Forza Horizon 3: Best of American muscle classics

While most Americans spend their independence readying the fireworks and the grill, I do my own way to celebrate American independence by driving out the best of American muscle classics in Forza Horizon 3.



Sure, there are lots of iconic muscle names in automotive history but I've gone for the names that once a muscle, stays as a muscle in modern times in alphabetical order; Camaro, Challenger, Charger, and Mustang.





Once as the underdog when it first emerged in the battle of the muscle cars dominated by the Ford Mustang, the Camaro tries to show what General Motors is capable of in this kind of civil war but whereas the Mustang reigned supreme as well as the Charger and the Challenger, the Camaro failed to do so and I understand that. Despite the Camaro's failure that led to its 2002 demise, the Camaro's coming back fighting as demonstrated by being Bumblebee in the Transformers movies and thanks to its newfound popularity, the Camaro won the hearts of many generations. Fame aside, let's not forget about how the unpopular first-generation Camaro came here which is like an ugly duckling turned into a swan with magnificent results and if it weren't for this, there wouldn't be a Bumblebee in the Transformers films.





The Challenger was once served as an alternative to the Charger and while the Charger was proven to be an icon apart from being General Lee in the Dukes of Hazzard TV show, the Challenger wants to follow its brother's footsteps by getting its shot of fame in Vanishing Point but sadly, it wasn't as popular as its Charger brother. Although today's Charger is a four-door saloon, the Challenger managed to come back as a modern day alternative to Mustangs and Camaros and just as we thought the Challenger is becoming the muscle car that never was in today's times, it managed to find its triumphant return to the road with the most powerful V8 car in the world as well as the first-ever 4WD muscle car ever produced. While the Challenger has a lot of tricks on its sleeves, the original is the car we should be thankful for because if it weren't for its presence, we wouldn't got the most powerful V8 car today.





The original Dodge Charger R/T holds no explanation because as I said before, the Duke boys drove one in the Dukes of Hazzard TV series as the General Lee, named after a Confederate soldier (which explains a lot from the highly controversial Confederate flag on the roof of the car). Although the Confederate flag remains one of the most controversial objects in history because of such background, a General Lee without it is like living like a complete poser. That's why fans want to keep it that way and I understand that. General Lee aside, this iconic Charger has been one of the forefront of The Fast and the Furious films and if I was Vin Diesel, I believe that the classic Charger remains a favorite. Sure, today's four-door Chargers also dominate the F&F films but credit goes to the Charger that is not only approved by the Dukes of Hazzard but also Dom from the Fast & Furious movies.





Lastly, the Mustang, and while Mustangs became one of the most iconic movie cars of all time since Steve McQueen drove one in Bullitt, the best of the first-generation Mustang goes to the Boss 302 because of its motorsport pedigree that traces back to its Trans-Am Racing and by surprise, the Australian Touring Cars. Pedigree aside, the Boss 302 remains one of the most respected Mustangs in the golden age of muscle cars and also of the most collectible Mustangs for the high-rollers with a restored Boss fetched a $530,000 price tag a decade ago.

These American classic muscles, they do more than just fireworks and grilles but also showing proof that America is great when it comes to flexing their big V8 muscles against the world. Sure, the whole world love to spit them up when they see one but when times change, they will see that cars like these are becoming the posters of the world superpower and soon, they will all bow down to their greatness. That all sounds scary but that's America to you, the land of the most powerful V8s in the world, and to celebrate American independence, time to get these muscle car icons the salute they truly deserved and this will be much more fun to see than fireworks and grilles.




Thank you America for the fast cars through the years!

Forza Motorsport 6: The Camaro Six

This is the first and only car to be featured in the latest Forza Motorsport 6 Hot Wheels Car pack with General Motors' newly developed Alpha Platform, which is kinda odd why the climate from the producers' office is starting to get things gloomy when it comes to feature rides. Anyway, the sixth-generation Chevrolet Camaro, the latest model to utilize the American automotive giant's Alpha Platform, has arrived and I got a chance to try out the new model.

Before taking a spin with the Camaro Six, let's explain what's what about the new model.

The previous fifth-generation Chevrolet Camaro became a tremendous success since General Motors brought back the muscle car in 2009 long before its bankruptcy. Thanks to such success, Chevrolet has been prompted to regenerate the Camaro for its sixth generation.

For its sixth generation, the new Chevrolet Camaro departs from the previous model's Zeta platform (currently applied on the Aussie-import SS saloon) in favor of General Motors' newly developed Alpha platform, resulting in over 200lb of weight loss compared to the previous model.

Under the hood, the sixth-generation Chevrolet Camaro offers three engine choices such as the newly developed 2.0L Ecotec turbo engine producing 275HP of power, the 3.6L V6 engine with 335HP of power, and the Corvette-derived 6.2L V8 engine producing 455HP of power and the same amount for torque. It can be mated with either a 6-speed manual or an 8-speed automatic.

Since its launch, the new Camaro was awarded Motor Trend's 2016 Car of the Year.

Being one of the many people who can witness how the new Camaro performs, I got to say that with this new platform that was used on today's Cadillacs that Forza Motorsport 6 is too afraid to feature it, driving that new Camaro still has some sportscar charm on its muscle car looks. It may look Southerner but it feels like a Northerner once you had fun with the new model and with all that sophisticated suspension setup deployed on its new platform as well as its Corvette-derived V8 engine, it's starting to feel like it's becoming the best Camaro ever made. I'm impressed how a car that was once a star in a Transformers film evolved into something different that still behaves like European sportscars, the same as its chief rival, the new Ford Mustang, would do in its time.

Hey, at least, the latest versions are now here to settle the score once and for all and since both of these sixth-generation muscle cars have new underbodies and new suspension setups, looks like it's going to be a heck of an inside job to compare these two and to find out, I'm at Long Beach to bring this next-gen rivalry to fruition. Mind you, while the new Camaro's V8 produces more power than the V8-powered Mustang, the Mustang is surprisingly lighter than the new Camaro, meaning this could be a very one-sided match.

And now, the results. The new Mustang did it in 1:46.228 while the new Camaro did it in 1:43.137, meaning that with that kind of record, I got to say that Chevrolet made the new Camaro a much greater fighter against the Mustang.

The new, sixth-generation Chevrolet Camaro may have won the battle but the war of the pony car goes on because as these models unleash powerful versions, the clash of the muscle car titans keeps on rolling like tumbleweeds and they don't stop until someone throws in the towel. That is all, hope you enjoyed driving the new Camaro in-game.

Forza Motorsport 6: Sushi vs. Hamburger Redux

Remember several years ago when then-Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson tested an old Lotus Exige S (the one with the supercharged 2ZZ-GE engine in the middle) round the Top Gear Test Track and then raced against The Stig in a Ford Mustang and won? It was the old sushi vs. hamburger debate and now, that tale's about to be retold in its modern-day equivalents.



These are the modern-day equivalents I am talking about. Here, I've been rejoined by the V6-powered Lotus Exige S, the car capable of balancing big power and light weight at the same pace on the track. As for the Mustang side, I've gone for the most track-honed Mustang yet, the all-new GT350. Specifically, a specially-made GT350R. Let's hope this Mustang sounds as it should be because it's been updated twice after problems faced with the GT350's exhaust sound.

Anyway, what can you expect about these two? Well, both of these track-day, road-legal machines are well in tune with the racetracks thanks to its motorsport-derived dynamics that allows themselves to go through the corners as smooth as a baby's buttocks like those triplets in the picture. Although the Lotus Exige S V6 is a bulkier Lotus due to the bulk of its engine, its midship layout and its crafty dynamics still feels like the lightweight Lotus of yesteryears, making it the ideal track toy that you can use it harder and longer, as long as you don't pit in against ultra-lightweight machines like the Atom or the Mono because that would be suicidal.

The GT350R, a special model based on the GT350, is basically a hardcore sixth-generation Mustang I am really like and in fact, I like this one better than the old 1960's GT350 because the old GT350 is for Gran Turismo losers and the new GT350 is fit for Forza faithfuls like you and me. However, there are some idiots, presumably Gran Turismo fans, listed numerous things why they hate the new GT350 as well as many reasons not to buy one. One of the main reasons why is because it's a Forza car and you know how idiots react to cars featured in a Forza game. Anyway, while the V8 engine it powers it is not as powerful as the old GT500, its race-derived dynamics really compensates it and you can really set very fast lap times in this pony car if you set things right. Word of warning, however, is despite its newly sophisticated suspension setup like in the standard Mustang, it can still kick you off like a mechanical bull on the bar.




Now it's time to compare these two round the Top Gear Test Track and see if the whole sushi and hamburger debate still applies in this modern-day equivalents. Let's get crackin...


And now the results. The Lotus Exige S did it in 1:23.130 while the new Shelby GT350 did it in 1:23.389, meaning that light is right when it comes to track-day sportscars and looks like the sushi trumped the hamburger, but only just.

Ford Mustang Shelby GT350

With the latest generation Ford Mustang's taking shape thanks to its new engine choices, a much modern design that harks back to the past, and a new suspension setup that matches up against Europe's finest, looks like Ford's on the roll to turn the Mustang into a global sportscar. If this car's going global in style, perhaps one Mustang we want in our wishlists is this advanced version of the new Mustang, the new Shelby GT350.

2016 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350

In the glorious past, the GT350 is known to be one of the most iconic and collectible muscle cars of the 60's, Now, fast forward fifty years to now and the legendary GT350 nameplate is back as the most advanced version of the new Mustang and because it's becoming a half-decent sportscar in its own right, you might think that this car is all buff and all bluff but no.

First up, the new GT350 is powered by an all-new 5.2L Flat Plane Crank V8 engine producing 526HP of power and 429lb-ft of torque while mated exclusively with a 6-speed manual gearbox. While it doesn't sound much for a V8-powered muscle car of this magnitude, it's powerful enough to roast some marshmallows when it makes a swift getaway.

2016 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R

Ford says that the new GT350 is more track focused than the previous GT500, which is known to be the most powerful Ford ever made it doesn't learn much despite the big power in its V8 engine. Of course, while this may not be the fastest Ford ever made, the handling will really remind you of the recently deceased Chevrolet Camaro Z/28. Yep, it's like a Porsche 911 GT3 edited for rednecks but if there's something even more redneck than a Porsche 911 GT3 RS, Ford will offer you a more hardcore GT350R.

The GT350R removes all concessions of comfort as well as implementing more aerodynamic features inspired by the base GT350 and the implementation of space age materials, turning this buff car into a potent track weapon that can be enjoyed most of the time. With the GT350 and the GT350R, this pony car's got talent when it comes to slip past through corners. However, there's a much bigger consequence when it comes to driving it because while this is essentially a much sportier take on the modern Mustang, you'd had to think twice about using it on a day to day basis, well save it to the base GT350, because if you've gone for the R, you'll find yourself in a hard place because with all that concessions of comfort deleted from the inside, you may find yourself struggling to live on the streets.

Either way, the new GT350 from Ford is all about being a well-proven track performer that benefits from the new Mustang's drivetrain to become as better as what European sportscars do during track days. Of course, while this maybe a track weapon but it's essentially a muscle car that likes to throw a party at the neighborhood, something that will wake the neighbors up on a late Saturday night.

Should you buy one? The new GT350 starts from $49,095 for the base to $62,595 for the R so it maybe sound much but it's more affordable to own one rather than an expensive European sportscar you've been longing for. Anyway, if I had something to say about the modern GT350, one thing comes to my mind and that is I want this car better than the classic GT350 of the 60's and who can't blame them? The video games I blame...

Photo: Ford Motor Company

Ford Mustang - Sixth Generation

2015 Ford Mustang

For over 50 years, the Ford Mustang has been the poster boy of the American muscle car craze and even if it's facing stiff competition from Chevy and Dodge from past and present, the Ford Mustang is still on top as the king of American muscle cars and now, the iconic muscle car has been given its much awaited regeneration so let's fire up this new generation Mustang and find out how it's made.

The first thing I want to know about the new Mustang is the design and at first glance, judging the way that Ford still keeps using its Aston Martin-esque grille in most models like the Fusion, the Fiesta, and the Focus, I'm starting to think this is more of an Aston copy rather than carrying the tradition but I was wrong. This car still keeps the classic look alive and with some modern-day touches in it, it looks like it spent the whole day eating Century Tuna for breakfast, lunch, tea, even elevensies. Now that's hot stuff.

2015 Ford Mustang interior

Aside from having the body of a Superbods model, the interior is brand new and look at those silver-colored flickers below the climate control, it's just like the ones I found on the legendary Ford GT supercar and judging from its muscle car atmosphere, the inside is all about being retro-futuristic, although the sat-nav system is a bit of a letdown for me because most Ford sat-navs with the SYNC on it is worthless. Sigh. But that doesn't stop me from like the new interior.

2015 Ford Mustang

2015 Ford Mustang Convertible

Prices start from $23,600 to $41,600 and there are two body styles available on the brand new Mustang such as the hardtop coupe for a more traditional feel and the open-top convertible if you want to go on an open-air spree on the open road. Whichever Mustang you choose, you can be opted for one of three available engines such as the brand new 2.3L EcoBoost 4-cylinder turbo engine, a 3.7 V6 engine, and the top-spec 5.0L V8 engine for the flagship GT model.

While a turbocharged engine maybe a sacrilege for Mustang purists but this is the first ever turbocharged engine since the Mustang SVO of 1985, Ford says that this brand new 2.3L EcoBoost engine develops more power than the V6 variant and it has best-in-class fuel economy of 25 combined MPG. It produces 310HP of power and 320lb-ft of torque when it comes to performance figures. That sounds great but there is one major problem about the Mustang EcoBoost and that's the noise because it has revealed that it uses a system that triggers a synthesised version of the exhaust note through the stereo.

That sounds cheating but there's a bigger problem about this system; this synthesised version of the exhaust note will be gone if the factory-equipped audio has been removed so there's a word of warning though that if you're planning to replace its radio, you're going to lose its fakey exhaust note so exercise extreme caution. So, who would want that kind of Mustang that you can't replace its factory-equipped radio? My best bet would be nobody because speedo boys don't like that kind of thing much like what happened to the latest BMW M cars when they have turbo engines at the cost of exhaust notes.

It seems odd that why there are some modern-day turbocharged production cars doesn't want to sound like a speedo boy's Honda because there's one thing: NO CAR SHOULD EVER SOUND LIKE RICE. That's the reason. They'll do it on their own and that sounds a lot harsh than your Auntie visiting your home and telling your grandparents some bad news.

Anyway, I'm not mind getting one and my choice is the flagship GT version. The 5.0L V8 engine Mustang fans love has been given more power so now, it produces 435HP of power and 400lb-ft of torque. Such added power is done by its bigger intake and exhaust valves and new camshafts with increased lift. Fuel economy maybe a 19MPG combined but meh. This is the one to have if you're a Mustang aficionado and for the hell of it, that noise takes me back.

For the first time in Mustang history, Ford has finally freed from their fear of adding sophisticated suspension to the iconic pony car and now, this Mustang comes with the first ever fully-independent rear suspension and new double-ball-joint front suspension. While Ford says it has less body roll and improved pitch control during hard acceleration and hard braking, driving the Ford Mustang is like memorizing a tongue twister. If the tongue twister gets more slippery, the Ford Mustang shows off its dynamic side and even with the added sophistication that you get from its European foes, it still feels more Americanized and if you get twisty, it's difficult to go back to its normal state unless you're a skilled driver.

No matter which engine I'm choosing as well as the body style, I strongly believe that this new Mustang is now ready to take on the world, be it in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, or in the Americas. Yes. This car is now ready for its world stage and looks like it will have a cult following in countries that doesn't know the Mustang story yet. It's great for rookies and experts alike and if you want to be part of the Mustang community, there's no better opportunity to do it. Praise the driving gods because this pony car's going global!

Photo: Ford Motor Company

Forza Horizon 2: The Reborn Veterans

The sixth-generation Ford Mustang is not in the mood to fight the Chevrolet Camaro for now but instead, it likes to take on one of America's oldest sportscar names that is none other than the legend itself, the Chevrolet Corvette.



Both the Mustang and the Corvette are the veterans in the American automotive scene and with those reborn looks and performances, both the new Mustang and the Corvette are ready to take on the world like they've never done before, well the Mustang is anyway because the Corvette's been around from Europe, Asia, and America like a certain rock band's world tour. With the Mustang now reborn as a global sportscar, looks like this car is ready for its world tour on the four corners of the world just like the Corvette does but in the meantime, they both have a nice time flexing their bodies in the world of Forza Horizon 2.



When engaged in a race, both of these reborn veterans are showing off their true selves and they became fierce aggressors against each other but after the race, they're just good mates trying to impress themselves. I was amazed to see those two racing together in the same place.

With the new Mustang and the new Corvette are in my hands now, looks like it's time to put these two to the test since I've signed them up to a Modern Muscle competition in the vicinity of Saint-Martin but first, further improvements have been made to match the opponents' levels of performance.



The C7 Corvette is now dressed in one of Belka's clothing as I give this car the Schnee makeover it deserves, in reference to the Schnee team from Ace Combat Zero. Although a mess, it feels like it's like the Schnee team after all and this car in this clothing will bask into glory. Looks like the opponents are messing up with the wrong Corvette.



Well, not much to tell you about what I did to my 2015 Mustang GT but I have to say that I made even more sleek and sporty. Since both of them have been given major improvements to match the opponents', I guess it's time for these two to take halves. The C7 Corvette will take on the very serious half of the championship while the 2015 Mustang GT will take on the slightly serious half of the championship. Looks like these two are doing half the chores at the same day.



Looks like mission accomplished to them. These cars made me win the championship and I know how to push these cars' true potential and basked our way to glory. I can almost smell the finale through the horizon.

Gran Turismo 6: Big muscle or small hatch? A 47-second science question...

When it comes to mastering a certain racetrack, what kind of car do you choose? Would you go for a big V8-powered muscle car or a small but nimble hot hatchback?



To find out, I picked two prime specimens at this case and find out if size does matters in the science of Gran Turismo 6.



On the small side, I chose the Renaultsport Clio III RS200, the hot version of the third-generation Renault Clio and known to be the last hot Clio to come with the manual gearbox because the latest version, as GT6 failed to put it until further notice, has a double-clutch nonsense that purists found it in dismay. On the big side, I've gone for the 2013 Ford Mustang Boss 302 and Mustang enthusiasts want to call it a track-prepped Mustang because even though it produces less than the ultimate GT500, it's beefed up suspension setup and race-prepped updates truly deserves a reputation of being the successor of the original machine that was used for Trans-Am racing.

The setting - the Ascari track. The objective - fastest time wins.




And they're off! While the Boss has over twice the power than the Clio, the French hot hatch is lightweight and its more maneuverable on the corners. The Boss may catch the Clio on the straights but in the corners, the Clio makes a comeback but it's still wasn't enough to nabbed the horse and by the results, the Clio RS finished 4/5th of a second slower than the Boss.

So, it's a clear win for the Boss 302 but what if the Ascari track's getting all wet after a moderate rain? We're going to restart the experiment but this time, things will change because it's a wet lap and in theory, the Clio will surely make amends to the wet track...

Because of all the torque in the Boss 302, you might be having a hard time to survive the wet lap and even if you treat it gently, a slight mistake such as getting out of course or a spin will cost you a big damage but on the plus side, you can enjoy powersliding in the rain...for fun.



The Clio maybe dealing less mistakes in the wet lap but unlike the Mustang Boss 302, its front-wheel drive powertrain makes it easier to survive the rainy day and with good traction, there's nothing to go wrong with it and you won't do the same mistake as I did to the Boss 302.



In the end, the Clio RS managed a 2:39.144 lap time on a wet condition while the Boss 302, thanks to a spin, came to the finish line 11 seconds later.



Conclusive proof that even though high-powered sportscars like the Boss 302 eat the little guys for tea, it's the little guys like the Clio that can survive the wet lap better than a rear-wheel drive muscle car but you can try one for yourself and find out.

Gran Turismo 6: The Shelby GT500 story

Ever since the Mustang's inception in the 1960's it became well known as the king of muscle cars and with fierce competition from the Chevrolet Camaro and the Dodge Charger, the Ford Mustang still stacks up the competition. The Mustang has been widely known to be starred in different movies and shows. It was once famously appeared in Bullitt starring Steve McQueen, Gone in 60 Seconds, Fast and Furious Tokyo Drift, Drive, Getaway, next year's NFS movie, the unsuccessful TV reboot of Knight Rider, and oh, it was once appeared in an episode of Alcatraz.



If someone complains about a Mustang, then it's got to be Europeans and Asians doing the complaining over the Mustang because even though Mustangs love to prefer the straight line enjoyment, having one in countries outside the USA makes you feel like you're a spokening dollar wearing a stetson, some cowboy boots, drinking too much fizzy pops, wasting some cash on a holiday in Disneyland, eating too much fast foods like McDonald's, Burger King, or Subway, and you're the sort of person occasionally living the fancy life. That's how a Mustang guy best describes himself.

If you're in the land of anime, K-Pop, baguettes, kebabs, tom yum, or Right Honorable Gentlemen, you might think that the Mustang is nothing but a pet peeve. A cog piece for the shorter chap. An equivalent of The Rich Texan from The Simpsons.

This particular Mustang, however, is not like that. This is the Shelby GT500, the pinnacle of the Mustang range. The king of Mustangs. In the US, this car costs $54,995 so it's cheaper than any other supercars five times the price. What surprises me is the engine that powers it, a 5.8L DOHC 32-valve supercharged V8 engine, produces 662HP. That's about a hundred more than a Ferrari 458 or a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. Ford says it's the most powerful production V8 ever made. Yummy.



It maybe heralded as America's most powerful car but there are some downfalls to the GT500. Like all Mustangs, the GT500 is not good on the corners because unlike most modern cars that comes with multi-link, dual-rate dampers, and independent rear suspensions, this Mustang still comes with a live-axle, which is a bit old-school in the handling stakes but still, it's enjoyable as a drifting machine if you got some time to pass.

Reason why the Mustang GT500 didn't come with some modern suspension is because it would have added some pricing to each car. It maybe a ridiculous decision but you can't have a powerful car stuck with some suspension made of wood or a lamppost. What remains is a car that looks great and still performs on a straight line. That's it.







You can't add that much power on a car that still comes with an old suspension system, right? Most modern sports cars are not like the Mustang because even with the added power, they took some time beefing up the suspension to make it more handling-friendly. In the past, power is the top priority but with times changed, sports car makers rely on the handling as the top priority. The Mustang is...well always sticking to the power struggle.



Back in 2011, when Chevrolet launched the ultimate Camaro, the ZL1, Ford got alarmed that the ultimate Camaro got more power than their GT500 so they've responded and in the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show, Ford takes a stab on the Camaro ZL1 with their 2013 GT500, which produces more power than the rival Chevy. The Mustang loves playing catch-up since the advent of the fifth-generation Camaro in 2009 and while the Camaro has been America's best seller, Ford wanted to keep up by giving the 2013 Mustang range a 100-horsepower increase. The previous GT500 has about 550-ish horsepower, don't know but I keep forgetting maths but since it was rated at around 662HP, the 2013 GT500 is once again king of American muscle cars. Not only it outwit the ZL1 but also the Corvette ZR1 in the horsepower stakes. It's kinda shame that even with the 100HP increase, nothing can match the technology and sophistication of its Chevy rivals.

Hmmm...



Unlike most any traditional American V8 engines, this 5.8L DOHC 32-valve supercharged V8 engine is quite sophisticated. The block is German-made, perhaps they all know what they're doing, the crank shaft is made of carbon fiber and hopefully it won't blow in the hands of whatever Brainiacs introduce it to SPEED. 0-60 takes 3.7 seconds and top speed is over 202mph.

What shocks us the most is the 2013 GT500's fuel tank because of its 50L capacity. A 50-litre fuel tank takes about 14MPG, which means at 140 miles, this car has to stop for fuel. Ouch. Well that's a theory worth proving but your actual mileage, both GT6 and reality, may vary.



As the Mustang GT500 continues to chew off the miles, I was wondering how come this immensely powerful car feels so...cheap.



Well, it's not what you called luxurious for a car that some people would call it a luxury car because of its outrageous pricing and it's not quite as refined as sportscars from Europe and Japan.



Despite all this, it's still worth addicting. When you put your foot on the pedal hard, your life gets drunk with speed. Once you're in the GT500, you'll never ever get away with it, it enslaves you for the fun of it. It's a likeable car, a good looking car, and no wonder why I got hooked on this car probably because it's so powerful enough to take on the sophisticated supercars five times the price.



And then, apart from being a likable, you can also expect one thing that stands out: HERITAGE.



This car owes its existence to a legend named Carroll Shelby. He was born in 1923 with a heart condition, meaning that he has to spend the rest of his life fighting for a living so one day, he decided to become a racer. While his racing career never cut the mustard, he heard that somewhere in England, a small company called AC was struggling to find a Ford-sourced engine for its sportscar. Carroll Shelby brokered a deal with Ford Motor Company to supply big V8s and the Cobra was born.



The Sunday Times reported that the coupe version of the Cobra, the Daytona Coupe, reached 190mph on the M1 highway and that sparked an enormous outrage over the safety of motorworks. Because of that, the 70mph speed limit was introduced.

In the USA, the Cobra christened a collaboration between Shelby and Ford, which spawned numerous creations until in 2012, Carroll Shelby died at the age of 89.



Just before his passing, he had to see this and apparently, he liked it. I also like the fact that this Mustang bears some menacing Cobra badges and his name on the back as a tribute to the motoring legend himself. I was going to say this but Mr. Shelby, no matter where you are, even if you are in the Great Racetrack in the Sky, my tribute goes to you but because I am so busy playing Gran Turismo 6 with the 2013 Shelby GT500, I just can't bring myself to say it.



Even though the Mustang GT500 has some ups and downs in terms on how does this car behaves, this car is definitely one of my favorites in the game. Not good on cornering, good on the straights, 50-litre fuel tank, heritage, these traits what best describe this car.









It looks great, tons of character, and goes like a train...well, almost. However, there is a problem regarding this car because the biggest advance on cars in the last century is refinement. You could drive an old banger at around 70mph but it feels like you've been shaken, rattled, and rolled. A present-day Ford Focus makes you feel like sitting in a bathtub while your hands and feet get lubed into something oily when you reach 70 mph.

The GT500 feels like an old banger to us because of the noise, vibration, and the harshness. Perhaps no wonder why American cars are so cheap. They're so cheap, they couldn't pay attention to the details and they simply aren't as sophisticated as the European rivals.

Don't get me wrong. Even though this is no Mustang, this is the exact Mustang that Jeremy Clarkson drove in the Series 19 episode from Top Gear in a Pan-European race from Wembley to San Siro and he lost just after Hammond and May arrived at the bar near the stadium.