The King Of The Road is back, baby! After roughly a 10-year hiatus, Shelby American has decided to bring back its meanest, model ever, the GT500KR, nicknamed the “King Of The Road”. This is part of their 60th-anniversary celebration bash, which starts in 2022. To that extent, every 2022 model that Shelby will make next year will come with a 60th-anniversary badge, starting with the Shelby GT500KR.
This marks the third incarnation of the Shelby GT500KR, following production runs in 1968 and 2008. What sets this particular King apart is its relatively low production numbers. Only 225 units of the 2020–2022 model year GT500KR will be made, well below the numbers for other production runs.
Shelby American
Shelby American
What also sets the new GT500KR apart is its copious amounts of power. The 5.2-liter V-8 is topped with a 3.8-liter (yes, a 3.8 liter) supercharger with a high-volume intercooler and heat exchanger, for a total output of over 900 horsepower. All of this power is handled by retuned MagneRide suspension, Shelby adjustable front and rear springs, along with Ford Performance front and rear sway bars. Additionally, the GT500KR is decked out in plenty of carbon fiber, including a carbon fiber hood, front splitter, and rear diffuser.
Shelby American
Shelby American
In addition to the extra power and carbon fiber, the GT500KR will come rolling on performance-spec tires wrapping one-piece 6061-T6 forged aluminum wheels (20 x 11.0 front and 20 x 11.5 rear), along with Shelby rocker stripes and badges, a Shelby hood strut system, and leather seat re-covers. On top of all of those standard features, optional components include a Shelby widebody kit, a polished supercharger, painted stripes, rear-seat delete with harness bar, and Le Mans–style over-the-top stripes.
Shelby American
Shelby American
The new Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR will start at $127,895, or just $54,995 for the KR package if you bring your own 2020–2022 Shelby GT500 (only 60 such packages will be available). 180 GT500KRs, 60 for each model year, will be sold in the U.S, which leaves 45 for overseas buyers. Production will start in the first quarter of 2022, but the new Shelby GT500KR will be revealed to the public at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale event in January, with the first production car being auctioned there on January 29 to benefit charity.
Keyword: Meet the Baddest Mustang Ever, The 900-HP GT500KR