Fifty years have passed since tuning house Shelby and rental car company Hertz teamed up and gave American rental car customers the Shelby GT350H (the ‘H’ stands for Hertz). For such a momentous anniversary, Shelby has announced a brand new GT-H for 2016.
There will be 140 Shelby modified Hertz-edition Mustang GTs for 2016. They’ll all be painted black and Hertz Gold and will be available for rental through the Hertz Adrenaline Collection at “select” airport locations in the continental United States. In any event this is great news for Ford and Shelby fans alike – whether they are American or just travelling to the States and looking to experience one of these Shelby modified Mustangs.
Here are some additional details from the Shelby American press release:
Our goal was to give everyone a chance to add some fun to their travel with a distinctive American pony car,” said Doug White, Ford Performance Parts manager. “So Ford Performance and Shelby American sharpened the handling, improved the performance, sweetened the exhaust note and added distinctive Hertz styling to the Mustang. Anyone who rents a limited edition Ford Shelby GT-H will enjoy a very special driving experience.
As with the past two generations, the 2016 Ford Shelby GT-H is instantly recognizable with several styling enhancements that celebrate its heritage. Each Shelby GT-H will wear black exterior paint, set off with gold racing stripes, a hallmark of Hertz vehicles dating back to the 1920s.
Shelby’s traditional “Le Mans” dual racing stripes are combined with a set of rocker stripes that include special “Shelby GT-H” nomenclature. Each car will also wear a Hertz Edition emblem on the front fenders, and feature Hertz Shelby GT-H sill plates and a numbered badge. Ford Performance is supplying a cat-back performance exhaust for that throaty sound that will make this car unmistakably a Shelby Mustang GT-H. To put all of the horsepower to the ground, the Ford Shelby GT-H also comes with the Ford Racing Handling Pack, including special-tuned dampers, lowering springs, sway bars and a staggered wheel kit.
The Shelby GT-H rides on 19-inch aluminium wheels wearing high performance Michelin rubber. To hint at the 5.0 litre V8 engine’s capabilities, the Ford Shelby GT-H is fitted with a unique Shelby-designed vented hood, carbon fibre front splitter and rear spoiler. Special badges appear in the front grille, rear faux gas cap and trunk lid. Inside, Shelby GT-H logos are on the head restraint, sill plates and floor mats.
Shelby American will build the cars at its assembly facility in Las Vegas. With total production expected to number only 140 units exclusively destined for Hertz rental fleets across the country, this special-edition car will give Hertz customers a truly exclusive driving experience.
We recommend bumping up your hire car insurance to the highest possible level if you’re looking to hire one of these!