Classic Recreations has unveiled a limited-edition, resto-modded Mustang that looks like it raced right out of a Hot Wheels catalog. It features a carbon fiber body, and it's powered by a supercharged V8 engine.
Wisconsin-based SpeedKore, which is known for building a carbon fiber-bodied Dodge Challenger Demon, helped make the concept a reality. It relied on original Shelby molds to create an accurate replica of a 1967-1968 Mustang body using woven carbon fiber, and it installed it over the original steel substructure. Some 600 pounds were lost during the conversion, a diet which, according to the tuner, gives the Carbon Edition Shelby GT500CR a power-to-weight ratio that's on par with most exotic supercars.
Leaving the powertrain and the chassis stock would have been far too easy, so Classic Recreations installed a supercharged, 5.0-liter V8 in the engine bay and tuned it to develop 810 horsepower, a figure that eclipses the 2020 GT500. It spins the 18-inch rear wheels via a six-speed manual transmission sourced from Tremec. Wilwood brakes, a hydraulic steering rack, an adjustable coil-over suspension, tubular subframe connectors, a stainless-steel MagnaFlow exhaust, and a roll bar are also found on the list of modifications.
Building a Carbon Edition Shelby GT500CR takes between 12 and 18 months, depending on how it's configured. Classic Recreations is licensed by Ford to build continuation cars, and it's the company Shelby outsources production of its classic models to, so every Carbon Edition will join the Shelby Registry.
Classic Recreations will make 25 examples of the Carbon Edition Shelby GT500CR, and pricing starts at $298,000 before options are factored in. It costs more than a Lamborghini Huracán Evo, and almost as much as a Rolls-Royce Ghost. That figure includes the cost of shipping the car to Shelby's headquarters near the Las Vegas airport, a one-night stay in a luxury hotel, a private tour of Shelby's facility, and a gift package. Classic Recreations also noted it will make a meaningful donation to the Carroll Shelby Foundation in the owner's name.
Several extra-cost add-ons are available, including a touchscreen-based infotainment system with navigation and an upgraded sound system. Motorists who require a metric instrument cluster will need to pay an additional $500, and those who want a right-hand drive car will have to add $12,500 to the bottom line.