One of 2070 convertibles, one of 245 in “Vapor.” 33,000 miles. Upgraded exhaust, ECM, and wheels. Everything works, drives great, no racing or abuse. Very clean. Documented. A seriously fast GT500 convertible with a very appealing price tag.

The Shelby GT500 has always been an apex predator, and that’s especially true with this awesome 2008 Ford Shelby GT500 convertible. Packing a few choice modifications, it is reported to make over 600 horsepower so it’s still wickedly fast, even nearly 20 years later. The cool anthracite gray paint is called “Vapor” and this is #230 of just 245 Vapor GT500s built, so it will always be a little bit unique, even at big shows. With just 33,219 miles on the clock, it remains in excellent condition throughout and obviously nobody buys a Shelby to drive it in the winter, so rust is a non-issue. It’s been driven, yes, so it’s not perfect, but it remains excellent throughout with no major scratches, dings, or other issues. Finish quality on these cars was quite good, which was expected given their eye-watering factory sticker price, and the doors still close with a solid sound that belies the Mustang roots underneath. Black stripes add the appropriate Shelby look, along with a custom hood with twin nostrils, a small spoiler on the deck lid, and the requisite Cobra and ‘SHELBY’ emblems, just in case. This is a great-looking car from any angle.

The charcoal gray leather interior is likewise in excellent condition. The driver’s seat shows some minor marks on the outer bolster, which is to be expected, but there are no rips, tears, or scuffs on the leather and everything else is almost like new. The door panels, carpets, and dash pad are unmarked, the steering wheel isn’t faded or scuffed, and everything works like it should. The GT500 came only one way—loaded—so that means you get things like power windows, locks, mirrors, and seat, a tilt steering column, cruise control, powerful HVAC, and a full set of gauges. The original entertainment system has been upgraded to a modern touch-screen unit with USB and Bluetooth connections, so you can bring your music with you. The Shelby upgrade includes a custom serial number plaque between the center A/C vents, a cool-looking light bar over the interior, and contrasting red stitching on the steering wheel and shifter boot. The convertible top is 100% power actuated, folding itself into a neat stack that doesn’t need a boot to look good, and there’s a decent-sized trunk in back, even with the thumping stereo subwoofer enclosure.

But the real reason you buy a GT500 is the power. Specifically, the 5.4 liter DOHC V8 with a big, honkin’ supercharger on top, a descendant of the powerplant found in the legendary Ford GT. In stock trim, it put out 500 horsepower, but thanks to a few modifications, this one is somewhat more potent. There’s a bit more boost on tap from the supercharger, a custom tune on the ECM, a free-flowing air intake, and a beautifully crafted exhaust system with an X-pipe, no cats, and low-restriction mufflers. The soundtrack is epic! It is reported to make about 600 horsepower, but we don’t have dyno sheets on the work—it’s definitely fast! The engine bay remains super sanitary, and comes complete with all the usual Shelby and SVT badges, number plates, markings, and signature tag of the guys who assembled the engine. Reliability and user-friendliness are unaffected by the upgrades, so it starts quickly, idles easily, and is generally happy to trundle around town in 4th gear without getting grumpy. But if you nail the throttle, you’d better make sure it’s aimed where you want to go, because things start to happen very, very quickly. Fortunately, there’s a competent suspension to pin it to the road and massive 4-wheel disc brakes to haul it down from speed. An aluminum driveshaft shaves some weight from an admittedly heavy ragtop, and there are a lot of cool details like the differential cover and trailing arms that are made from lightweight aluminum as well. There’s a notation on the CarFax about one of the wheels being damaged, which is likely why it wears those gorgeous 20-inch American Racing Shelby-Edition wheels, which are wrapped in gigantic 275/35/20 front and 305/35/20 rear Mickey Thompson performance radials.

Documentation includes factory owner’s manuals, the original window sticker, and Shelby Certificate of Authenticity.

The awesome thing about the GT500 is that it does everything well. You could put your mother behind the wheel to drive it around town and it would be on its best behavior. Take it to the drag strip and it’s going to rip off some seriously impressive times. Or on the road course where its performance belies its street car origins. That has always been the allure of a Shelby, and this one offers a whole lot of fun for not a lot of cash. Call today!

Harwood Motors always recommends and welcomes personal or professional inspections of any vehicle in our inventory prior to purchase.