Modern Muscle Cars Lead by 2013 Shelby Super Snake

Shelby GT500 Super Snake

Vintage muscle cars are not the only cars that remain in high demand. Shelby American, a wholly owned subsidiary of Carroll Shelby International Inc. (CSBI:PK), is now offering the most powerful versions of the Shelby GT500 Super Snake for the 2013 model year in the company’s 50 year history.

Production Muscle Cars With 850 HP?

With a base model rated at 662 HP and an optional 850 HP version, the limited edition 2013 Shelby GT500 Super Snake also features new styling cues, color options and optional performance upgrades at a lower base price. Only 500 total 2013 Super Snakes will be built; the car is available as a coupe or convertible in the entire color palette offered by Ford Motor Company on the Shelby GT500.

Super Snake Package in High Demand by Muscle Car Enthusiasts

“When Ford launched the 2013 Shelby GT500, we were bombarded with requests for Shelby American to offer a Super Snake package for the car,” said John Luft, president of Shelby American. “Our team worked closely with Ford Racing and other key partners to develop our new fire breathing snake. The result is the most powerful base model Super Snake ever at 662 horsepower, which is available at prices lower than previous models. By checking off a few boxes in the series of optional equipment, you can take home a street-legal 850 horsepower version that runs on pump gas.”

Muscle Car Specs Out of the Shelby American Box

For the 2013 model year, Shelby American takes the stock Ford GT500 and kicks it up to the next performance level with new options and styling changes. Customers can choose between Satin Black or Gloss White stripes to be paired with new wheels in Satin Black or Bright Silver Metallic, along with new silver and blue stripes paired with limited base vehicle colors. Offered for the first time in Shelby American’s history will be a choice of rear-only or front and rear “wide body” packages with an optional 14 inch rear wheel and tire package, as seen on the Carroll Shelby Tribute car developed by Ford and Shelby American that was unveiled in Monterey.

The 2013 Shelby GT500 Super Snake will make an appearance at the upcoming Barrett-Jackson collector car auction in Las Vegas, September 27 – 29. “The Shelby GT500 Super Snake has been the big dog of the Shelby American lineup,” added Shelby American Vice President of Production Gary Davis. “With Ford’s new 2013 Shelby GT500 having 662 hp right out of the box, along with our new wide body putting 14 inches of rubber on the ground, this car will be a game changer when it comes to power to the pavement performance.”

Muscle Cars Specs to Drool Over

The Shelby GT500 Super Snake is a post-title program based on the Ford Shelby GT500. The 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 Super Snake post title package includes:
• Standard base tune is 662 HP and 631 ft./lbs. of torque
• 6-speed manual transmission with 3.31:1 rear axle ratio and short-throw shifter with optional 3.73:1
• Upgraded suspension package
• Shelby Performance cooling package with a new radiator, heat exchanger and aluminum cooling tanks
• New spoked Shelby-designed 20-inch wheels and performance tires
• Shelby / Borla exhaust system
• Optional Shelby / Ford Racing 850 hp Whipple supercharger or 850 hp Kenne Bell supercharger
• Forged Shelby / Wildwood brakes with 6 piston fronts and 4 piston rear calipers and cross drilled / vented rotors
• Front brake cooling ducts and behind the door side scoops
• Unique fiberglass hood featuring classic Shelby Super Snake design
• Shelby signature Super Snake stripes in either satin black, gloss white, silver or blue
• “Super Snake” vehicle badges, and unique CSM number interior and engine plates
• “Shelby” lettering across the rear deck lid
• Optional two tone leather interior
• Shelby signature embroidered headrests, floor mats and other Shelby designed components
The 2013 Shelby GT500 Super Snake post-title package starts at $28,995.00 for the 662 HP version and $39,995.00 for the 850 HP model, not including the base car. Only 500 of these cars will be built, all at the Shelby American factory in Las Vegas. Customers can build their dream Shelby Super Snake online with the “Build-One” program.

Read More : Muscle Cars – Shelby GT500 Super Snake Press Release

Muscle Cars : Shelby GT500 Super Snake Convertible

2013 Shelby GT500 Tweaked to Go Faster

The V-8 has go-faster tweaks like high-lift camshafts, while the drive train has been beefed up with a stronger clutch and transmission gears. Last year’s GT500 offered just 550 hp and 510 lb-ft.

The engine upgrades merited new Brembo brakes with six-pistons front calipers; a Performance package that includes Bilstein adaptive dampers and a Torsen limited-slip differential; and an optional Track package that features extra coolers for the engine oil, rear differential, and transmission. Like all 2013 Mustangs, the Shelby GT500 receives a modest facelift with a new grille, narrower headlights, and redesigned LED taillights.

Ford claims the 2013 GT500 coupe can hit 200 mph the convertible will will be limited to “only” 155 mph. Ford does brag the 2013 convertible is almost four seconds faster around the Sebring International Raceway circuit than the 2012 Shelby GT500.

The good looking beast is ready when you are. Go big, Go Ford Shelby GT500 and be prepared for a blast.

There has long been a special place in my heart for the 1955 Chevy Bel Air model. One of my college roommates had a solid black 1955 Chevy with an all-black interior. The all-black color combination gave the Chevy a mean and mean look. Back in the day my roommate and I would toss a cooler full of ice into the back seat and fill it with a case of Budweiser.

1955 Chevy Bel Air Became a Go To Beach Car

Then with the reckless abandonment of youth we would hit the road toward the Florida beaches that were overrun by thousands of college girls on spring break trying out their new bikinis. In the early 1960s the 1955 Chevy was a big hit among the college crowd. Man, those curvy cute college girls loved that mean lean machine.

The closer we got to the beach the faster the beer enhanced Chevy seemed to go. It seemed to anticipate that exciting times were waiting for us at the beach. Today I doubt that we would get very far down the road before being pulled over by the highway patrol.

Never Drink Excessively and Drive. How Did We Manage to Survive?

One should never drink excessively and drive. I’m sure that we knew that even then but armed with the overconfidence and feeling of indestructibility of youth we did it anyhow.

Luckily, the only time the 1955 Chevy was damaged was when my roommate drank a couple of six packs of Buds and then decided to go to the beach. He smacked the car into a tree before he reached the end of the driveway.

He wasn’t injured but immediately became the saddest most remorseful looking drunk I’ve ever seen. Like the German he loved that car. The 1955 Chevy is one automobile that brings back a flood of memories.

In 1970, the Chevelle SS series was redesigned to give the bodies a more squared up stance. The interiors were also redesigned to give the cars a more sporty look to go with the beefed-up performance.

The 1970 Chevy Chevelle LS-6, with 450 hp and 500 ft-lbf of torque, would provide 1/4 mile (400 m) drag strip performances in the low to mid-13 second range at 105–108 mph. This was out-of-the-box factory performance. The Chevy Chevelle SS 396 LS6 model soon became known as one of the fastest muscle cars around and quickly became a favorite of drag racing enthusiasts.

The LS-6 configuration gave 450 horses with solid-lifters and high-compression. The LS-6 Chevelle was one of the quickest muscle cars ever built. “You can make our tough one even tougher,” the Chevrolet brochure explained, “by adding Cowl Induction to either SS model. Step on the gas, and a scoop opens to shoot an extra breath of cool air into the engine air intake….like second wind to a distance runner.”

Ahhhhhhh, those muscle cars. And the 1970 Chevy Chevelle SS 396 LS-6 was, and still is, one of the most desired models of the lot.

!969 Dodge Charger Used as “General Lee” Car in “The Dukes of Hazzard” TV Show

The 1969 Dodge Charger is probably best known as one of the stars in The Dukes of Hazzard television series that ran from 1979 until 1985. In the TV show the “Duke Boys” eluded authorities in “The General Lee,” their famed 1969 orange Dodge Charger. The Hemi equipped Charger kept them one step ahead of the dimwitted antics of the small southern town’s Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane.

The 1964 to 1977 Muscle Car Era Was Exciting for Car Fans

The legendary Dodge Charger musclecar was produced from 1964 until 1977. This was the era of musclecar legend. The 1969 Charger probably best captured the musclecar craze of the period.

The snazzy new styling for 1970 did little to help declining sales. All muscle cars were now being hit by sagging buyer interest. One factor that affected sales of high performance cars was the punitive surcharges levied by automobile insurance companies.The out of this world insurance rates sometimes resulted in insurance payments higher than car payments.

Total 1970 Pontiac GTO sales were down to 40,149, of which 3,797 were for The Judge high performance model. The 455 cubic inch engine was available as an option on the standard GTO line but was not made available to The Judge until late in the year. Of the 3,797 factory production 1970 “The Judge” models only 168 convertibles were built.

In 1970, The GTO remained the third best-selling muscle car, outsold by the Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396/454 and Plymouth Road Runner. Today the GTO has become a highly desired muscle car with professionally restored and build out cars being sold at auction generally for $60,000-$100,000.

If you are a muscle car fan then you will love the Pontiac GTO convertible as shown in the video. That is one outstanding automobile.

Baby Boomers Big Buyers of Pony Cars Both New and Classic

One major driver of the revived pony car market is the fact that this year the first of the baby boomers reach the magic age of 65 years old. Many of these aging boomers are affluent enough to today buy the muscle pony car that they could only dream of in their youth. Nostalgia is a powerful factor in this revived pony car market and the baby boomer generation is used to having what they want.

Pony Cars Create a Feel Good Feeling

Apparently, driving around in a muscle car trumps the difficulties with the housing market, turmoil in the Middle East with its threat to crude oil supplies adding to high gasoline prices, and a poorly performing economy. In fact, pony car sales may be benefiting from the troubles of the day. Who can worry too much about matters beyond their control while tooling around in a high performance, great looking muscle car?

Technology Makes Pony Cars Better Than Ever

Another major factor in the resurgence of pony car popularity is the fact that the automotive engineers have achieved technical breakthroughs in engine performance and fuel economy, breaking, handling, paint, and the way the cars are tightly fitted and put together. The pony cars of today retain the muscular aggressive good looks of the cars of the 1960s and 1970s but are far better built automobiles that still have blistering performance and are far safer than the cars that inspired their design. Technology has indeed saved the day.

A great example of a 2012 pony car that respects its heritage and design features is the Ford Mustang. Any muscle car fan can see that the basic lines of the car are similar to the original 1964 1/2 Ford Mustang. However, the revised 2012 design is more refined with an aggressive yet handsome and modern look that screams muscle pony car.

The 2012 Ford Mustang offers a 31 miles per gallon, 305 hp V-6 engine or a 26 miles per gallon, 412 HP 5.0 liter engine. For those fans who want truly exceptional performance a 5.4L V8 supercharged, aluminum block 550 horsepower engine delivering 510 lb.-ft. of torque is available right out of the factory box.

As I was saying, the pony car craze remains alive and well. Long live the pony car.

1970 Super Bee With Hemi Engine a Rare Collectors Item

The 1970 Super Bee had 3 engine options, the base 383 Magnum, the 440 Six-Pack, or the 426 Hemi. The 1970 Super Bee was a low Hemi production automobile with only about 42 examples known. The low production plus the Super Bee’s hot performance and classic muscle car looks make the Super Bee one of the most desirable muscle cars for wealthy collectors to add to their collection. The 1970 Super Bee Hemi could go from 0 to 60 mph in 5.3 sec. and cover the quarter-mile in 13.5 sec @ 105.0 mph. This blistering straight from the factory performance was achieved with the 426ci/425hp Hemi engine and adds to the cars appeal.

Radical Nose and Long Hood Design Matured into a Classic Super Bee Feature

The 1970 Coronet Super Bee featured a radical new nose design, a low base price of only $3074,and immediate prestigious membership in Dodge’s sizzling pack of performance out of the box streetcars that included the Challenger and Charger. New for 1970, were the highly noticeable paint colors like Plum Crazy purple and Panther Pink. Plum Crazy purple ended up being the most common 1970 Super Bee color, with 1926 cars painted the distinctive shade.

The 1970 Super Bee was considered to be a radical design at the time of production. The distinctive hood and nose design was a radical departure from the utilitarian design of previous models. With the passage of time the new design gained wide acceptance and became a highly desirable feature of the Dodge Super Bee model.

Today the 1970 Dodge Super Bee is a Highly Collectable Car

In today’s market muscle car enthusiasts greatly appreciate Dodge’s constant need to reinvent itself in order to stay competitive in the highly competitive muscle car market of the early 1970s. Car collectors are scrambling to preserve the remaining examples of these unique low production high performance vehicles. The one of a kind design and straight from the production line high performance of the 1970 Dodge Super Bee ensures its place in history as a classic muscle car high end collectors item.

The pony car craze lives on.

On April 16, 1964 Ford Motor Company formerly introduced the Mustang with a TV commercial that ran simultaneously on all three networks. The commercial was shot at the New York World’s Fair and showed attractive young people diverted from the fun of the fair’s attractions by the clean new sporty lines of the Mustang.

1964 Ford Mustang Was an Immediate Hit

The following day Ford dealerships were jammed from coast-to-coast and the Pony car craze was underway. A lot of people of all ages decided that cruising around in a brand-new Mustang would be a groovy thing to do.

It was immediately obvious that Ford had produced a car that had great appeal but who would have thought that the appeal would be so enduring? While over the years the initial 1964 Mustang design has been refined and given a thoroughly modern look even the 2012 model Mustang owes a lot to the good looks achieved by the 1964 model design team.

The 1964 Mustang’s were produced as both a coupe and a convertible. The sporty cars were available with a 170cid 101horsepower 6 cylinder engine, a 260 2-V 164 horsepower V-8, a 289-4V 210 horsepower V-8, and beginning in June, a powerful 4 barrel, solid lifter, 289cid 271 horsepower V-8 engine. The cars were soon to be known as 1964 1/2s. A total of 121,538 Mustangs were produced during the 1964½ model run.

Popularity of Ford Mustang Increased Dramatically in 1965

The popularity of the Mustang continued to increase during the 1965 model year with 559,451 Mustangs being produced. Ford Motor Company had developed a winning automobile to kick off the pony car craze in 1964 so few changes were made for the 1965 model.

For 2012 the excitement and buzz for the Mustang continues with a 31 MPG, 305-HP V6 engine as standard in a low-cost model and a 26 MPG, powerful 412-HP 5.0 engine offered as an upgrade. The Shelby Cobra Super Snake Mustang offers a supercharged model that produces up to 800 hp.

Even after 47 years the Ford Mustang is going strong, especially as the baby boomer crowd reaches retirement age and has nostalgic memories of the car that was so appealing to them in their youth. The appeal of a car as shown in the 1964 Ford Motor Company TV commercial and which over the years has become a true American icon muscle car lives on.

Obviously, there are no real sultans in the United States but the owner wants to have some fun with the Sultan of Brunei, who is widely known for his fabulous muscle car collection. The collection in the specially built Michigan garage puts Jay Leno or any other muscle car collector short of the Sultan of Brunei to shame. While viewing the video you just might be thinking “so this is where all the deserving muscle cars end up. I must be looking at muscle car heaven.”

As you will note in the video the fantastic automobile collection contains more than just American muscle cars. There are more than a few Mercedes, Ferraris, and Bentleys in the collection. The video ends on a rather loud note as a red Ferrari is revved up to impress an appreciative car fan tour group. Still, the American muscle cars are the stars of this garage and remain the featured attraction.

I doubt there is a larger and more perfectly restored collection of muscle cars and exotic automobiles anywhere in the world that tops those sitting in the Sultan of Michigan’s garage. Even the Sultan of Brunei would be impressed. In fact, he would probably be envious.