Tag Archives: John Luft

Automobiles

Shelby Pumps Ford F-150 Raptor to 575 hp, Earth’s Crust Braces for Imminent Pummeling [2013 New York Auto Show]

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By Andrew Wendler

Nissan Tama EV

The only surprising thing about Shelby’s recently unveiled take on Ford’s Raptor is that it took them this long to work one over. After all, Shelby has been operating in near-lockstep with Ford for years, unleashing tuned, tweaked, and twisted versions of Blue Oval products in a reliable cadence.

For the princely starting price of $17,995, the gang at Shelby American will poke and prod a production Raptor’s 6.2-liter V-8 to 575 horsepower, a hearty increase over the stock Raptor’s already randy 411. The additional 164 ponies arrive in the pasture largely due to a 2.9-liter supercharger, a “massive” intercooler, and a Shelby/Borla Exhaust system. Both the supercharger and intercooler come from Whipple (it also supplies Ford Racing with many performance components), as does the ECU re-flash. And you don’t need a brand-spanking-new Raptor to bring it in for the Shelby makeover: John Luft, president of Shelby American, told C/D that current owners are welcome to bring their Raptors to its facility.

Originally slated for a production run of only 100 units, the initial response was so strong Shelby American now says production will be capped at 500. “Not a week goes by without someone asking us about doing a truck, so I guess we shouldn’t be too surprised that we received dozens of phone calls within an hour of its New York debut,” says Luft. Interestingly, most buyers are planning on putting their Raptor to work, not shrink-wrapping it and stowing it away as an investment: “The Raptor will probably see more miles than any other Shelby vehicle,” Luft says, “as the overwhelming amount of buyers have made it clear they want to use their Shelby Raptor as a tow vehicle—preferably for their Shelby track car—or for real off-road use.”

Exterior graphics packages come in three Shelby-fied flavors: faux mud splashes and two stripe packages differentiated only by the hood graphics. The custom Shelby leather interior is designed by Katzkin and is included in the standard package. You can add wheels and tires, light bars, bumpers, and roll bars, and an off-road performance package of unspecified components is in the final stages of development. And it wouldn’t be a Shelby without a badge bearing the signature of Ol’ Shel’ himself and inclusion on the Shelby Registry. Build one for yourself here.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at Car & Driver

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Shelby American Delivers Big Power in a Big Package, Unveiling the Ultimate Muscle Truck at New York

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By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

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Shelby American Delivers Big Power in a Big Package, Unveiling the Ultimate Muscle Truck at New York Auto Show

LAS VEGAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Shelby American, a wholly owned subsidiary of Carroll Shelby International Inc., (Pink Sheets:CSBI), today unveiled the new Shelby Raptor, one of the most powerful, exciting and collectible off-road production trucks, during the New York International Auto Show. The Shelby Raptor marks the return of the Shelby muscle truck and is based on the 2013 Ford SVT Raptor with enhanced power and handling, topped with “Shelby Style” inside and out.

Shelby American today unveiled the new Shelby Raptor, one of the most powerful, exciting and collectible off-road production trucks, during the 2013 New York International Auto Show. (Photo: Business Wire)

“As a native Texan, Carroll Shelby loved powerful trucks,” said John Luft, president of Shelby American. “Carroll connected his love for trucks with his passion for performance on several projects, with the first one over 30 years ago. The latest Shelby truck was created to conquer any terrain with serious velocity.”

Shelby American takes the impressive Ford SVT Raptor and adds some “Shelby Magic” to create the ultimate muscle truck. By forcing air through a 2.9 liter supercharger mounted on the massive 6.2L V8 engine, and then out of the Shelby Borla exhaust system, Shelby American takes the stock 411 HP rating and kicks it up to 575 HP. A six-speed automatic transfers power to all four wheels and features a manual mode to give the driver complete gear selection control.

“Aerodynamically speaking, the Raptor was engineered for maximum performance,” said Gary Patterson, vice president of operations for Shelby American. “We spent our efforts improving the power, cooling and handling systems because every Shelby is built to excel under even the most extreme conditions.”

Equipped with 35-inch Goodrich All-Terrain tires and optional custom wheels, the Shelby Raptor stays connected to any ground it faces. The “Off-Road” mode calibrates the transmission, stability and traction control systems to operate in harmony under high-speed off-road situations. In addition, any of the three Shelby graphics packages will help set it apart from every other rig on the road.

“The Shelby Raptor was an absolute thrill to test across the Nevada desert,” said Vince LaViolette, Shelby American‘s test driver. “The suspension system allows the Raptor to go over, around or through just about any obstacle. When more power is needed, just stroke the gas to spool …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Automobiles

2013 Shelby 1000 Introduced at NY Auto Show with 1,200 Horsepower

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By Malcolm Hogan

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You really have to ask yourself, at the point of 1,200 horsepower fed through the rear wheels, can you really drive such a machine on the street? Additionally, is 1,200 horsepower really necessary? Well, to sum up an answer, it is absolutely necessary! The all-new 2013 Shelby 1000 was revealed on the show floor in New York packing a monstrous 1,200 horsepower, which is almost twice as much as the Shelby GT500 makes (662hp). And you thought the Shelby Super Snake was a little over-kill with 850 horsepower, wait until you get a load of the new Shelby 1000.

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The new 2013 Shelby 1000 amazingly uses the same 5.8-liter V8 engine found in the Shelby GT500 and is able to make all those 1,200 ponies on pump gas. Of course this amazing power output comes at a price, about $154,995 on top of you providing a stock Shelby GT500 for $54,650. Of course you will probably need to stock up on several of the Pirelli P-Zero tires, they are going to go (burn up) like hot cakes with 1,200 hp flowing through the drivetrain.

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Hit up the full press release below for additional information on the new 2013 Shelby 1000

SHELBY AMERICAN BRINGS WORLD’S MOST POWERFUL STREET PRODUCTION MUSCLE CAR BACK TO THE NEW YORK AUTO SHOW

LAS VEGAS – March 22, 2013 – Shelby American, a wholly owned subsidiary of Carroll Shelby International Inc., (CSBI.PK), will introduce the 2013 version of the most powerful production, street legal muscle car in the world on March 28, 2013, at the New York International Auto Show. The company will have on display its 2013 Shelby 1000 S/C version with 1,200 horsepower, which is based on the Ford Shelby GT500. Beginning with Ford’s new massive 5.8L V8 power plant, the 2013 Shelby 1000 puts unprecedented horsepower to the pavement, while running on pump gas.

“The 2012 Shelby 1000 was launched to great acclaim at the New York Auto Show last year to celebrate our 50th anniversary,” said John Luft, president of Shelby American. “We’re bringing back the Shelby 1000 to New York, but with Ford’s new 2013 Shelby GT500 as the base car. With its new engine, launch control, adjustable suspension and other new enhancements, we’ve created a car with even more capabilities. The 2013 Shelby 1000 incorporates everything we’ve learned over five decades of creating high-performance vehicles.”

While the stock 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 offers 662 HP, Shelby American strips the 5.8 liter engine down to the block, strengthens the internals and then cranks up the power. Combining a finely tuned adjustable suspension with a performance cooling package, big brakes and serious horsepower, the Shelby can outperform exotics costing three-to-four times more.

“The 2013 Shelby 1000 is the most powerful production muscle car on the market,” said …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Automotive Addicts

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Shelby American Brings World's Most Powerful Street Production Muscle Car Back to the New York Auto

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By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Shelby American Brings World’s Most Powerful Street Production Muscle Car Back to the New York Auto Show

LAS VEGAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Shelby American, a wholly owned subsidiary of Carroll Shelby International Inc. (Pink Sheets:CSBI), will introduce the 2013 version of the most powerful production, street legal muscle car in the world on March 28, 2013, at the New York International Auto Show. The company will have on display its 2013 Shelby 1000 S/C version with 1,200 horsepower, which is based on the Ford Shelby GT500. Beginning with Ford’s new massive 5.8L V8 power plant, the 2013 Shelby 1000 puts unprecedented horsepower to the pavement, while running on pump gas.

2013 Shelby 1000 S/C version with 1,200 horsepower (Photo: Business Wire)

“The 2012 Shelby 1000 was launched to great acclaim at the New York Auto Show last year to celebrate our 50th anniversary,” said John Luft, president of Shelby American. “We’re bringing back the Shelby 1000 to New York, but with Ford’s new 2013 Shelby GT500 as the base car. With its new engine, launch control, adjustable suspension and other new enhancements, we’ve created a car with even more capabilities. The 2013 Shelby 1000 incorporates everything we’ve learned over five decades of creating high-performance vehicles.”

While the stock 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 offers 662 HP, Shelby American strips the 5.8 liter engine down to the block, strengthens the internals and then cranks up the power. Combining a finely tuned adjustable suspension with a performance cooling package, big brakes and serious horsepower, the Shelby can outperform exotics costing three-to-four times more.

“The 2013 Shelby 1000 is the most powerful production muscle car on the market,” said Vince LaViolette, Shelby American‘s test driver. “But this car cannot be defined by just its amazing power. The steering provides wonderful feedback and the car tracks beautifully, giving it an athletic feel. It attacks corners, ripping through them with minimal body roll and tremendous grip. Yet the Shelby 1000 can be so docile that you can cruise it down the streets of Manhattan.”

The 2013 Shelby 1000 S/C track version runs on pump gas and is rated at 1,200 HP. The post-title package starts at $154,995, not including the base GT500. A limited production of 100 2013 Shelby 1000s will be built and each will be numbered and documented in the official Shelby Registry.

Shelby American will also unveil another vehicle at the New York International Auto Show. Like the …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance