Kudos to you, 07 Shelby!! Until accidentally stumbling onto this site, I had sworn not to read or participate in any forums. There are simply too many illiterate and ignorant people on-line spewing inane and insane bias and opinions. Thank you for being an obviously reasonable and rational person who is well-informed and willing to retract mistakenly incorrect information, if necessary. With that said, I would like to address several forum subjects regarding the GT500 and other "fast stuff".
1) I love fast stuff! New or old...foreign or domestic...cars or motorcycles or boats or watercraft... I love fast stuff! Brand loyalty is admirable, but not when the negatives about everything but YOUR brand exceeds even your own positives for YOUR brand. Whatever your brand preference(s), all other brands are not junk!
2) I own fast stuff! Due to a personal financial success and a sizeable settlement from a near-fatal auto accident last year, I can afford to indulge my passion for fast stuff.
IN THE GARAGE:
1969 Camaro RS/SS - 396/325hp - White/Blue - Auto/Air
1968 Mustang - 429/370hp - Green/Black - Auto/Air
1969 Chevelle SS - 396/375hp - Gray/Black - Auto
1971 Charger R/T - 440/370hp - Gray/White - Auto
1970 Trans Am - 400/366hp RAIII - White/Black - 4Spd
1967 Riviera - 430/360hp - Red/Black - Auto/Air
2006 300C SRT8 - Black/Black - SRT Grps I & II/Sunroof/Kicker/Entertainment System
2006 Ford GT - Black/Black - Stripe Delete/McIntosh/BBS Wheels/Red Calipers
ON THE WAY:
Several more Muscle Cars from various manufacturers
2007 Porsche 911 Turbo (order pending)
2007 Mercedes SL65 AMG (order pending)
2007 BMW M6 (order pending)
2007 Viper SRT10 Coupe (when available)
2007 Corvette ZO6 - Black/Black - 2LZ/Nav Radio/Polished Wheels/Museum Delivery
2007 Shebly GT500 - Black/Black - Coupe/Both Stripe Deletes/Shaker 1000 Sirius/Interior Upgrade
3) I work hard to find good pricing on fast stuff!
300C SRT8: Many dealers were selling for MSRP or above, but I found this every-option unit in a small town dealership in North Carolina. It was well worth the road trip to buy it below invoice with half of hold-back included in the discount price of $44,505.
Ford GT: I found the car I wanted immediately (rare Black w/Stripe Delete), but not the price. After a couple weeks of stalling, $199,999 became $174,595. Two weeks later it was at MSRP of $161,595! SOLD!!!!
Corvette ZO6: After an extensive 4-month search of 60+ dealers, I found a dealer with a sold-out-for-2006 allocation, but received the first 2007 allocation - at MSRP!)
Shelby GT500: After contacting 40+ dealers who all seemed to think "Fair Market Value" was $20K over MSRP, I found a small-town dealer in another state (to remain anonymous until I take delivery!!!!) who wasn't initially going to order their single-unit allocation. After a brief talk with the owner, I received the allocation - at MSRP! Several months later, I received a call requesting my color and option preference to place the order. The order was entered on Good Friday, 04/14/06. I again confirmed the price at MSRP!
I have always done business as a "straight-up" guy with handshakes and mutual-word agreements. Each of the above transactions have taken place with no initial deposit or paperwork. I have the resources to pre-pay, if necessary; but I believe the key to success in finding MSRP pricing on high-demand limited-production vehicles is preparation in advance. Starting many months ahead of product availability is the key. My GT500 search began at the first glimpse of media coverage and included being on several "lists" at different dealers for many months. I didn't get the cars and prices I wanted because I have deep pockets and a strong credit rating. I got the cars and prices I wanted because I did my homework.
4) Sometimes you have to wait for fast stuff!
To the best of my understanding, the initial Job 1 production run will begin the first week of June and will fill the allocations of previous certified SVT dealers, and the subsequent production run will fill the President's Club allocations. Since my ordering dealer is neither, I expect to have to wait until possibly late 2007 for delivery of my GT500. It doesn't really matter, as long as it is at MSRP!
Thanks again, 07 Shelby. The "Shelby 10 Step" post (sounds sorta like a rehab program for us "speed" freaks, eh?) was incredibly helpful. I'll call my dealer to notify me of each step, if possible. Maybe we can correspond with VIN info and you can follow my car through the build.
Here's hoping everybody gets their GT500 at whatever price!!!!