of torque, a six-speed rear transaxle, and perfect 50/50, front-rear weight distribution. A supercharged version went on sale last year.

Shelby will introduce a 2003 US certified Series 2 in March of this year, which will also be available supercharged. The car will be sold worldwide and Shelby American Inc is now taking deposits.

Performance is 'brisk' with 0-60mph claimed as just 3.2 seconds and a standing quarter mile of 11.3 secs at 126mph. Power is provided by a forced induction, quad-cam, four-valves-per-cylinder, 4.0-litre V8 delivering 450bhp and 406lb ft of torque. Though not the most powerful car available, it's ability to get off the line quickly has stood it in good stead in the performance stakes.

Through the use of lightweight materials like aluminium honeycomb and carbon fibre, Shelby has been able to produce a very advanced chassis. It has twice the torsional strength and stiffness of most sports cars, and weighs in at around 1300 kilos.

The car will come with a hand-crafted leather interior and cost around £90K or £75K for the normally aspirated version. If they can sell them then five hundred cars will be made.

Link: www.shelbyamerican.com