OK, this is one of those times when I have to admit that I really might have "one of the coolest job in the world." It seems like I hear that sentiment whenever I meet a Mustang enthusiast for the first time, and he or she either knows (from being a faithful 5.0 Mustang and Super Fords reader) or eventually finds/figures out what I do for a living. Yes, my job as 5.0's Technical Editor certainly does afford me some fantastic opportunities to do and see quite a lot, so the gig definitely has a strong element of "cool." However, the job's coolness really came to the forefront on Monday, when a very special Mustang was delivered to me at our West Coast headquarters...
I was lucky enough to take receipt of Ford's 2008 Shelby GT500 KR; a special-edition/limited-production spinoff of the Shelby GT500 'Stang (the KR stands for "King of the Road") that boasts more power and improved handling over standard GT500s, and features a bunch of cool treatments (carbon-fiber hood, ultra-high-performance tires, special badging and ID striping, etc) that truly set it apart from other Mustangs.
Our friends at Ford forked over the keys to this blue w/silver stripes Shelby and have given me four days to check it out from top-to-bottom and stem-to-stern. I kicked off the test session with a drive from the Los Angeles office, straight to my nephew's home (he's a BIG Mustang fan, a 5.0 Mustang and Super Fords reader, and at 8-years-old, already knows quite a bit about Shelbys) so he could see the car in person.
After a night of rest with the other Fords in our driveway, it's now time to take "The King" out on the road and get started with the cruising and various evaluations that I've got in store for this Pony.
The opportunity to play with a 'Stang of this caliber is the kind of "work" I don't have any problem doing. Stay tuned to our Web site for future Blogs on my experience with this 2008 Shelby GT500 KR. And, keep an eye out for Editor Steve Turner's feature story on this fine machine, which you'll find in an upcoming issue of the magazine.