3,656 Actual Mile GT500 Evolution Stage 6 Convertible

As the father of the American muscle car Carroll Shelby was a larger-than-life legend who, through almost a century of unmatched talent and innovation, made many enthusiasts dreams come true. And even at a fiery 89 years old he still brought us cars like this 2010 Shelby GT500, and STILL inspired dedicated companies like Evolution Performance to tweak its driving potential to the point of borderline unbelievable. Shelby's legacy will always be about numbers: performance, horsepower, displacement and yes, even production. And this 2010 Evolution Stage 6 convertible honors that tradition with sub ten second trap speeds, 850 dyno-proven horsepower, a blown 5.4 liter V8 and double digit exclusivity. If you're looking for sheer presence, there will never be a bigger American performance icon than Carroll Shelby; and this professionally built ragtop, with its buff powertrain, race-ready suspension and all-business black on black color combination seems a perfectly fitting tribute.

With barely 3,600 miles on its odometer, this 2010 GT500 convertible is the first Stage 6 built for the 2010 model year and the 19th car built throughout Evolution's entire multi-year run. Its factory window sticker, which is included with the sale, lists the following options and standard equipment.

STANDARD EQUIPMENT INCLUDED AT NO EXTRA CHARGE:

* Aluminum hood with air extractor
* Integrated fog lamps
* Lemans top stripes with GT500 side rocker stripes
* 18x9.5 mach aluminum wheels
* Rear decklid spoiler
* Power cloth convertible top
* ----------
* Sport bucket seats with racing stripe inserts
* Shaker 500 audio system with six CD changer
* SYNC voice activated system
* Sirius satellite service
* Air conditioning
* ----------
* SVT tuned suspension
* 3.55 limited slip axle
* High performance tires – P255/45ZR18 front and P285/40ZR18 rear
* Brembo front brakes with 14 inch vented discs
* Power windows, locks and mirrors
* Tuned stainless steel exhaust with four inch tips
* Easy fuel capless filler
* ----------
* AdvanceTrac with ESC
* Anti-lock brakes and traction control
* Driver and passenger airbags
* Side airbags
* SOS post-crash alert system
* Latch child safety system
* Securilock PASS anti-theft
* Tire pressure monitoring system

OPTIONAL EQUIPMENT:

* Black cloth convertible roof ($00)
* 50 state emissions ($00)
* Tape stripe delete ($00)
* Over the top stripe delete ($00)
* HID headlamps ($525)
* Dual zone air conditioning ($00)
* Electronics package ($2,195)
* Shelby GT500 car cover ($375)

STANDARD VEHICLE PRICE: $51,325

TOTAL OPTIONS: $3,095

GAS GUZZLER TAX: $1,000

DESTINATION & DELIVERY: $850

TOTAL VEHICLE PRICE: $56,270

Completely optioned by Tidelands Ford in Pawleys Island, South Carolina, and now fully assembled by Ford's Flat Rock, Michigan manufacturing facility, this sinister Shelby hopped a truck directly to Evolution Performance in Aston, Pennsylvania where, with only 10 miles on its odometer, it received the following upgrades:

* Evolution/Kenny Bell Competition Kit: $6,500
* Black billet fuel rails: $509
* Heat exchanger with fans: $750
* High capacity radiator: $750
* Shelby Automotive coolant tank, intercooler reservoir and power steering tank: $930
* Blue valve covers: $345
* Chrome coil covers: $300
* Spec ST Twin Disc Clutch: $1,800
* 1 and 7/8 inch stainless steel long tube headers with an off-road X-pipe: $1,950
* Big Body mufflers: $725
* Gloss black paint on all plastic body components: $1,500
* Custom dyno tune and program: $600
* Steeda shifter: $325
* Aluminum driveshaft and 3.75 Ford Racing rear end: $1,749
* Ultimate “Lowering” Suspension kit and convertible frame reinforcements: $1,575
* New shocks and struts: $600
* Front and rear sway bars: $425
* Alignment: $80
* 20” chrome/black wheels and tires, TPMS sensors and bands: $8,500
* Baer/Shelby Extreme Plus brake system with red calipers front and rear: $6,400
* Exhaust bung: $60
* Carbon fiber GT500 engine caps: $700
* Cervini Styling Bar – All Black with matching paint and matte black strips: $650
* Custom trunk enclosure with dual bottles and spraying snake at front grill: $2,950
* Nexus fuel pressure, boost and wideband gauges with dash pod and push button start: $1,325
* Painted Flat Black stripes: $2,500
* Custom glass inlay with car's serial number and owner's name: $2,800
* Labor: $8,770

TOTAL UPGRADES: $54,823

DYNO RESULTS: 850 horsepower and 750 lb./ft. of torque

The guys at SVT must've known that people spending more than $50,000 on a new car expect a different level of fit and finish; and with this top of the line GT500, they certainly delivered. Featuring smooth, high gloss black surfaces and gaps that are so narrow they're barely even noticeable, it is by far one of the nicest factory Fords we've ever seen. And when you mix that precise level of assembly with Evolution's painted matte black stripes and subtle visual enhancements, you get a menacing neoclassic which features both a high-end luxury car presence and a healthy dose of two-lane American attitude. Of course, this Shelby has never seen a body shop, because it's a 100% accident and damage-free show piece that has been in the hands of one loving owner since the day it arrived at the dealership. And there's nothing on the car that could even be considered shelf wear, much less regular use.

Combining sculpted, muscular sheetmetal and well-planned appearance upgrades with a buttoned down stance and clean, modern detailing, this awesome Shelby takes Ford designer J. Mays' theme of 'retro-futurism' and literally brings it to life. At the front of the car a Shelby-specific grille hangs an offset cobra emblem, which comes complete with a built in nitrous purge valve, between two intricately detailed headlights, a fully finished front valence and traditional halogen fog lamps. At the top of the car, a GT500-exclusive aluminum hood props an integrated and functional air extractor in front of chip-free factory glass, a fully-finished Cervini speedster cover and a factory fresh cloth top that's equipped with a glass rear window. At the sides of the car, large cobra emblems hang above larger Evolution Stage 6 emblems which parallel painted factory rocker extensions. And at the back of the car, a large trunk-mounted spoiler rides above pristine factory tail lights, a bold “SHELBY” decklid script, a GT500-exclusive faux fuel filler emblem and a sculpted rear bumper that wraps an aggressive black splitter around huge stainless exhaust tips.

Obviously this blacked out pony car looks spectacular, but its biggest selling point is the hand built, supercharged 5.4 liter V8 which rumbles under its lightweight hood. Cranking out a dyno proven 850 horsepower and a Shanghai shaking 750 lb./ft. of torque, this revolutionary DOHC mill combines a proven Ford mod motor foundation with an individually tuned component build from Evolution Performance. At the top of the engine, a Kenne Bell Mammoth supercharger sucks air through a 130mm air intake that's fronted by a large, re-usable filter element. That swift moving air mixes with a high pressure fuel mist that's supplied by Evolution's own black billet fuel rails and 72lb fuel injectors; and fire is provided by fresh coils which prop Project 321 billet coil covers next to Project 321 billet engine caps. Ford's stalwart iron block then utilizes a forged steel crankshaft and factory high flow heads, which are capped by blue Ford Racing valve covers, to turn killer compression into serious motivation. And finally, stainless American Racing long tube headers send spent gases whirling into an off road X-pipe and Ford Racing Big Body mufflers. Twist the key and the beefed up 5.4 liter rumbles to life, sending a snarling warning to any would be competitors within a one block radius. Goose the throttle and the Belle twin screw supercharger zings the engine toward redline with surprising efficiency. Pop the clutch and the car springs forward like a freshly christened cruise missile before settling into docile acceleration that's seemingly effortless thanks to tons of power. Aesthetically, this engine bay shows virtually no signs of wear and tear at all with everything from the car's sequentially numbered Evolution badge to its painted plastic parts presenting a showroom fresh appearance. And a nice set of “Shelby” branded C&R Racing tanks combine with a high capacity radiator, a 170 degree thermostat, a heat exchanger that's complete with built in fans, and slick carbon fiber inlayed “GT500” caps to provide both form and function.

Underneath this Shelby, Evolution took the best hardware from Ford's already impressive GT500 chassis and added a few choice parts which make the most of the car's top notch performance. Behind the block, a slick-shifting 6-speed manual transmission sends power from a Spec ST twin-disc clutch to a 3.5 inch aluminum driveshaft and an Eaton Detroit TruTrac differential that's equipped with both 3.73 Ford Racing gears and a slick Ford Racing axle girdle. As most performance car fans already know, this Shelby's SVT tuned suspension is nothing short of excellent; but with a few tweaks and aftermarket bolt-ons, it sticks to the corners like the high speed luge winner at the 2010 Winter Olympics. Evolution's upgrades include: Evolution upper control arm mounts, Evolution adjustable upper control arms, Steeda billet lower control arms, Steeda upper strut mounts, Ford Racing shocks and struts, Ford Racing lowering springs, a Steeda bumpsteer kit, an Evolution panhard bar and panhard bar brace, and Ford Racing front and rear sway bars. Naturally, Ford's standard stability and traction control systems are still present and accounted for. Stops are provided by a Baer Extreme Plus front and rear big brake kit which utilizes bright red, “Shelby” branded calipers to squeeze giant drilled and slotted rotors. And exhaust flows through fresh, true dual pipes which make great use of an off road X-pipe crossover, Ford Racing Big Body mufflers and bright chrome tips. All this first class speed and agility rides on a set of massive 20 inch Series II alloy wheels which are mounted to super sticky 255/35 front and 305/30 rear Toyo Proxy radials. And although the Shelby GT500 convertible is a little softer than the coupe, it's not likely you'll notice thanks to this car's strategically place frame reinforcements.

Inside this killer convertible, highly bolstered leather sport seats with stitched suede inserts and cool Cobra logos fit like a glove; and a leather wrapped and suede clad tilt steering wheel with convenient thumb buttons sports a snake on its hub. The instrument panel is a familiar dual-pod layout which features a programmable “SVT” shift light inside of large, graphite faced gauges. And below great looking metal dash trim, which is complete with a third large Evolution Stage 6 emblem, a Shaker 500 stereo combines with Sirius Satellite radio, touch screen navigation and Ford's revolutionary SYNC system to become a one-stop shop for all your electronic needs. Between the seats, a slick Steeda Tri-Ax shifter is framed by a suede boot which sits inside a Shelby branded console. All of Evolution's modifications including the fully adjustable Nexus digital A-pillar gauges, a pushbutton start that's hidden between the car's middle dash vents, a body-matched roll bar and a key fob for the grille mounted nitrous purge are present and accounted for. And naturally, all the luxuries you'd expect in a high dollar modern car are ready and waiting including: cruise control, power windows, power door locks, power mirrors, power seats, a power trunk, and remote keyless entry with a built in theft deterrent system. It's always hard to describe a car that is essentially new in every way. So I'll just sum this Mustang up by saying that everything is in impeccable working order, from the ice cold air conditioning to Ford's super cool MyColor interior lighting and red lit SVT sill plates.

Documentation for this GT500 Evolution Stage 6 includes all the stuff you'd expect from what is essentially a brand new car. The new owner will receive a small stack of original dealership paperwork, official Ford paperwork which includes the factory window sticker outlined above, a 2010 Mustang quick reference guide, the Evolution Performance parts and price list outlined above, official Evolution Performance before and after dyno sheets, component paperwork and covers for the car's speedster tonneau, a factory GT500 car cover, an SCT flash tool, and all the factory parts that were removed during the Stage 6 conversion.

There's no question this GT500 is both an instant collectable AND a serious threat on the streets. With its classic good looks and killer performance improvements, this snake will even have Viper drivers checking their rear-view mirrors. Authenticity, pedigree, and performance are what make vintage Shelby's blue chip collectables today. In the future, those same things will make cars like this Evolution Stage 6 just as unique!