The muscle car mantra of “there’s no replacement for displacement” certainly continued to ring true with the new Shelby GT500 KR of 2008. Although Ford and Shelby had teamed up to resurrect the GT500 in 2007, even 500 brake horsepower could not quench the thirst of power-crazed Mustang enthusiasts. Much like the original GT500 KR, which had been launched four decades earlier, the 2008 model retained the basic upgrades seen in the GT500, but it also received an extra batch of go-fast bits from Shelby, which made it even more powerful and ensured its title of “King of the Road.” The engine received 40 additional horsepower over the GT500, while the rear-end ratio was lowered to 3.73, resulting in a 0–60 time of just 4.0 seconds. At the time of its unveiling, the KR was the fastest production Mustang ever built.

This Shelby GT500 KR was purchased new by the Andrews’ from Don Davis Ford in 2008, and it has been wonderfully preserved and maintained in their collection ever since. The car looks absolutely sinister, with its Black finish and matte black racing stripes, 18-inch forged aluminum wheels, and a black interior, and its imposing stance proclaims that this Mustang is not to be trifled with.

The car’s Shelby window sticker notes that over $35,000 in additional upgrades over the standard GT500 were poured into this particular car. The GT500 KR’s suspension boasts revised springs in the front and rear, performance-tuned front struts, and rear shocks with stiffer sway bars all around, and the front brakes received a Ford Racing front brake duct cooling kit. The engine boasts a new cold-air intake, upgraded software calibration, and performance mufflers with a unique H-pipe exhaust, and the transmission was fitted with a short-throw shifter. Cosmetically, the car received a new carbon fiber hood, a carbon fiber front splitter, and carbon fiber mirrors to match. The modifications did not just include the exterior of the car, as the seats received custom embroidered headrests with Carroll Shelby’s signature and custom Shelby floor mats were added.

As the ultimate derivative of the first generation of Ford’s new retro-styled Mustangs, the GT500 KR is a must-have for any horsepower junkie or Blue Oval enthusiast, and it is certainly an instant collectible. This particular example, showing just shy of 1,000 miles on its odometer and having been purchased new by the Andrews’, is surely one of the finest examples in existence. As such, it warrants close consideration from anyone with a need for speed, be it the collector of classic Shelby Mustangs or an enthusiast simply looking to dice with Corvettes at stoplight drag races, just like Carroll intended of the original King of the Road.