Review: 2011 Ford Shelby GT500 Convertible

[Haltech]

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Ford, Reviews

A Motor City Summer Romance

2011 Ford Shelby GT500 Convertible - Click above for high-res image gallery

When you grow up in Detroit, the Ford Mustang is so much more than just another performance car. It's arguably the most iconic automobile born within these city limits, and anyone who's called the area home can't help but feel an overwhelming sense of pride while driving the Blue Oval's pony through the Motor City. It's like eating a hot dog at the ballpark - you can't explain why, but it just tastes better.

At the tippy top of the Mustang hierarchy sits the Shelby GT500 with its supercharged 5.4-liter V8, 550 horsepower and an exhaust note that will wake the neighbors. Our love for the GT500 has run deep since its debut in 2006, though most of that affection was never given to the convertible. The droptop Ford suffers from substantially more handling and rigidity issues than the coupe, and when you consider the added price that Ford charges to lob off the roof ($5,000, in this case), it can seem like a puzzling proposition.

For 2011, Ford has tweaked the GT500's core, not to mention stiffening individual components of both the front and rear suspension setups. That, combined with a new electric power assist steering system, means this should be the most driver-focused GT500 yet. Thus, we put the top back and basked in the warm Michigan sun to rekindle our love with Detroit's most powerful pony car. This, friends, is our kind of end-of-summer lovin'.

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Gallery: 2011 Ford Shelby GT500 Convertible: Review



Photos copyright (C)2010 Steven J. Ewing / AOLContinue reading Review: 2011 Ford Shelby GT500 Convertible

Review: 2011 Ford Shelby GT500 Convertible originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 10 Nov 2010 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.



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