2013 Shelby 1000 is a 1200 hp Ford Mustang

The world’s most powerful production (sort of) street-legal muscle car, the 1,200 horsepower 2013 Shelby 1000 is on display at the New York International Auto Show.

Shelby American, a subsidiary of Carroll Shelby International, launched the 2012 Shelby 1000 last year in New York to commemorate 50 years of the company. This year, the car they bring is based on the 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500; it musters up 1,200 hp, almost twice that of the standard car.

The 2013 Shelby 1000 uses the same supercharged 5.8-litre V8 as the GT500, albeit most if not all the mechanical parts have been strengthened to cope with the massive horsepower bump. It gets a Shelby/Ford Racing 4.0L Supercharger; a host of Shelby-spec bearings, camshafts, titanium retainers, fuel injectors, aluminium driveshaft, water pump; Borla headers and a catback exhaust system.

The 1000 also gets a much-needed rear suspension upgrade and a Wilwood braking system, with 6-piston callipers upfront and 4-piston at the rear.

Aesthetic enhancements include 3-piece 20-inch wheels, which can be had in either matte black or natural aluminium finish; a custom fibreglass hood, reflective side graphics and a wide-body kit. And adding a dimension to the performance feel on the insides will be a MGW short-throw shifter and a custom interior upgrade.

The base model 2013 GT500 retails at $54,650 or Dhs 200,500 in the States (or a ridiculous Dhs 300,000 in the UAE); buy that and Shelby will do the transformation for an extra $154,995, which equates to another Dhs 568,800 roughly. Fortunately, the price also includes a custom car cover and a “Shelby Museum Delivery,” if that helps.

The 2013 Shelby 1000 has a limited production run of 100 units and each will be built, numbered and documented in the official Shelby Registry. Orders are being taken as we speak.