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Under a cloak of early morning darkness, I am behind the
wheel of a thunderous-sounding Shelby GT-H in Hertz livery,
black with a pair of dual overbody gold racing stripes.
Yesterday I picked up this Rent-a-Racer, showing only six
miles on the odometer, from Hertz at LAX. The Shelby GTH
is one of the 36 models in the Hertz Fun Collection,
available at 18 US airports. The rental process was quick
and efficient. The place did look like a car collector’s garage
with a whole row of GT-H’s at the ready.
First stop, the exclusive Sport Club of LA. The five-story
garage is full of prestige cars –whatever is new or hot. I
figure the Shelby will get the heads turning, however, my
air of exclusivity disappears as I notice an identical car in
the garage.
My first chance to feel some of the potent 325 hp of the
4.6 liter, SOHC, 3-valve V-8 is on a twisty canyon road.
Perhaps I am not used to the live-axle rearend, but that first
run on brand new tires feels a bit out of sorts.
The Shelby GT-H differs from the standard Mustang GT,
and it all starts at the Carroll Shelby shop in Las Vegas.
Here the Shelby team adds the Ford FR 1 Power Pack, gaining
25 hp and 10 lb-ft of torque, and Ford’s Racing 90mm
Cold Air Kit. This power is tucked under the hood which is
secured with a pair of custom Shelby hood pins. The addition
of the brushed aluminum grille gives the front end a
serious look. And that sonorous exhaust note comes from an
X-pipe muffler kit, similar to the one used on the Shelby
GT-500 Mustang.
To better get the power transferred to the road, the
Shelby team exchanges the standard GT’s 3:31 rear end
with an entirely new assembly with 3:55 gears for superior
low-to-mid range performance. Shelby lists the 0-60 mph at
5.2 seconds, putting the car in a select class, particularly for
its $35,000 price. Speaking of buying one, Ford dealers will
have them available after each has accumulated 16- to
18,000 miles.
During part of my six days with the standard Mustang
coupe I had made a pilgrimage out to my former college. I
found that Mustang to be light in the rear end and "squirrelly"
in the rain. Originally, I planned to see if a Shelby was
still "BMOC." But now that I have driven the GT-H version,
I think that it would certainly be in the top few on campus.
Interestingly, the GT-H did earn a marvelous compliment
from an unexpected source when a toll booth operator commented,
"What a handsome-looking car."
One evening I met up with friends from out of town,
each in his own rental Mustang convertible. They took
great interest in the Shelby GT-H. One, Brett Marlowe,
had rented the Shelby GT-H the month before. His reason
interested me.
Brett’s dad Jim owned a Shelby GT 500 when Brett was
six. Brett remembered, "the green color, loud exhaust, and
surges of power from the 428 cubic inch dual-quad motor."
When he heard of the Hertz-Shelby GT-H, he was inspired
to connect with his dad and what he had experienced in
those earlier days when Ford took international racing seriously
enough to beat Ferrari, three years in a row. Brett
found the Shelby GT-H, "solid, responsive but not snappy,
and conveyed what was happening with warning."
The dash badge sporting Carroll Shelby’s signature and
each car’s number will be replaced with an aluminum version
when each car is retailed. I am feeling dashing myself
with the perforated black leather seats matching the perforation
of my Bernini leather jacket. The seats are handsome
and supportive while the rest of the interior is essentially
Mustang GT.
Each Shelby GT-H is equipped with a 5-speed automatic
and non-defeat traction control – remember these are
rentals. The Shelby team’s suspension tuning works so
well. They have added the Ford FR 3 Racing Pack which
includes specially-tuned dampers, 65% stiffer springs,
larger anti-roll bars, a strut tower brace, making a car that is
1.5 inches lower. And, yes, the lowering does risk scraping
on nearly everything.
For more on this article and much more grab a copy of Auto Aficionado Magazine on newsstands nationwide!
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