Latest news with #GT500
Auto Blog
10 hours ago
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
Monterey Car Week Will Rumble To The Sound Of A New Shelby American Mustang
By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. Is the 2025 Toyota Corolla FX more show than go? We got behind the wheel, and this is our honest review of the dark-trimmed compact sedan. Something Shelby Himself Would Love? Shelby American is teasing the reveal of a new Mustang-based creation with a short caption on social media noting that 'Carroll Shelby's favorite car was always 'the next one.'' Well, the next one is on its way after the tuning company revealed its own idea of an S650 with a GT350 badge back in January. Could this be Shelby American's take on a GT500? We'll find out soon; in the meantime, let's examine what we do know. Previous Pause Next Unmute 0:00 / 0:10 Full screen The Ford Mach 4 could be the brand's first sedan since 2020 Watch More New Shelby Debuts In Two Weeks The online announcement gives us very little information to go with the teaser image, with the caption only revealing when the car will be presented to the public for the first time. 'During Monterey Car Week, on 8.13.25, we unveil the next one,' the company wrote. 'A new chapter in performance, heritage, and innovation begins.' Considering the kind of company the new Shelby American Mustang will be in at the event, we're expecting something special. The teaser image depicts a large top-hung wing on the back of an S650, and although we can't be 100% sure from just one shadowy shot, it's possible that the body will have been widened to allow for a beefier track and thicker wheels. Expect plenty of carbon fiber to be scattered around, too. Probably Another Supercharged V8 Although the Ford ECU used in the S650 has been cracked, allowing for easier tuning with even a pair of turbos, Shelby likes its Whipple superchargers, which can extract in excess of 800 horsepower from the 5.0-liter Coyote V8. The untouched naturally aspirated engine tops out at 500 hp in the Mustang Dark Horse, so we expect upgrades to the suspension and brakes to cope with whatever extra grunt is delivered, though the transmission will likely be safe. We'll have to wait for additional teasers between now and August 13 to glean anything more, but should you have a personal relationship with automotive photography legend Larry Chen, perhaps he'll let you see what's coming early; he's already photographed the new 'Stang for Shelby American. If you're not interested in this, Monterey Car Week will also play host to a limited-edition BMW 8 Series, the new Zenvo Aurora hypercar, and something from the house of Horacio Pagani. About the Author Sebastian Cenizo View Profile
Miami Herald
14-07-2025
- Miami Herald
Man kills couple at home over muscle car, tries to fool cops, AZ officials say
A man accused of breaking into an Arizona couple's home and killing them over a muscle car has been sentenced to prison, according to prosecutors. Investigators say Alexander Lee Smith broke into Walter Mitchell and Susie Ephrem's Peoria home in November 2023 and fatally shot them, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office said in a July 11 news release. The couple's 8-year-old grandson was inside the home but wasn't hurt, the attorney's office said. Mitchell and Ephrem were 52 and 42 years old, KSAZ reported. Ephrem called 911 and officers arrived to find her wounded, though she later died at a hospital, prosecutors said. Mitchell died at the scene. Prosecutors say Smith, who was 20 at the time, had been communicating with Mitchell about buying his Ford Shelby GT500 — which is essentially an upgraded, and much pricier, Ford Mustang. It's not only 'the most powerful Mustang — it's also the most expensive,' according to Car and Driver, with baseline models starting around $80,000 and higher trim levels climbing to nearly $130,000. Classic GT500s can list for much more. Messages between the men show Mitchell was going to sell the car to Smith but 'called off the deal because the wire transfer didn't go through,' prosecutors said. 'That same night, Walter traded the Mustang at a car dealership. He and Susie were killed the next morning,' according to prosecutors. But Smith wasn't ready to give up on acquiring the GT500, prosecutors say. The day after the killing, Smith went to the home and spoke to police, telling them he was there to pick up the GT500 that had been purchased by a car collector who he was working for. That apparently didn't work, so he waited a little while and tried again. 'More than two weeks later, Smith went to the Peoria Police station and asked to speak with detectives about getting the car,' prosecutors said. 'His story did not match what he told detectives at the crime scene the day after the shooting.' Investigation later revealed that police weren't the only ones Smith was trying to fool, according to prosecutors. 'Smith's phone records show that at the same time he was trying to buy the Ford Shelby GT500 from (Mitchell), he was also posing as the car's owner so he could trade it with someone else. Even after the deal had been called off, he told the third party he would trade the car the next day, which was the day of the murder,' prosecutors said. By then the car was already gone, as Mitchell had traded it to a dealership. Investigators found Smith's fingerprints on a door handle at the home, and GPS data shows he was nearby when the shooting happened, prosecutors said. 'This was an act driven by greed; even after taking two lives this defendant continued to lie to police to try to get the car,' Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said. 'Thanks to Peoria Police and MCAO prosecutors, his story unraveled, and he will spend the rest of his life facing the consequences of his choices.' Smith pleaded guilty to two counts of murder and one count of burglary, the prosecutor's office said. He was sentenced to two life sentences, plus 21 years, in prison. Information about his legal representation was not immediately available. Peoria is a northwest suburb of Phoenix.
The Star
28-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Star
Alesi, Sasahara steer Toyota to dominant Super GT victory
SEPANG: Deloitte Tom's Toyota GR Supra duo Ukyo Sasahara and Giuliano Alesi executed a flawless race strategy to claim victory in the GT500 class at the Autobacs Super GT Championship, which returned to Sepang after a 12-year hiatus. Alesi sealed the win with a best lap time of 1:54.601s after 55 laps, finishing 19 seconds ahead of the Arta Mugen Civic Type R-GT pair Tomoki Nojiri and Nobuharu Matsushita.
The Star
27-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Star
Kunimoto-Sakaguchi bag pole position for Super GT race
SEPANG: WedsSport Advan Toyota GR Supra, driven by Yuji Kunimoto and Sena Sakaguchi, claimed pole position for the Autobacs Super GT championship today after a dominant display in the qualifying rounds at the Sepang International Circuit. Sakaguchi secured his fifth career GT500 pole in spectacular fashion, clocking a blistering 1:49.748s in Q2 yesterday, smashing the 18-year-old course record of 1:54.306s set by Takashi Kogure in 2007.
New Straits Times
27-06-2025
- Automotive
- New Straits Times
Sakaguchi shatters 18-year-old course record at Sepang
SEPANG: WedsSport Advan Toyota GR Supra, driven by Yuji Kunimoto and Sena Sakaguchi, will start from pole position for the Autobacs Super GT championships tomorrow after a dominant display in the qualifying rounds at the Sepang International Circuit today. Sakaguchi secured his fifth career GT500 pole in spectacular fashion, clocking a blistering 1:49.748 in Q2 – shattering the 18-year-old course record of 1:54.306 set by Takashi Kogure in 2007. His teammate Kunimoto had earlier topped Q1 to hand Sakaguchi the chance to fight for pole, and the 21-year-old delivered in emphatic style, giving the team the best possible start as they chase a record seventh consecutive GT500 class victory tomorrow. A jubilant Sakaguchi said he had an enjoyable outing at the Sepang track and was looking forward to the race tomorrow. "I'm happy to be here, first time to race in Sepang for Super GT and there's a lot to deal with (during the race) but it was very exciting and we managed to push and I enjoyed the track," said the 25-year-old in the post race press conference. ARTA Mugen Honda Civic Type R-GT's Tomoki Nojiri-Nobuharu Matsushita were second with 1:50.350 in the qualifying rounds, while Modulo Honda Civic's Takuya Izawa-Riki Okusa were third fastest with 1:50.388. There was drama early in Q2 as Sacha Fenestraz of TGR TEAM SARD was forced to park his SARD car, which had been fastest in Friday morning practice, with an apparent engine fire. While the fire was quickly controlled, with Fenestraz emerging unharmed, it left the SARD car 10th on the grid, with the status of its engine not immediately clear. Meanwhile, championship leaders Sho Tsuboi-Kenta Yamashita of TGR TEAM au TOM'S qualified eighth after clocking 1:51.064. In the GT300 category, Takashi Kobayashi and rookie Yuto Nomura grabbed the spotlight as the UPGarage Mercedes-AMG GT3 claimed pole with a new lap record of 2:02.110.
