SHELBY AND FATHOUSE CODE RED GT500

“Shelby American has built cutting-edgeexperimental versions of the Shelby GT500 since the model was launched in 1967,” Joe Conway, CEO of Shelby American explained. “While these testbeds for innovation never became production cars at the time, they helped make ourvehicles better. For the first time in our 60-year history, we’re turning an experimental car into a limited-edition vehicle. The enormous demand for a CODE RED edition is an opportunity to demonstrate our capabilities and the enormous potentialof Ford Motor Company’s marvelous Shelby GT500 as a dedicated straight-line performer.”

 The company has a long history of experimental machines that carried the EXP designation, ranging from the Green Hornet and Super Snake to Little Red and the previous CODE RED. The latter machine was based on a 2008 Shelby GT500,which received a Nelson Racing Engines-prepped 5.4 liter engine, a dual-feed fuel system blending pump and race gas, and a pair of turbos replacing the supercharger.

“CODE RED is designed to be the pinnacle of Shelby Mustangs,” said Gary Patterson,president of Shelby American. “While we never put it into production during 2008, many were keen to own one. The current generation Shelby GT500 is so robust and spectacular that many of the issues we encountered 14 years ago no longer exist. It’s so perfect for CODE RED transformation that we began quietly building a few for insiders who asked. Though we did not initially intend to offer a formal edition, demand was so strong that we elected to build a very small number of them.”

The latest version of CODE RED is based on the 2020-2022 Shelby GT500, and only 10 per model year are set for creation, making these vehicles both rare and insanely potent. Detuned for 93-octane, they will deliver more than 1,000 horsepower and a 780 lb-ft of torque. Unleashed with E85 in the tank it produces 1,300 horsepower and 1,000 lb-ft of torque.

“The unique nature of this new car required us to pour in lessons learned from extreme vehicles like the 2008 CODE RED, Shelby 1000, and 2020 Shelby GT500 Dragon Snake concept,” said Vince LaViolette, Shelby American Vice President of Operations and Chief of R&D. “All of the massive horsepower and torque we develop with the new CODE RED car required us to focus on optimizing traction.That is why CODE RED is more of a straight-line performer than a road course warrior. While not street legal, it’s very capable at moderate speeds in most any curve. But when the turbos spool up, the car is best enjoyed moving straight ahead.”

To achieve that level of performance, Shelby American partnered with the mad scientists at Fathouse Fabrication. This shop is known for pushing the latest Mustangs to incredible levels of performance with turbochargers and all the necessary supporting hardware. CODE RED is a natural continuation of that theme. The company took the Predator-powered halo ’Stang to a four-digit level.

“We worked closely with Shelby American to develop a robust, powerful, and reliable package based on our 50 years of combined experience in the high-performance auto industry,” said Ben Stoner, Vice President of Fathouse Performance. “The5.2-liter engine now features all-new high-performance components boosted by an intercooled, premium twin-turbo system, a new fuel system, engine management system, and more. CODE RED boasts 1,000-plus horsepower and 780 lb-ft of torque on 93-octane pump gas with up to 1,300 horsepower and 1,000 lb-ft of torque on E85 Ethanol.”

A comprehensive upgrade package (see sidebar), CODE RED also endured hours of testing at the hands of Chief Test Driver LaViolette  and Senior Test Driver) Gary Patterson refined its manners and ensured its durability.

“CODE RED drives like a regular car until the tach swings past 4,000 rpm,” Patterson added. “That’s when the Shelby transforms from mild-mannered transportation to extreme muscle car in the blink of an eye. The performance is breathtaking.”

Retailing for $209,995 on top of the price of the base car, the CODE RED Shelby GT500s are documented in the Shelby Registry and includes a membership in Team Shelby.