Classic Recreations, the Oklahoma-based builder of officially-licensed Ford and Shelby American continuation cars and restorations, has enlisted SpeedKore Performance Group, the Wisconsin-based carbon fiber manufacturer, to produce carbon fiber bodies for its Shelby GT500CR models.
The first of its kind, the program is part of an initiative by Classic Recreations to build the next generation of modern high-performance vehicles with iconic classic American styling, followed by a Shelby-licensed all-carbon-fiber-bodied Cobra in the future.
Classic Recreations’ standard Shelby GT500CR starts with an original 1967 or 1968 Mustang body that is restored to like-new condition using hundreds of man-hours of labor. The carbon fiber GT500CR also begins with a restored donor steel tub that is then fitted with all-new carbon fiber body panels. Starting with a 3D digital model produced from SpeedKore’s blue light scan of an entire GT500CR body, a five-axis CNC machine cuts the molds, and then plugs and panels are pulled using aerospace-grade prepreg carbon fiber. The molded carbon fiber body panels are cured using a massive in-house autoclave. The result is the world’s first officially-licensed Shelby Mustang that is lighter and stronger than an all-steel body and has perfect carbon fiber weave alignment. The precisely manufactured, hypercar-quality carbon fiber bodies can be produced efficiently to exacting specifications.
Under the carbon fiber body is a modern high-performance vehicle. GT500CR models are available with several engine options, ranging from a 490-horsepower Ford Performance Gen 3 5.0L Coyote crate engine up to a 900-horsepower, hand-built 427-cubic-inch engine with an intercooled ProCharger supercharger. All Shelby GT500CR models are equipped with a Tremec five-speed manual transmission and a stainless-steel MagnaFlow performance exhaust.
-
-
30 May 2020
