Suspension

The 2006 Ford Mustang Shelby Cobra GT500 promises to offer an admirable combination of power and balance, with gobs of power and a suspension system that can keep everything under control.

An independent MacPherson strut suspension is used up front, aided by the same 34-mm stabilizer bar used on the Mustang GT. The rear features a three-link solid axle setup with coil springs (chosen over an independent rear suspension because of its performance in tire-smoking drag runs and overall durability), but the 24-mm stabilizer is two millimeters larger than that found on the Mustang GT. A Panhard rod, with SVT-tuned bushings, has been bolted to the rear axle to keep everything in place when 450 lb.-ft. of torque is unleashed; a control arm attached to the front of the differential also assures that all of that twist doesn’t wreak havoc. Finally, front and rear ride heights have been lowered to improve handling.