In 1968, Carroll Shelby decided that he would make a statement on his newest GT500 that there were no other cars on the street that could compete.  That car was the GT500KR…the King of the Road.  The Shelby Mustangs, which hit the streets in 1965 with the GT350 models, had already secured themselves a solid reputation for being track-ready yet street legal by 1967 when the GT500 was introduced.  Like the GT350, the GT500 had styling cues that clearly separated it from the Ford Mustangs, but where the GT350 offered only a 271 horsepower small block, the GT500 packed a very conservatively rated 335 horsepower big block.  Along with the other additions, such as the padded roll bar and racing harnesses, the GT500 was a huge success, outselling the GT350 almost two to one.  However, this was a time when the hardest part about being the meanest car on the street didn’t just entail getting there, but staying there, so for 1968, Carroll Shelby had a plan for his GT500.  That plan included introducing the Cobra name to the Shelby lineup for the first time along with the King of the Road name, which had been rumored to be a trimline on the upcoming Chevrolet Camaro, so Shelby beat GM to the punch and used the name on his new Cobra.

The 1968 GT500 received Ford’s 428 Cobra Jet engine, rated at 360 horsepower, along with all of the same upgrades as the 1967 model, but around the middle of the model year, Shelby introduced his next GT500, carrying the KR moniker. On paper, the GT500KR may not seem like anything special, as the ratings were far below their true abilities in the name of lower insurance rates.  The quoted 335 horsepower of the KR was estimated to be about 20% below the actual power, putting the real amount closer to 400.  To achieve this amount, Shelby started with the same 428CJ from the GT500, but they added a set of cylinder heads from the Ford 427 race engine, but the ports were enlarged for better flow and those ports were fed by a dual plane intake manifold carrying the large Holley carburetor.  The connecting rods and crankshaft were stronger than the previous 428CJ engine, and a set of slightly lower compression alloy pistons finished off the upgraded rotating assembly.  Helping the GT500KR handle the turns was a full suspension redesign, with heavy duty shocks in the front and staggered heavy duty shocks in the rear; power disc brakes up front and huge rear drum brakes in the rear helped the car stop.  Production of the GT500KR was limited to only 1968, as in 1969 Ford Motor Company released their own ultra-high performance big block Mustang in the form of the Boss 429, which began the gradual demise of the Shelby models, but the 1968 KRs saw around 933 fastback units and around 318 drop top units.  Those were small numbers, even for a special edition model such as this, but those few units have locked the GT500KR in automotive history books.  It would be fitting that this legendary performance car would return in 2008, forty years after the original hit the streets, and with the 2007 Detroit International Auto Show debut, Ford and Shelby confirmed that the rumors of a KR rebirth were true.

The American performance car market was shaken up by the return of the GT500 for the 2007 model year, and this 500 horsepower beast looked to dominate the street scene.  Shelby worked with Ford’s Special Vehicle Team (SVT), which has been responsible for all of the high performance Ford models since 1993, which includes the Ford Lightning performance truck and all of the Ford Mustang Cobra models, and the return of the GT500 proved to be the most successful of the SVT models.  But like in 1967, there was competition all around and with the constant increase in power and performance from the Chevrolet Corvette and the threat of the newest Dodge Challenger, Shelby and SVT didn’t stop at the GT500.  Both parties knew that they needed more punch so similar to what they did in 1968, they started with a GT500 and added some of the same features to make it the King of the Road that helped the original achieve that status.

The first change to the KR was the retuned 5.4L Ford V8, similar to that found in the Ford GT Supercar and the GT500.  The engine received a Ford Racing Power Upgrade Pack which includes a change to the ignition timing and throttle settings, along with a new induction system and high performance Ford Racing exhaust system to help this monster make its 540 horsepower and 510 ft-lbs of torque.  The power is sent from the engine to the wheels by means of a Tremec TR6060 6-speed manual transmission shifted by means of Ford’s own short throw shifter, and out back the GT500KR has a higher ratio rear differential, increased to 3.73:1 from the 3.31:1 found in the GT500.  Race track testing allowed SVT and Shelby to equip the GT500KR was a full race ready suspension, tuned for optimum launch and handling capabilities, utilizing improved springs, dampers, and stabilizer bars. 

The styling of the GT500 included items such as a redesigned front fascia and integrated rear spoiler, to help the Cobra models stand out from the Ford models, and the KR uses the same exterior design, with some added cues to make this new legend unique from the other Shelby models.  The first is the carbon fiber hood, which shares a similar design to the original GT500KR with two wide, flat openings at the front edge of the hood, helping to feed the engine, and helping to vent the excess heat from the engine bay is a pair of slotted vents on the raised portion towards the back of the hood. Aiding in keeping the braking system cooler under heavy braking, the front fascia holds two chrome trimmed openings that feed air to the front brakes.  Also similar to the 1968 GT500KR, the stripes running along the bottom edge of the car carry the name, and directly above the integrated badging rests the famed Cobra logo, this time flanked by some extra flare announcing the 40^th Anniversary of this beast. Finishing off the exterior trim is the addition of the custom GT500KR-unique wheels, and spread across the front and back of the car is the Shelby name; another cue taken from the 1968 Shelby models. 

The interior of the new GT500KR may have more frills than the original, with such luxurious features as a rear seat, a stereo system, air conditioning, and no roll cage, but it does have some additions to make the interior stand apart from the Mustang GT, and the GT500.  The KR comes with leather race-inspired bucket seats, with the Cobra logo stamped into the seatback and embroidered into the headrest is the GT500KR logo and Carroll Shelby’s signature.  The final touch is the dash plaque which states that it is indeed an official GT500KR, and this plaque includes Carroll Shelby’s signature, the model name, and the serial number (the serial is comprised of the year of the car, KR for the trim line, and the production sequence number).

There is no official price for the new GT500KR yet, but considering that the GT500 has an MSRP of around $41,000 US dollars, there are discussions around the internet that the King of the Road edition will likely fetch at least $10,000 more, plus dealership markups based on availability.  What is the availability, you ask? Well, like the original GT500KR which was around a thousand units, the modern KR is rumored to offer only a thousand units, so these will likely move very quickly and buyers will likely have to deal with a large markup, but that has become commonplace for these super rare high performance models (keep in mind that the GT500 early models were seeing

$20,000 markups over the $41,000 MSRP).  Only 1000 units, which are being considered collectors items months before they have even begun production, will most likely mean that you will not be seeing many of these around the streets or tracks, but it is certain that this third chapter of the modern Shelby Mustang (following the GT500 and the Shelby GT) will do the original GT500KR proud, and it will only go to continue the mystique of the fabled King of the Road name and the Shelby performance name, while helping Ford Motor Company keep the Ford Mustang atop the American performance car market.

General Motors has a rumored high performance Camaro coming out, possibly using the LS7 from the Corvette Z06, and with the Dodge Challenger being introduced with more rumors about what engines might be offered in that rebirth of a legend, the Mustang will surely have some stiff competition in the upcoming months, but for now, the 540 horsepower GT500KR is again the top dog of the pony car market, and if we should see a price in the mid 50 thousand dollar range, the KR offers more “bang for the buck” than any other car sold in the US.  We are months away from the expected release in spring of 2008, but for now gearheads around the US and the world are lined up waiting to catch a glimpse of the new king, from the Detroit Auto Show to the 2007 SEMA Show in Las Vegas (the home of Shelby Automobiles), the general consensus of most people reviewing this car has been “All Hail the King”.