Last updated April 27, 2023

Ames Ford Performance is Iowa’s #1 destination for all things Mustang, from 4-cylinder EcoBoost models to the GT Premium to the unsurpassed performance of Shelby and ROUSH Mustangs. It’s no wonder we have heard from so many Iowans who want to know the difference between Ford’s Mustang GT and the Shelby GT350 & GT500. A quick look at the horsepower numbers makes it clear that there’s a difference in power, but there’s a lot more to it.

Below, we are going to be looking at some of the custom features that make Shelby Mustangs so popular with our Ames, IA customers. We will also look at the Ford Mustang GT Premium, which remains one of the highest-performing stock vehicles on the market. Be sure to check out our Performance Inventory below, where you will find our current stock of Ford and ROUSH Performance vehicles. If you are looking for something special, contact our Performance Team to ask about getting your custom Mustang.

Shelby Mustang - Defining Performance for Over 50 Years

If you are into performance vehicles, you know Carroll Shelby. A legendary Mustang racer turned builder, Carroll Shelby is synonymous with America’s performance and kit car industries. In the more than half decade since Shelby started tuning Mustangs, the brand has continued to innovate and continues to have a cascading influence across the Muscle car market. It is difficult to overstate his impact on American car culture. 

The Evolution of Shelby Mustangs: From Classic Sports Cars to Modern Performance Vehicles

The Shelby Mustang GT350 and GT500, released in 1965 and 1967 respectively, remain some of the most prized classic sports cars. From the jump, the addition of the Cobra badge became synonymous with impeccable tuning. Carrol Shelby took what he knew and loved about the most iconic pony car and souped it up to the point of no return. These classics were outfitted with a four-speed stick shift transmission, far from the current dual-clutch automatic transmission. Not too far after their release, in 1968, power steering hit the scene and was added to the GT350 and GT500- longer was the wider steering wheel needed to compensate. At this time, they were renamed Shelby Cobra GT350/GT500.

Shelby’s eye for design resulted in vehicles that captured the imaginations of American drivers. Whether it was weight reduction or performance, enormous strides were made in the production of these legendary vehicles. With an updated body, aerodynamics were prioritized without neglecting the overall aesthetics of the vehicle. 

There’s no better evidence of Shelby’s eye for design than the Cobra Jet. Initially built in 1968, the Cobra Jet was a refined Mustang whose design pushed the limits of what drivers and designers thought was possible at the time. The Cobra Jet has been rereleased through the years with a limited production of 28 40th anniversary models in 2008.

After leaving Ford to work with Dodge and Oldsmobile on their own performance vehicles, Shelby American once again partnered with Ford in 2003 to design Shelby Mustangs for the new millennium. The results are easy to see in the Shelby GT350 and GT500, Ford’s highest-performing commercially available, Mustangs. These vehicles take the sixth-generation Mustang platform to another level, providing extra performance and a sleek take on the platform’s body. 

Shelby American is still at it, creating innovations in the performance sports car market, and these results also speak for themselves there. The Shelby Code Red is an absolute beast of a vehicle, so much so that they’re not even street-legal. Difficult to drive at reasonable speeds, only 30 Shelby Code Reds were ever manufactured. It’s abundantly clear with the Code Red that Shelby hasn’t sold out and still retains the performance tuner personality that was there from the jump.

Shelby GT500s and Shelby GT350s, then, are a reflection of what the brand can do with the Code Red instead of just any other production vehicle. Though Carrol Shelby himself passed in 2012, Shelby’s Ford Division General Manager, Jim Owens, upholds the brand’s legacy with respect for its origin.

Carroll Shelby’s Legacy and Influence on American Car Culture

Shelby’s influence has forever changed Ford racing. Captured in the film Ford v Ferrari, Shelby’s partnership with Ford revolutionized the design and production of racing and sports cars in the United States. There’s no way to imagine what American muscle cars would be like today without the influence of Carrol Shelby.

From the slick body designs you see today to the ever-increasing pull towards more remarkable performance, it’s clear that the effect of Shelby has touched all American muscle. This is truly why the Shelby name means so much.

Ford Motor Company embraces this with competition between its own vehicles as well. The Shelby GT500 and the Raptor R were raced in a family feud to see who came out on top. Unsurprisingly, the GT500 came out on top, but the Raptor R held its own as well. The fact that a GT500 can be used as a benchmark for testing the performance of other fast vehicles speaks volumes about Shelby’s influence in the American car marketplace overall.  

Premium Mustangs and the Gas Guzzler Tax

The Gas Guzzler Tax has been a bane to all performance car buyers since its effective start date in 1980. Vehicles that use proportionately more gas than the current technology allows have had a tax added to them upon purchase. While this tax hit all performance vehicles hard, the Shelby GT500 and GT350 have been hit especially hard with this tax through the years. Even the GT Premium has a gas guzzler tax applied at purchase.

If you’re curious about where a significant portion of the price of these vehicles comes from, it’s the dreaded gas-guzzler tax. However, this ensures that the extra gas these gnarly cars use is all applied to being faster than most anything you’ll see on the road. A worthy trade-off if you ask us. 

Shelby GT350 & GT500 vs Ford Mustang GT

At first glance, Iowa buyers will notice that all Ford Mustangs share similar design cues. Shelby Mustang models have more aggressively designed front fascia and other unique exterior touches. But many vital differences are in the engine and under the vehicle. 

An Overview of the Shelby GT350

The Shelby GT350 comes standard with a 5.2L Ti-VCT V8 with Flat Plane Crank, producing 526 horsepower. Additional performance features include:

1. 3.73 TORSEN® limited-slip rear axle
2. Differential Cooler
3. Dual Exhaust with Electronic Valves and quad tips
4. Transmission Cooler
5. TREMEC® Six-Speed Manual Transmission

The equipment above is in many ways responsible for the characteristic growl and responsiveness of Shelby Mustangs. In addition to these upgrades to the powertrain, the Shelby GT350 comes standard with a wide range of suspension and handling upgrades. These include:

1. 380 mm (15”) rear brake rotors with 4-piston Brembo™ calipers
2. 394 mm (15.5”) front brake rotors with 6-piston Brembo™ calipers
3. Electronic Line-Lock (track use only)
4. Independent Rear Suspension
5. Integrated Driver Control System
6. Launch control (track use only)
7. Selectable-effort Electric Power-Assist Steering (EPAS)
8. MagneRide® Damping System

And with wider rear wheels wrapped in premium Michelin tires, the Mustang Shelby GT350 is ready for the track or engaging drives in the countryside.

An Overview of the Shelby GT500

The Shelby GT500 has many of the same standard items as the GT350 but with notable exceptions. The transmission is replaced with a TREMEC 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, and the 5.2l V8 is supercharged. The more powerful engine produces an impressive 760 horsepower. Other interior features are upgraded, making the Shelby GT500 the highest-performing Mustang rolling out of Ford’s factory.

The Shelby GT500 and GT 350 have several optional upgrades available, allowing Ames, IA buyers to go all-out on their dream car from Ames Ford Performance. But what about the Ford Mustang GT Premium? Let’s look at how it compares to the impressive specs of the Shelby Mustangs. 

An Overview of the Mustang GT Premium

While the Shelby vehicles are the true pinnacle of performance, the Ford Mustang GT is certainly no slouch. Its 5.0L Ti-VCT V8 produces 460 horsepower, and it is available with many of the performance upgrades that come standard on the Shelby GT models.

Below are the standard and optional performance & handling features on the Ford Mustang GT Premium.

While there is something exceptional about Shelby Mustangs, the Ford Mustang 

GT’s wide range of standard and optional performance upgrades will satisfy Iowa enthusiasts. At 460 horsepower, there will be no shortage of thrills while driving the Mustang GT Premium. To boot, you’ve got a family; the Mustang GT Premium may be up your alley with the included rear seats. 

Custom Features of Shelby Mustangs That Make Them Popular with Ames Customers

Premium rear-wheel drive Mustangs are more than just an upgraded body kit and a screaming engine; they’re full of a host of custom features improving ride quality and speed efficiency. These custom features seem great, but they may be jargon to some. Here, we’ll go through some of the most innovative features of these Ford Cobras and standard Mustang GTs -some listed above and others available as an add-on package. 

Magneride Damping system

Magneride suspension upgrades the usefulness of the coil springs supported by the vehicle’s computer system. This damping system makes cornering a breeze with tightness when you want it and not when you don’t. The technology surrounding magneride is so effective that it’s even used for military helicopters and prosthetic legs.

Having Magneride suspension is quite literally having a medical-grade, military superpower quietly installed in your sports car. Shelby GTs are equipped with this robust technology standard. However, we are more than happy to upgrade any Mustang with a Magneride damping system. 

Launch Control

What’s the Cobra Badge mean if it’s not ready for the track? Luckily launch control is offered on the track-ready Mustang GT premium as well. Launch Control is a system designed to get the car moving as efficiently as possible. If you’ve ever seen a car rev the engine to monstrous volume, then have the tires smoke as it flies away, you’ve witnessed launch control in action. This serious racing technology is supposedly only for the track, but we won’t tell if you won’t. 

Tuning

What does it mean if a car is tuned? These vehicles have engines whose computer system has been altered for improved performance. For the driver, this means the engine responds wildly differently than a stock Mustang when the pedal is pushed. Internally, many things can happen, like altering the air-to-fuel ratio, engine timing, etc. Ford’s enhanced internal computer leads to improved fuel economy and the powerful, sometimes noisy engine you know and love about Mustang GT models. 

Upgrades and Options Available for Shelby GT500, GT350, and Ford Mustang GT Premium

These premium Mustangs can elude the satisfaction of some selective buyers. Between Ford Motor Company and Ames Ford Performance, you’re covered with extra options and packages to make your Mustang ideal. 

Carbon Fiber Track Package

Exposed carbon fiber everywhere is what you’ll see when you get the Carbon Fiber Track Pack on a Mustang Shelby GT 500. The Carbon Fiber Track Pack includes:

• Carbon fiber wheels
• Carbon fiber all over the interior
• A Bang and Olufsen 12-speaker sound system
• A carbon fiber wing

This makes the vehicle unbelievably light, leveraging the power of what’s under the hood. To enthusiasts looking to push their Shelby GT500 to the next level, there’s no other choice but the Carbon Fiber Track Package. 

Heritage Edition 

Serious car collectors might argue that any Shelby GT is incomplete without the Heritage Edition. Paying homage to the great Carrol Shelby, the 2022 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Heritage Edition shows off the iconic Shelby racing stripes. These are available in Wimbledon White, Absolute Black, or the exclusive Brittany Blue. If you’re looking to own an iconic piece of history, these stripes can be hand painted for an extra cost. 

Custom Modifications

Are you ready to take your Mustang to the next level? Whether it’s a GT500 or a Mustang GT Premium, we’re prepared to tune that car to infinity and beyond at Ames Ford Performance. While there is a myriad of performance upgrades for your Mustang available, many Iowans choose to add upgrades to the suspension, cold air intake, throttle injection, exhaust, and even engine tuning. If you’re interested in an upgrade but aren’t sure what to get, no worries- You can talk with our performance team about what you’re interested in, and they’ll take it from there.

Ames Ford Performance - Iowa’s Choice for All Things Mustang

From the EcoBoost Fastback, to the GT Premium, to Shelby and ROUSH Mustangs, Ames Ford Performance is Iowa's #1 destination for all things Mustang. Our Performance Team is specialized in these high-performance vehicles, and can answer any questions you have. And when it comes to service, we have master-certified techs to service your Shelby or ROUSH Mustang.

There's really nothing like a performance-tuned Mustang. Whether you want a decked-out GT Premium, or the track-ready Shelby, Ames Ford Performance is the top choice in Story County and Iowa as a whole. We are also the top ROUSH Performance dealership in Iowa. Like Carroll Shelby, ROUSH takes Ford's impressive Mustang vehicles and further tunes and modifies them for the utmost in performance.

We invite you to shop our current Performance inventory. If you don't see the exact Mustang you're looking for, contact our team to learn about customizing your own Mustang build. We are here to provide you with the perfect performance Mustang, so don't hesitate to contact Ames Ford Performance to make your dream come true.