Tribute to Carroll Shelby

KANATA, Ont. — There’s something about the sound of a high performance V8 engine that resonates with me. Don’t get me wrong, I applaud the modern engine technologies that are providing us with wonderfully fuel efficient power plants — gas-sipping, high-revving four-cylinders, new turbocharged four-bangers that act as though they’re V6s and six-cylinder engines that have the kind of spunk expected from eight cylinders. But the rumble a big V8 emits when it springs to life — and the muscle it generates when the throttle is tickled—gets my heart thumping. Take Ford’s 2011 Shelby GT500 for example. When it was fired up for the morning drive, I wasn’t the only journalist grinning — there were broad smiles on the faces of everyone assembled in the parking lot. With a supercharged 5.4-litre, all aluminum V8 stuffed under its hood, this hot rod Mustang is a definitive example of Detroit muscle and precisely the type of car that enthusiasts covet, with power to spare and impressive handling dynamics, plus head-turning styling. READ MORE