Ford Shelby GT500 Races Into Phoenix Area Sept. 8 & 9; Media Invited To Drive Vehicle

WHAT: The boldest, most powerful factory-built Ford Mustang ever -- the eagerly awaited 2007 Shelby GT500 -- is taking to the streets of America this summer, making stops in 16 different cities, including the Phoenix area on Sept. 8 & 9.

Featuring a 500-horsepower, 5.4-liter supercharged V-8 engine, the Shelby GT500 is the most powerful factory-built Mustang ever. A modern interpretation of the Shelby Mustang of the 1960s, the new GT500 uses advanced engineering to attain the performance that made the original GT500 the king of the road. True to the original GT500, it is available both as a coupe and as a convertible.

WHERE & WHEN: The Shelby GT500 will be available for media drives Sept. 8 & 9. On Sept. 8 the vehicle will be at the Firebird Raceway. The media will have a chance to test-drive the GT500 on the track as well as take hot laps with Robert Parker, Ford Car Marketing Manager. During this time, he will be available for interviews as well. The vehicle would be available for visits to media outlets as well.

ALSO: Named after racing legend Carroll Shelby who collaborated with Ford on this and other storied Mustang models dating back to 1965, the 2007 version is by far the most attainable vehicle in the elite and exclusive 500- horsepower club -- the world's most powerful production cars.

The GT500 was ranked as the most buzz-worthy new-vehicle nameplate among sporty car considerers in a Kelley Blue Book Marketing Research survey taken a full year before this summer's introduction.

The Shelby GT500 tour kicked off June 8-10 in Tulsa, Okla. In addition to the Phoenix area, the new Shelby Mustang is traveling to Charlotte, N.C.; Kansas City, Mo.; Tampa, Fla.; Fort Worth, Texas; and San Diego, Calif., among other locations. The tour concludes at the end of September in Long Beach. The schedule for the tour is subject to change and vehicle event availability.