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The Shelby 1000 is based on the current-generation Mustang, and it's the most powerful and fastest Shelby Mustang ever produced by Shelby American.
Carroll Shelby developed vehicles with tremendous performance and considerable track prowess starting in the 1960s. Shelby laid the groundwork for some of the most fantastic handling, powerful, and coveted Mustangs ever made when Shelby and Ford teamed up to construct the Shelby GT and Shelby GT500.
Shelby used the GT500 to develop the wildly popular Super Snake; in its most powerful configuration, the Super Snake was capable of 10-second quarter-mile times at speeds close to 140 mph and 850 horsepower. Still, Shelby believed that a Mustang with 1,000 or more horsepower was still lacking.
With further planning and calculation, Shelby created a masterpiece, the Shelby 1000. The original Shelby 1000 model, which debuted in 2011 and is based on the fifth-generation GT500, is closely connected to the GT500.
The initial iteration of the vehicle, which was available in street and 1000 S/C track variants, retired in 2012. The 1000 made a comeback in 2013, this time based on the GT500 and sporting a 5.8-liter V-8 in place of the previous 5.4-liter engine. The S/C track package and the street package were both available.
The package, which was also a GT500 upgrade, dropped from the market in 2014 after only two years on sale.
Here are some things you probably didn't know about the Ford Mustang Shelby 1000
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The 2011 Ford Shelby GT500 is an aggressive-style vehicle, with its blower producing a pleasant whine when the driver revs the engine over 5,000 rpm. But you'd need to be on a racetrack or a lonely desert route to get that engine speed in any gear other than second. The GT500 is an absolute muscle, with 550 horsepower.
And with the SVT Performance package, one would need to be on a track to appreciate this car fully. The GT500's handling skills are surprisingly good thanks to stiffer springs and Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperCar G:2 tires.
Drive over the typically cracked surface of public roads, and the automobile transforms into a torture dungeon, sending every shock to the passengers within.
This is one insanely quick automobile, as you might anticipate. The vintage Shelby GT500 accelerates from 0 to 62 mph in 4.1 seconds, thanks to its 5.8-liter V8 engine. That is about comparable to supercars from the previous generation. On the other hand, the top speed reaches only 155 mph.
The Shelby 1000 made its official premiere at the New York International Auto Show in 2012. A street-legal and a track-legal version of the 2012 Shelby 1000 were available. A 920 hp supercharged and intercooled engine was installed in the 1000 versions for on-the-road use, while a 1,100 hp track version was available.
Both variants had hand-built engines with forged internals, ported heads, and cooling and fuel systems upgrades.
Shelby updated the Mustang body with chassis bracing in crucial areas, strengthened the clutch, and swapped the standard 8.8 rear end housing for a more durable Ford 9-inch unit to handle the tremendous power. Shelby replaced the factory brakes with 6-piston calipers up front, and 4-piston calipers in the back since the factory brakes would not do.
The Shelby 1000 still had a 6-speed manual transmission, but an upgraded driveshaft provided the power instead. Other modifications included firmer springs along with sway bars, bushings, struts, and shocks that matched the springs.
Ford increased the GT500's power output from 550 horses to 662 horses, which they accomplished with some engine improvements in 2013. Shelby American built the following Shelby 1000 on the foundation of these upgrades.
Acceleration was unlike anything else on the road for Shelby 1000 owners from 2013 to 2014.
Starting with a BIG 3.6-liter Kenne Bell supercharger that is fed with a free-breathing 4.5-inch air intake and a big throttle body capable of flowing 1,850 cfm, the engine is completely prepped and benefits from forged pistons, ported DOHC cylinder heads, titanium valve springs, and other upgrades.
A modernized fuel system and 72 lb-hr injectors support the boosted and intercooled Ford engine, and 3-inch Shelby/Borla pipes are used for exhaust exit. Amazingly, this combo has a horsepower output of almost 1,200.
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The 5.2-liter supercharged engine in the starter kit replaces the factory V8 and has best-in-class internals, a classic 90-degree crank, reworked GT350 cylinder heads, and a 4.5-liter Whipple supercharger.
Shelby has a long list of components required to produce or maintain a thousand horsepower, including a new high-flow fuel system, an intercooler, a transmission, an ECU, and tuning. Its artisans' bespoke bodywork then widens the car's track.
The Shelby 1000 has a redesigned front fascia assembly comprising a grille, cooling ducts, and a front splitter on the exterior. Additionally, it has many original components, including a hood, front fenders, rockers, quarter panels, rear diffuser, and exhaust.
Before adding a fully adjustable coil-over suspension, a massive Brembo brake system, stronger spindles and hubs, reinforced wheel studs, bigger wheels, and tires, Shelby increased the car's front and rear tracks.
Marcus is a car enthusiast who loves writing about them. He travels frequently and always seeks out the best driving roads to really test a car's limits. His favorite cars are anything with a manual transmission, and he's been known to spend hours just shifting through all the gears.