The debut of the 2007 Ford Shelby Cobra GT500 puts the final touches on one of the company’s most successful vehicle launches in years. On all accounts, the Mustang has been a rousing win for the blue oval boys, from design and appeal to sales. Now comes the high-performance variant, with the added texture of being built by Ford’s legendary SVT team and none other than Carroll Shelby. This is big deal for Ford, given the fact that the Chevy Camaro and the Dodge Challenger are still only concepts looking for a successful business case, and years away from making it to the streets if they’re granted final approval. If you want a pony car with muscle, in other words, you get this – until at least 2008 – and even then, if will be hard to topple the GT500 in terms of power, history and style. The story is simple: with 475 horses at your command, the Ford Shelby GT500 coupe and convertible offer plenty of bite in what has become the definition of a spot-on retro design. Add the Cobra icon and a nice thick stripe, and you’ll have the neighborhood agog at your new edition.