Officially Official: 2008 Ford Shelby GT

Last week, the info leaked onto the web. Today, Ford made it official, announcing the 2008 Shelby GT, which will indeed me available as a convertible. Also, as reported previously, the only color available will be Vista Blue with GT Silver stripes. Convertibles get a light bar with supplemental bracing, and on all cars, the 18" polished Bullitt wheels complement things nicely.
A coupe will also be available, and total Shelby GT production for 2008 will be capped at 2,300 cars (over 6,000 '07s were produced). Everything else having to do with the car is a known commodity. The lower bumper is grabbed from the California Special, and the Shelby also gets an aluminum grille, hood pins, a (non-functional) scoop, Shelby badging outside, a number plate inside, and a cue-ball-topped Hurst shifter for cars with the 5-speed manual transmission. A 5-speed auto is also available. Horsepower is raised to 319 ponies and 330 lb-ft of torque thanks to the Ford Racing Performance Upgrade Package plus a revised exhaust, and the Ford Racing Handling Pack delivers a more sporting ride.
The Shelby GT will be formally introduced today at the Mid-America Ford Performance and Shelby Meet in Tulsa. Production at Carroll Shelby's Las Vegas facility begins in August, and pricing won't be announced until they begin showing up at dealers, who will gleefully slap a surcharge on them. Hang on to your wallets, kids.
DEARBORN, Mich., June 13, 2007 – The magic duo of Ford Mustang and Carroll Shelby bring open-air excitement to the road for the 2008 model year as the Ford Shelby GT returns with a new convertible body style and a new standard color combination. Like all Shelby Mustang models, production will be limited to assure exclusivity for collectors. The 2008 Shelby GT coupe and convertible will be available from select Ford dealers beginning in August 2007.
The 2008 Ford Shelby GT convertible is being formally introduced to Shelby and Ford enthusiasts at the annual Mid-America Ford Performance and Shelby Meet, which opens today in Tulsa, Okla.
"The Shelby GT was engineered for people that put performance first," said Carroll Shelby. "Working with Ford Racing, we created this Shelby to be an everyday driver that's tuned for fun at the track. Those who value a well-balanced package will appreciate it. Those who don't will be left behind staring at its tailpipes."
In 2007, Ford Division, Carroll Shelby and Ford Racing joined forces to create a retail version of The Hertz Corporation Shelby GT-H coupe called the Ford Shelby GT. Fewer than 6,000 2007 models were built and all were available only in Performance White or Black.
For 2008, the highly-coveted Shelby GT is available in a new paint combination of Vista Blue with Silver stripes and the choice of two body styles, coupe or convertible.
"The Mustang convertible is the number one selling convertible in the U.S.," states Robert Parker, Ford Division Car Marketing Manager. "Since t he Mustang program never stands still, we wanted to continue offering consumers what they want, and they told us it was a Ford Mustang Shelby GT convertible. "
Shelby GT models begin life as a specially-equipped Mustang GT assembled at the AutoAlliance International plant in Flat Rock, Mich. The cars are then shipped to the Shelby Automobiles facility in Las Vegas for transformation before delivery to Ford dealerships nationwide.