Carbon-clad 1967 Shelby GT500 Mustang revealed

The first global Ford Mustang has been a smash-hit since it arrived in Australia in late 2015, after which it quickly became the nation’s top-selling sports car and was crowned by the locally-developed 500kW-plus R-Spec limited-edition.

But if the sixth-generation muscle-car, which could even be pressed into service as a police patrol car has become just a little too mainstream for some, Classic Recreations could well have the answer.

The Shelby GT500CR-900S is a 1967 Mustang clothed entirely in a carbon-fibre body created by Wisconsin-based carbon-fibre manufacturer SpeedKore Performance Group – the same people that brought us the world’s quickest Dodge Demon.

Available now via Classic Recreations, an Oklahoma-based builder of officially-licensed Ford and Shelby American continuation cars and restorations, the 900S starts life as an original 1967 or 1968 Mustang, but its standard panels are stripped and replaced by a ‘hypercar-quality’ carbon-fibre body that’s lighter and stronger than an all-steel body.

Classic Recreations founder and president Jason Engel says the world’s first officially-licensed Shelby Mustang is precision-manufactured to exacting specifications with perfect carbon-fibre weave alignment.

“When we decided to build the carbon-fiber-bodied GT500CR Mustangs, we wanted to work with someone who shared our vision for the future of custom car building,” he said.

“Having a supplier that is equally committed to high-quality craftsmanship and producing innovative vehicles is incredibly important to us and we found that matched commitment in SpeedKore.”

Like its other carbon creations, SpeedKore produces a 3D digital model from a blue light scan of an entire GT500CR body, before a five-axis CNC machine cuts the moulds for the panels, which are made from aerospace-grade prepreg carbon-fibre and cured using a massive in-house autoclave.

Like Classic Recreations’ standard Shelby GT500CR, which is stripped and restored over hundreds of man-hours, the carbon version is a thoroughly modern performance vehicle underneath.

Several V8 engine options are available, from a 365kW Ford Performance Gen 3 5.0-litre Coyote crate engine to a 670kW hand-built 427 cubic-inch engine with intercooled ProCharger supercharger, and all Shelby GT500CR models come with a Tremec five-speed manual and stainless-steel MagnaFlow performance exhaust.

Standard features include a power rack-and-pinion steering conversion, coilover suspension, oversized sway bars, Wilwood brakes, 17-inch American Racing forged wheels with Michelin high-performance Z-rated tyres, Carroll Shelby signature seats, gauges, console and floor mats, Deluxe 1967 dash and door panels and air-conditioning.

An optional Pro Touring Track Package ($US25,000) includes Detroit Speed Engineering suspension, wider rear wheels and tyres and six-piston brake callipers with larger rotors, while other options include six-speed manual or automatic transmissions, a full palette of paint colors and a range of interior upgrades including a flip-out TV/DVD player ($US1000).

So how much would you expect to pay for a 100 per cent restored classic Shelby GT500 Mustang fastback with all the latest running gear, ‘turn-key reliability’ and the resale value that comes with being recorded in the Shelby Worldwide Registry?

Hold your breath because the Shelby GT500CR-900S is priced from $US284,900 in its most basic form, plus $US60,000 for the carbon-fibre body upgrade and $US12,500 for conversion to right-hand drive.

All up that equates to $US357,400, which equates to more than half a million Aussie dollars – before options, shipping and local taxes.