Top Gear - Shelby GT500 review (vid)

[300bhp/ton]

Here's a review from last Sunday's Top Gear of the Shelby GT500:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BbXZN0Gkv4


Personally I don't think its the best review in the world and kinda misses the point of a muscle car, but its still quite a good article

Although it does highlight that the GT500 is no circuit racer not even close. Sure it's fast but with 500bhp I guess many would have hoped it would be quicker around the circuit.

Top Gear track lap time:

Corvette Z06 1.22.4
Porsche Cayman 1.26.2
Lotus Exige 1.26.4
Chevrolet Corvette 1.26.8
Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 1.30.0
Subaru Impreza STI 1.30.1
Vauxhall Monaro VXR 1.30.1
Nissan 350Z 1.31.8
Mazda RX-8 1.31.8

EDIT: Ignore the :bs: from JC about the LSD, think he must be losing his marbles, lol.

 

[Klay]

I saw this review on another forum I visit but the guys on that show are beyond retarded. Don't they complain about the fact that the car doesn't make 500 hp to the wheels?

 

[300bhp/ton]

I saw this review on another forum I visit but the guys on that show are beyond retarded.

Why retarded???

Don't they complain about the fact that the car doesn't make 500 hp to the wheels?

Nope they put it on a dyno and as is more custom over here they would have calculated flywheel HP.

Over here almost no one gives a f*ck about rwhp.

 

[Psychopilot]

RWHP + RWTQ > all others forms of measurement

 

[ac427cobra]

Why retarded???

Because they don't understand the difference between flywheel HP and RWHP!! :loser:

Over here almost no one gives a f*ck about rwhp.

Over here, that is ALL we are concerned with! What the car puts DOWN!! op:

:thumbsup: :coolman: :beer:

 

[black01mustang]

Why retarded???


Nope they put it on a dyno and as is more custom over here they would have calculated flywheel HP.

Over here almost no one gives a f*ck about rwhp.

Ya especially since that's the first time they have ever done rwhp since I've seen the show they don't even do rwhp for the roush.

 

[GTSpartan]

Regardless of what their error was with flywheel vs rearwheel HP, the car didn't put up a very good showing on the road course considering it had 500hp and 14" Brembos.

 

[Steve@TF]

Regardless of what their error was with flywheel vs rearwheel HP, the car didn't put up a very good showing on the road course considering it had 500hp and 14" Brembos.

well it beat out the 350z, the S4 and sti all of which im sure their fanboys would loudly protest to. and it scored right under a vette which is pretty damn good considering. what JC fails to realize is that the Roush is a rather modded mustang, suspension and all, while the Shelby has an everyman daily driver suspension set up. the Roush also has that same "prehistoric" live axle that they loved bashing on so much. throw in a set of springs in that shelby and im sure it would be a different outcome.

"honestly, I'd have one of those if i was the sort of person that looked at my sister and thought, Mmm"
lmao! :lol: :rollseyes

 

[GTSpartan]

well it beat out the 350z, the S4 and sti all of which im sure their fanboys would loudly protest to. and it scored right under a vette which is pretty damn good considering. what JC fails to realize is that the Roush is a rather modded mustang, suspension and all, while the Shelby has an everyman daily driver suspension set up. the Roush also has that same "prehistoric" live axle that they loved bashing on so much. throw in a set of springs in that shelby and im sure it would be a different outcome.

"honestly, I'd have one of those if i was the sort of person that though, Mmm"
lmao! :lol: :rollseyes

I do think they were a little hard on the car, but they are with every U.S car they test, so no big deal. This just hits home a little more on this site for obvious reasons. The roads in Europe are not long and strait like here, so they notice cars that don't quite handle as crisply as what they are used to.

While the GT500 should never be compared to any vette becasue they are in two different categories, losing by over 3 secs to a car with 100 less HP is losing by a ton.

 

[jordan_m6]

Some body needs to assassinate those Guys. First the Lightning and now the GT 500. Why does england put people on shows when they dont even know what they are talking about. I can tell you specs on a car to if i read them.

 

[dgussin1]

I do think they were a little hard on the car, but they are with every U.S car they test, so no big deal. This just hits home a little more on this site for obvious reasons. The roads in Europe are not long and strait like here, so they notice cars that don't quite handle as crisply as what they are used to.

While the GT500 should never be compared to any vette becasue they are in two different categories, losing by over 3 secs to a car with 100 less HP is losing by a ton.

with your logic, the cayenne TT S should put a whooping on a Z06. :bash:

 

[SaleenSpeed]

I agree with GTSpartan. The Shelby should beat 350z's and STi's with what, 200hp more than either? Being behind the standard c6 by so much is pretty bad. I am kinda tired of people defending the car so heavily when it comes to its road course performance. Of course the car is more of a muscle car than a track runner, but with all the hype behind its handling abilities when it was being developed, I expected more on the track.

 

[wizbangdoodle]

I just have 1 question....what is a GT390? hahahahaha

It's just a GT with a 390 you idiot.

That is the difference between us here in the states and them. We have open roads and quarter mile racing is very popular. They like road courses and handling is everything to them. To each his own, they just don't understand the American mindset.

 

[Steve@TF]

I agree with GTSpartan. The Shelby should beat 350z's and STi's with what, 200hp more than either? Being behind the standard c6 by so much is pretty bad. I am kinda tired of people defending the car so heavily when it comes to its road course performance. Of course the car is more of a muscle car than a track runner, but with all the hype behind its handling abilities when it was being developed, I expected more on the track.

well a Lotus Exige will kick a C6's ass and it has more than 200hp less. so does the vette suck too? :shrug:

 

[GTSpartan]

well a Lotus Exige will kick a C6's ass and it has more than 200hp less. so does the vette suck too? :shrug:

It beat it by .4 sec and it comes with race rubber from the factory. No excuses, just not exactly an apples to apples comparision.

 

[dgussin1]

It beat it by .4 sec and it comes with race rubber from the factory. No excuses, just not exactly an apples to apples comparision.

neither is compairing a muscle car to a sports car. :smmon:

 

[GTSpartan]

with your logic, the cayenne TT S should put a whooping on a Z06. :bash:

I'm not hating at all on it. They just exposed the 500's weak suit, and since europe doens't look at drag racing like we do, they are going to gear the show more towards track performance.

Any way you want to slice-n-dice it, 1:30 is not very impressive for a car of that caliber.

Don't get all butt hurt and offended just because they gave it less than stellar reviews. They did the same thing to the other U.S. cars tested. Enjoy the car for what it was designed for.

 

[GTSpartan]

neither is compairing a muscle car to a sports car. :smmon:

Agreed, but I never see a shortage of vids and kill stories on here about killing sports cars and exotics.

If you want to see all those comparisions, be ready to accept the other not so flattering ones. When you win, it's all, "overpriced, underperforming POS xyz car", but when you don't fair so well it's "not in the same category, way more expensive, yada yada".

 

[Steve@TF]

how does the Viper compare?

 

[GTSpartan]

how does the Viper compare?

to what?