Editors' Roundtable: 2008 Ford Shelby GT500

stuck in a traffic jam on the highway. Even extended stints of around-town driving proved to be growingly painful for my left leg. More so, the six-speed manual gearbox wasn’t nearly as pleasant to use as the Roush Stage 3’s short shift kit. Having six speeds is nice from a fuel economy standpoint, but it’s not terribly necessary from my perspective. The interior is quite pleasant, with nice leather upholstery, a decent sound system, and all of the modern amenities that anyone could ask for—a step up from the cabin in our Stage 3. The GT500 is a lot of car to handle, what with its rear-drive layout and live axle, but it’s a surprisingly smooth ride and there’s always more than enough power lurking under your right foot. It’s somewhat of a baffling idea; a 500-horsepower coupe with a price point comparable to that of a BMW 335i (even though the two cars are drastically different). In the fun-per-dollar category, the Shelby takes top honors, but for everyday drivability, my money is best spent elsewhere.Seyth MiersmaSenior Editor Brutal, primal, dangerous; there are a lot of ways to describe the Shelby GT500, though you’ll probably never find anything like “subtle” on the list. Cast in the mold of so many hotted-up Mustangs before it, the GT500 follows in the proud tradition of huge power, rear-drive, a hope, and a prayer. Which isn’t to say that the 500 horsepower monster is really all that intimidating to drive, with the exception of the occasional accidental wheel spin at a red light, the car is actual pretty easy to hustle around town, steer, and park. But pushed to anywhere near the edge of its performance envelope, the Shelby seems to transform into a much, much more intense proposition. With the supercharged 5.4-liter V-8 doing its worst to the rear tires, grip can come at somewhat of a premium in fast, tight corners. Add any amount of water to the road surface and things become pretty dicey, pretty fast. All that said, I think it would be quite some time before I tired of this hooligan behavior.2008 FORD SHELBY GT500 COUPEEngine: Supercharged V-8, 5.4 liters, 32vOutput: 500 hp/480 lb-ft0-60 MPH: 4.5 secondsTop Speed: 155 mph (electronically limited)Weight: 3920 lbPrice as Tested: $47,995