I continue to be pleasantly surprised by Ford Mustangs; first, the 2003 Cobra and now the 2008 Shelby GT. The quality, all around, of the new Mustangs is a huge improvement over the pre-2005 Mustangs, and it looks like the upcoming 2010 models will improve the interiors even more. You really get a very nice performance coupe for the money!
Of course, when a car enters my garage, regardless of how good it is from the factory, it always "needs" some further "improvements" from me :) The Shelby GT is no different, in spite of my usual "attempt" to keep it stock...
After a few track days, the Shelby received front camber adjustment to -2.5 degrees to save the front tires! I also had several bushings replaced with polyurethane versions. Other suspension upgrades include lower control arm relocation, both front and rear (the car comes lowered from Shelby so I wanted to reduce the dive, squat and lean), and an adjustable panhard bar :)
The Shelby comes with a Ford Performance Parts sport suspension which works fine, but was a bit too harsh both on and off the track; it felt way overdamped. So, the dampers have been replaced with some adjustable KONI's; which have improved the street ride considerably and I expect to test their track performance this Saturday, the first track day of the season!
Here is a photo of the Shelby at the track:
