Shelby Focus

http://www.stangtv.com/news/shelbys-new-pocket-rocket-shelby-focus-st-debuts-at-naias/

"Outside, there are unique Shelby hydro-carbon parts which include the rear spoiler as well as front and rear grilles."

Hydro-carbon? You mean they're made out of fuel?

Looks like a good car but that's $15k on top of a $24k base price...I think a Shelby Fiesta would have been more interesting, the mods should definitely be more handling/lightening oriented - I know that sounds more like Lotus than Shelby but a 252HP FWD car doesn't need more power.

jstein77 wrote: "Outside, there are unique Shelby hydro-carbon parts which include the rear spoiler as well as front and rear grilles." Hydro-carbon? You mean they're made out of fuel?

Sure, most plastics are made out of hydrocarbons you know

I'm sure they mean carbon fiber.

Shelby has been overpriced junk that adds zero performance for over a decade now. Do not want.

HydroGRAPHICS. Basically a printer and tank of solution to remake a part surface.

Do Not Want x 2.

You pay $15k MORE for a base ST that has a fancy hood and wing and some aftermarket wheels. It looks like the "Cobra Jet" 2006 V6 Mustang outside my work that looks like it crashed into the chrome accessories aisle at Pep Boys.

Ford makes a better one for only $3k more that has better seats, lighting, and more.

Sorry dudes, but the guys who dominated FWD sport compact performance 25 years ago simply forgot how to do it.

Sky_Render wrote: Shelby has been overpriced junk that adds zero performance for over a decade now. Do not want.

Yeah, uh, the 1000hp Super Snake doesn't add any performance...
In fact, a decade ago they weren't producing anything but the Cobra, IIRC, and that's their own. They didn't start doing Mustangs again until 2005, and as far as I know, every one of them increased performance over the car they were based on. That doesn't mean they are a good value.

when was paying someone else to take your car and upgrade it with aftermarket parts EVER a good value? heck, when was it ever a good value to upgrade your car yourself?

according to OTHER articles Hydro-Carbon is correct, and it is a graphics thing.. or somesuch.

aslo:

Standard Features:

Shelby spec front brake upgrade

Shelby spec rear rotor upgrade

Shelby wheels & tires

Shelby short throw shifter

Shelby/Ford Racing suspension package

Shelby/Borla Cat Back exhaust

Shelby engine appearance package

Shelby premium interior package

Shelby badges

Shelby CSM numbered dash plaque

Shelby CSM engine plate

Center cap emblems

Shelby rear lettering

Shelby exterior package

Hood with heat extractors

Hydrocarbon accents

Shelby exterior graphics

Additional exterior graphics

Checkered Flag Splash

Traditional Stripes

Competition Graphics

there is a supposed 50hp increase to the engine tune, but it is awaiting EPA approval.

14k for better brakes, better wheels, better tires, better supension, better exhaust, better looks (if you like the looks that is)...

and you sedn your car to them, they don't sell them like that already made.

Gotta hand it to anyone who can keep cashing in after they have cashed in!

Wow. Way to make an otherwise good looking car FUUUUUHHHGLY!

growing up with Shelby and seeing the first GT 350's on showroom floors and then seeing them when they went to Dodge we all thought it was a joke we thought the cars were crap and Shelby should be shot for putting his name on it but that is how the gearheads of that time felt about that. those cars were crap then and still are. Cars like the Super Snake is what Shelby was about not throwing some badges on a FWD piece of dodge crap and calling it a Shelby........

i know i just pissed some guys off with this statement but i was there when they were new and i drove them and owned them

Fifteen thousand berkeleying dollars can buy you a hell of a lot more value than a berking fake CF hood, some Chinese brake rotors, and a vinyl stripe. That is ridiculous.

Seriously, read along:

Ford Racing Suspension - $985

Steeda Short-Throw Shifter - $190

Brembo 365mm big brake kit - $2972

Sparco Assetto Gara lightweights in Black - $704

That still leaves $10,000 for tires and some CF decals...

Wow... someones panties are in a twist........

cutter67 wrote: growing up with Shelby and seeing the first GT 350's on showroom floors and then seeing them when they went to Dodge we all thought it was a joke we thought the cars were crap and Shelby should be shot for putting his name on it but that is how the gearheads of that time felt about that. those cars were crap then and still are. Cars like the Super Snake is what Shelby was about not throwing some badges on a FWD piece of dodge crap and calling it a Shelby........ i know i just pissed some guys off with this statement but i was there when they were new and i drove them and owned them

BTW, the GLH-S whipped the GT350's ass in every measurable way. The best was when the Shelby-Dodge contigent showed up with the Shelby-Ford guys in Vegas and did some "parade laps" with Shelby in the Series 1. Shelby of course took off at WOT. After a few laps the GT350's were mostly broken while the little "E36 M3boxes" were happily motoring along behind the Series 1. Shelby himself said he loved the GLH-S the most out of all of the cars he's built. The GLH-S was also built in Shelby's factory where the GT-350 was an option you ordered from Ford.

I could go on and on, and at the heart of your BS is the reason that the SAAC doesn't invite the SDAC folks to their events. We are the red-headed step-children. At the end of the day, both are awesome in their own way and after he stopped driving race cars, Shelby was more about marketing than actual engineering (the engineering was done by his workers he was just larger than life and trading on his former racing prowess)

As to the Shelby Focus? The GLH-S was about 50% than the GLH-T in 86. I'm not saying that it is right as the GLH-S parts weren't worth that much, even back then (Koni's, intake, turbo, intercooler/radiator, computer) what you were really buying was Shelby's name and a warranty to go with those parts. Don't like it? Don'y buy it. Buy a Focus ST and hop it up and see what the resale is in 10 years for the Shelby Focus versus your modded ST? How much are SVT's going for compared to hopped Focii?

To all of those complaining that we don't get the "cool" euro cars here from Ford and other manufacturers, this is why. When the price is set to what it needs to be to turn a profit (as licensing Shelby's name isn't cheap, even for Ford) everyone balks.

cutter67 wrote: growing up with Shelby and seeing the first GT 350's on showroom floors and then seeing them when they went to Dodge we all thought it was a joke we thought the cars were crap and Shelby should be shot for putting his name on it but that is how the gearheads of that time felt about that. those cars were crap then and still are. Cars like the Super Snake is what Shelby was about not throwing some badges on a FWD piece of dodge crap and calling it a Shelby........ i know i just pissed some guys off with this statement but i was there when they were new and i drove them and owned them

Ignorance is bliss. I too, was around for the intro of the Shelby GLHS. I've raced and owned 65,66 and 67 Shelby Mustangs and have owned a very fast FIA Cobra re-pop assembled by the best in the Shelby world. I also purchased a GLHS new and have owned a bunch of the 86, 87 and 89 Shelby produced Dodges. I attended a number of the Team Shelby Birthday Bash's with the Ford Shelby crew and I can assure you that many enjoyed the Shelby Dodges as well as their Fords. When I attended the Terlingua Reunion a few years ago, 'Ol Shel was in attendance and hung out with our merry band all week-end. He complemented me for "giving the Fords hell" all week end and was happy to sign my dash. He always loved the little GLHS's and if it is good enough for him, who gives a E36 M3e what some poseur thinks. BTW, all my Shelby Fords have moved on and my little GLHS shares the garage with my Ferrari.

lets compare GLH-S against cars of the time. cars that the buyer at that time might buy if looking for in performace not comparing it to a 20 year older car that would be like comparing it to a new WRX.

0-60 time and 1/4 mile time and no we are not going with what Hot Rod stated which most lovers of this car quotes because they taped the car and modded it. M/T and C/D both posted about the same times on a stock car of 7.5 and 15.8 . now for the 1986 this was good times for sure but all the cars were within 10's of seconds in these times. i had a friend who bought a GLH-S new and would get mad at our other friend who had a vw GTI that could take him if everything went right from stop light to stop light and you couldnt even compare fit and finish between the two.

as far as Shelby saying it was his favorite car the only thing i can find is he said that when he was with Dodge but others say he always said the Cobra was his dream car and always was and as for Ford building the GT-350 this out of the history of the GT-350

"Beginning as a stock Mustang with a 4-speed manual, the cars were shipped to Shelby American, where they received the high-riser manifolds, had their stock Ford Falcon live rear axles replaced with heavy-duty Ford Galaxie rear axles, and were given larger, metallic-lined rear drum brakes and Kelsey-Hayes front disc brakes."

EDIT: i am sorry for using the words i did like "piece of crap" that was not called for.... i know these cars have a loyal following and i should respect that and the people that own them...i will try to keep my emotions in check from now on when it comes to things like this

The cobra was his favorite......the rest was just a means to the end. Not knocking the k-car crowd, mustang crowd, etc......the man loved his little bastard roadster. He loved making money more though.

I just wish I could ask him "WTF were you thinking with the Olds Aurora engine in the completely new Series 1?" Granted, I love the S1.....

cutter67 wrote: lets compare GLH-S against cars of the time. cars that the buyer at that time might buy if looking for in performace not comparing it to a 20 year older car that would be like comparing it to a new WRX. 0-60 time and 1/4 mile time and no we are not going with what Hot Rod stated which most lovers of this car quotes because they taped the car and modded it. M/T and C/D both posted about the same times on a stock car of 7.5 and 15.8 . now for the 1986 this was good times for sure but all the cars were within 10's of seconds in these times. i had a friend who bought a GLH-S new and would get mad at our other friend who had a vw GTI that could take him if everything went right from stop light to stop light and you couldnt even compare fit and finish between the two. as far as Shelby saying it was his favorite car the only thing i can find is he said that when he was with Dodge but others say he always said the Cobra was his dream car and always was and as for Ford building the GT-350 this out of the history of the GT-350 "Beginning as a stock Mustang with a 4-speed manual, the cars were shipped to Shelby American, where they received the high-riser manifolds, had their stock Ford Falcon live rear axles replaced with heavy-duty Ford Galaxie rear axles, and were given larger, metallic-lined rear drum brakes and Kelsey-Hayes front disc brakes." EDIT: i am sorry for using the words i did like "piece of crap" that was not called for.... i know these cars have a loyal following and i should respect that and the people that own them...i will try to keep my emotions in check from now on when it comes to things like this

Let me go ahead and state facts-not "my friends car" BS. I purchased a GLHS new and have owned a dozen of the things. I ran a 14.6 bone stock in 1986. At one of the Shelby Birthday bash's, I ran a 14.7-again, bone stock. With the most minimal of mods, the cars would run low 14s or dip into the 13s. VW GTIs were absolutely no contest against a GLHS(unless the Shelby was driven by a complete dolt).Your magazine times are incorrect as even R&T(notoriously slow accel times)beat those. As to their great build quality-now many 86 GTI's are left? Not many and they are worth a spent nickel. Last nice. 86 GLHS sold for 12K. I didn't have to "look up" Shelby's thoughts about his favorite car-I've spoken with the man more than once about just that. He has stated directly to me(and others) that the GLHS was his favorite car. Everytime he saw my car, his eyes lit up and he had nothing but good things to say about it-and asked what my set-up was, how fun it was to beat up on the Fords and V8s with "his little Schnitbox". Shel never cared much for the GT350 as he thought it was a "taxicab". You don't need to respect these cars-just makes it all the better when you have to explain how your Shelby Ford spent an entire track session trying to keep up with the Shelby Dodge.

yamaha wrote: The cobra was his favorite......the rest was just a means to the end. Not knocking the k-car crowd, mustang crowd, etc......the man loved his little bastard roadster. He loved making money more though. I just wish I could ask him "WTF were you thinking with the Olds Aurora engine in the completely new Series 1?" Granted, I love the S1.....

GLHS Shelbys have nothing to do with K-cars.

bravenrace wrote:

Sky_Render wrote: Shelby has been overpriced junk that adds zero performance for over a decade now. Do not want.

Yeah, uh, the 1000hp Super Snake doesn't add any performance... In fact, a decade ago they weren't producing anything but the Cobra, IIRC, and that's their own. They didn't start doing Mustangs again until 2005, and as far as I know, every one of them increased performance over the car they were based on. That doesn't mean they are a good value.

Ford did all the engineering and testing on the newer cars, and licensed the Shelby name to sell them. there might have been some work with Shelby on somethings, but Ford was doing all the heavy lifting. they could probably cut $10k off the price of the car by not putting the Shelby badges on it and paying the licensing fee..

In reply to novaderrik:

Not sure how that relates to my post. I agree about Ford's involvement, but Shelby takes stock mustangs and does the conversion to make them Shelby's just like they did in 1965. Ford helped them with the development back then also. None of this is anything new. I was only trying to point out that one, they weren't producing Shelby Mustangs a decade ago, and two, they do add performance. There's a whole market out there for people that want to have a modified car with a warranty, that they don't have to build themselves, and they are willing to pay a premium for that. I'm not one of those people myself, but I understand the thinking. I'm not sure why any of this surprises anyone.

bravenrace wrote: They didn't start doing Mustangs again until 2005, and as far as I know, every one of them increased performance over the car they were based on.

'07 was the first of the S197 Shelbys, and I'd argue with your "increased performance" statement. The Shelby GT was simply a normal GT with the FRPP Power and Handling packs preinstalled (thus making it legal for stock class AX), and the GT-500 was the obvious S197 interpretation of the SVT Cobra. There's nothing from a functional/performance standpoint that either wasn't already available from Ford or wouldn't have been available from Ford if they hadn't had Shelby's involvement.

The Shelby GT-H actually came out in 2006, and I believe every Shelby Mustang from that point on has had more horsepower and better handling than any other Mustang available from Ford at the same time. Yes, you can buy parts and do the same thing - Hell, my '65 Mustang out performs a '65 Shelby - but you can't do it yourself and still have a warranty in most cases. That's what tuners do, they take parts and modify a car. What you are paying for is their expertise in making the whole package work. I'm not a person that would buy one of these cars new, but to say Shelby never added any performance to a Mustang is absolutely incorrect.