The program is part of an initiative by Classic Recreations, an officially-licensed manufacturer of Ford and Shelby to build the next generation of modern high-performance vehicles with iconic classic American styling. Along with the Mustang, the company has plans to launch a Shelby-licensed all-carbon-fibre-bodied Cobra.
Each car starts with the steel tub of an original Mustang body which is then fitted with all-new carbon fibre body panels. A 3D digital model is made of the car and a five-axis CNC machine cuts the moulds, and then plugs and panels are pulled using aerospace-grade pre-preg carbon fibre.
The moulded carbon fibre body panels are cured using an in-house autoclave. The result is the world’s first officially-licensed Shelby Mustang that is lighter and stronger than an all-steel body and has perfect carbon fibre weave alignment.
Since 1998, Mr Shelby believed that carbon fibre would be the future of American sports car manufacturing. We believe the introduction of a carbon-fibre GT500 Mustang and Cobra is a natural next step in the evolution of these iconic vehicles.
Neil Cummings, Co-CEO of Carroll Shelby International
GT500CR models are available with several engine options, ranging from a 490-horsepower Ford Performance Gen 3 5.0L Coyote crate engine up to a 900-horsepower, a hand-built 427-cubic-inch engine with an intercooled ProCharger supercharger. All Shelby GT500CR models are equipped with a Tremec five-speed manual transmission and a stainless-steel MagnaFlow performance exhaust.
According to Classic Restorations, SpeedKore has 3D-scanned a complete GT500CR and is currently in production making a prototype with the first vehicle scheduled to be finished in June.