THIS CHANGESEVERYTHING

“My gawd,” was the first thing, the only thing I could say after hot-lapping the 760-hp Shelby GT500 on a track. “What a thing!” (C’mon, Walton, pull yourself together, use proper descriptors.) “I mean, a helluva thing, a monster!”

I was literally a few words shy of speechless, it was such a revelation. Like the mid-engine Corvette, this American icon pushes the limits—and the storied Europeans with all their heritage and rare-air technology—to the edge of what we once thought possible. I don’t write glibly when I say this new Shelby is both a sobering and enthusiastic realization.

The car had such explosive power, controlled and exploitable through the brilliantly tuned Tremec twin-clutch seven-speed automated manual and Torsen limited-slip differential. Think Porsche GT2 RS. Yes, I just wrote that.

The GT500 also provided so much mechanical and aero grip that it attacked racetrack curb hopping