When you grow up in Detroit, the Ford Mustang is so much more than just another performance car. It's arguably the most iconic automobile born within these city limits, and anyone who's called the area home can't help but feel an overwhelming sense of pride while driving the Blue Oval's pony through the Motor City. It's like eating a hot dog at the ballpark – you can't explain why, but it just tastes better.

At the tippy top of the Mustang hierarchy sits the Shelby GT500 with its supercharged 5.4-liter V8, 550 horsepower and an exhaust note that will wake the neighbors. Our love for the GT500 has run deep since its debut in 2006, though most of that affection was never given to the convertible. The droptop Ford suffers from substantially more handling and rigidity issues than the coupe, and when you consider the added price that Ford charges to lob off the roof ($5,000, in this case), it can seem like a puzzling proposition.

For 2011, Ford has tweaked the GT500's core, not to mention stiffening individual components of both the front and rear suspension setups. That, combined with a new electric power assist steering system, means this should be the most driver-focused GT500 yet. Thus, we put the top back and basked in the warm Michigan sun to rekindle our love with Detroit's most powerful pony car. This, friends, is our kind of end-of-summer lovin'.

[full story here]

 

Had a chance to buy a 09 gt500 vert in black but I just love the coupe roodline, The vert was only 3000.00 more but I passed obviously.

 

They've really upped the hp with the new block set up.
In addition to the higher HP/Torque the engine is actually 102 pounds lighter than the previous GT500 and is much more fuel efficient to the point that the US dropped the gas guzzler tax on it because it now gets 23 mpg highway.

With the refinements on the 2011 from the previous models this is the one that many are nuts over.
A very good friend just traded his '09 gt500 convertible for one of these '11s.
He took one test drive and it was that impressive that he came back to the dealership and worked out a deal and had the new one in 2 days.

Very nice car indeed.

 

I would but I only paid 49,100 tax in on my 09 and I do not want the dealer giving me 35,000.00 just to turn around and spend 70g's tax in on a car with 2500k's. Hey I must be wising up doh

 

I still say you must have had a 9mm tucked in your jacket when you bought KLEEEN, because 49 large, taxes in was a steal. It's not wising up, it's being smart.

 

^^^no no I mean getting rid of it for the 11. I am finally tired of putting 200 coats of polish/wax on a car and letting someone else enjoy the fruits of my labor. Then there's the loss of my hard earned money being literally flushed down the toilet. I still secretly wish my wife did not allow me to buy the 09 as the 05 looked great and had a mere 7800k on the odo. To date the 05 would be a full 6 summers old and the odo would show 10,000 k's. What some of use do to get the latest and greatest really makes no sense but at 46 I have finally figured it out. I almost sold the 09 but luckily it is still in the garage where it will stay until I can drive no more. I have decided that my niece will inherit it at that point as she is the only one I trust to care for it properly. The nephews would tear the car to shreds in no time flat so they are not on the list.