The S197 Ford Mustang is the fifth generation of the pony car, appreciated for its retro styling but also criticized for its cheaper live rear axle suspension. The top models were still a blast to drive, though, and it doesn’t get much better than this 2008 Mustang Shelby GT500KR listed on Cars & Bids.
Not only does it have a supercharged V8 and a manual, but the ultra-low miles and desirable options make it one of the most best S197s we’ve seen for some time.Â
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Near-Flawless Exterior and Interior
2008 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR
Finished in Silver Clearcoat Metallic paint, this GT500’s immaculate condition is down to a few factors. The single owner since new lives in a warm-climate state (North Carolina), and with just 6,200 miles, it has barely been driven since new.
Equipped with the expensive ($33,565) Shelby GT500KR Package, this model gets unique fender and grille emblems, along with carbon fiber for the hood (with functional intakes and extractors), front splitter, and mirror skull caps. The Shelby Racing Stripe Kit adds a racier look, and it rides on 18-inch forged aluminum Shelby GT500KR wheels.
2008 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR
The black leather interior presents beautifully and still has the plastic covering for the floor. As part of the KR pack, it has Carroll Shelby signature headrests for the sport bucket seats. A Shaker 500 sound system is equipped, as is a Ford Racing short-throw shifter with a white shifter ball.
Plenty of Power and Handling Upgrades
2008 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR
Under the hood of this Shelby is a 5.4-liter supercharged V8, which produces 500 horsepower and 480 lb-ft of torque in standard form. However, as the documentation for this vehicle shows, the KR package’s upgrades bump up these figures to 540 hp and 510 lb-ft. A cold air intake kit, a Pro-Cal performance calibration, a special H-Pipe exhaust, and performance mufflers all form part of the pack.
Furthermore, to improve handling, this Mustang has revised front/rear springs, stiffer front struts and rear shocks, a strut tower brace, and performance-tuned front struts/rear shocks.Â
A gas-guzzler tax of $2,100 was applied to this Ford back in the day, no surprise since it only gets around 12 mpg in city driving and 19 mpg on the highway. According to the listing, known flaws include 2008 date codes on the tires, front lip chips, scuffs on the driver’s door sill, and rust on some underbody components.Â
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How Much Should You Pay?
Cars & Bids
When new, this 2008 GT500 cost $43,780, before the $33,565 package was taken into account; combined, that takes the new price to $77,345.Â
Kelley Blue Book does not list a fair purchase price for the GT500KR, but the non-KR variant has a much lower fair purchase price of $21,453 for the 2008 model year. Clearly, there’s a huge gulf in value between models with and without the KR upgrade, especially since only 1,011 examples of the GT500KR were produced for 2008.
Last month, a 56-mile 2008 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR sold for $62,000 on Bring A Trailer. Another one, this time with 4,900 miles and also a 2008 model, sold for $47,001 in September.Â
Based on these listings, the 6,200-mile example seen here could be a good deal for anything under $50k, given its rarity and overall condition. The current high bid is $35k, but the auction runs until November 5.
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