<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/chicago-auto-show/" rel="tag">Chicago Auto Show</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/coupes/" rel="tag">Coupe</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/sports/" rel="tag">Performance</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/ford/" rel="tag">Ford</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/gallery/2011-ford-shelby-gt500-at-chicago-auto-show/"><img hspace="0" vspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/gt50011chicagolead.jpg" alt="" /></a>
<div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><small>2011 Ford Shelby GT500 - Click above for high-res image gallery</small></strong></em></div>
<br />
Like the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/28/2011-ford-mustang-gt-offcially-rolls-with-a-5-0-v8/">2011 Mustang GT</a> at last month's <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/detroit-auto-show/">Detroit Auto Show</a>, the 2011 Shelby was unveiled here at the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/chicago-auto-show/">Chicago Auto Show</a> with little fanfare. In fact, there wasn't an unveiling at all, as the new Shelby was sitting uncovered on the show floor as soon as we arrived. The car looks fantastic in person, especially with the optional Performance Package and its 19-inch forged aluminum wheels, and the thinner stripes look better than we expected. <br />
<br />
The best part about the 2011 GT500, however, is underneath the hood. <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/make/ford/">Ford</a> has finally thrown out the heavy iron block in favor of an aluminum unit that contributed to a significant weight savings of 120 pounds. The GT500 still isn't a lightweight at 3,820 pounds, but we fully expect the handling to be improved over the 2010 model with all that weight removed from the nose. You can read even more details about the 2011 Shelby GT500 <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/08/2011-ford-shelby-gt500-finally-gets-aluminum-engine-loses-120-p/">here</a>, or you can view the new live photos from the show floor in the gallery below.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-shelby-gt500-at-chicago-auto-show/low/">2011 Ford Shelby GT500 at Chicago Auto Show</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-shelby-gt500-at-chicago-auto-show/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/2011gt500chi01_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-shelby-gt500-at-chicago-auto-show/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/2011gt500chi02_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-shelby-gt500-at-chicago-auto-show/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/2011gt500chi03_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-shelby-gt500-at-chicago-auto-show/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/2011gt500chi04_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-shelby-gt500-at-chicago-auto-show/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/2011gt500chi05_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-shelby-gt500-with-svt-performance-pack/low/">2011 Ford Shelby GT500 with SVT Performance Package</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-shelby-gt500-with-svt-performance-pack/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/2011gt500000_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-shelby-gt500-with-svt-performance-pack/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/2011gt500001_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-shelby-gt500-with-svt-performance-pack/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/2011gt500002_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-shelby-gt500-with-svt-performance-pack/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/2011gt500003_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-shelby-gt500-with-svt-performance-pack/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/2011gt500004_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />
<em><strong><small>Photos by <a href="http://www.drewphillipsphotography.com/">Drew Phillips</a></small></strong></em><em><strong><small> / </small></strong></em><em><strong><small>Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.</small></strong></em><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/10/2011-ford-shelby-gt500-chicago-debut/">Chicago 2010: Aluminum-ized Ford Shelby GT500 treads lightly on show floor</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Wed, 10 Feb 2010 12:33:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/10/2011-ford-shelby-gt500-chicago-debut/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19352108/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/10/2011-ford-shelby-gt500-chicago-debut/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><small>2011 Ford Shelby GT500 - Click above for high-res image gallery</small></strong></em></div>
<br />
Like the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/28/2011-ford-mustang-gt-offcially-rolls-with-a-5-0-v8/">2011 Mustang GT</a> at last month's <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/detroit-auto-show/">Detroit Auto Show</a>, the 2011 Shelby was unveiled here at the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/chicago-auto-show/">Chicago Auto Show</a> with little fanfare. In fact, there wasn't an unveiling at all, as the new Shelby was sitting uncovered on the show floor as soon as we arrived. The car looks fantastic in person, especially with the optional Performance Package and its 19-inch forged aluminum wheels, and the thinner stripes look better than we expected. <br />
<br />
The best part about the 2011 GT500, however, is underneath the hood. <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/make/ford/">Ford</a> has finally thrown out the heavy iron block in favor of an aluminum unit that contributed to a significant weight savings of 120 pounds. The GT500 still isn't a lightweight at 3,820 pounds, but we fully expect the handling to be improved over the 2010 model with all that weight removed from the nose. You can read even more details about the 2011 Shelby GT500 <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/08/2011-ford-shelby-gt500-finally-gets-aluminum-engine-loses-120-p/">here</a>, or you can view the new live photos from the show floor in the gallery below.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-shelby-gt500-at-chicago-auto-show/low/">2011 Ford Shelby GT500 at Chicago Auto Show</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-shelby-gt500-at-chicago-auto-show/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/2011gt500chi01_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-shelby-gt500-at-chicago-auto-show/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/2011gt500chi02_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-shelby-gt500-at-chicago-auto-show/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/2011gt500chi03_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-shelby-gt500-at-chicago-auto-show/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/2011gt500chi04_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-shelby-gt500-at-chicago-auto-show/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/2011gt500chi05_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-shelby-gt500-with-svt-performance-pack/low/">2011 Ford Shelby GT500 with SVT Performance Package</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-shelby-gt500-with-svt-performance-pack/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/2011gt500000_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-shelby-gt500-with-svt-performance-pack/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/2011gt500001_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-shelby-gt500-with-svt-performance-pack/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/2011gt500002_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-shelby-gt500-with-svt-performance-pack/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/2011gt500003_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-shelby-gt500-with-svt-performance-pack/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/2011gt500004_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />
<em><strong><small>Photos by <a href="http://www.drewphillipsphotography.com/">Drew Phillips</a></small></strong></em><em><strong><small> / </small></strong></em><em><strong><small>Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.</small></strong></em><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/10/2011-ford-shelby-gt500-chicago-debut/">Chicago 2010: Aluminum-ized Ford Shelby GT500 treads lightly on show floor</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Wed, 10 Feb 2010 12:33:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/10/2011-ford-shelby-gt500-chicago-debut/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19352108/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/10/2011-ford-shelby-gt500-chicago-debut/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
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