What does Terlingua mean?
It's pretty much common knowledge that Carroll Shelby was a fun-loving son-of-a-gun. Back in the 1960s, when he fielded a racing team with his buddies Bill Neale and Jerry Titus, Shelby and his Mustang mates would unwind at a large ranch in Terlingua, Texas. Hunting, riding dirt bikes and general hell-raising were the "R and R" activities of choice for these merrymaking men.
Jackrabbits were a common sight around the 200,000-acre ranch and gave rise to a mascot designed by Bill Neale for the racing team. And so the Jackrabbit logo, seemingly in a "Stop right there—you really don't think you can beat us, do you?" pose, was born.
What's a Shelby Mustang Terlingua?
In short, the Terlingua is the most track-focused Shelby Mustang you can get, that also pays tribute to that great 1960s racing team which won the 1967 Trans-Am championship. Sporting the iconic Jackrabbit on its fenders, the modern Terlingua is dressed in the black and yellow color scheme that the team primarily used back in the days when Sergeant Pepper and Pet Sounds were climbing the Billboard charts.
Nostalgia aside, this 'stang is chock-full of the latest race goodies. There are carbon fiber components aplenty, such as the hood, front splitter, rocker panels, rear spoiler, and rear diffuser.
Under that vented hood sits a supercharged, 5.0-liter V8, shared with the Shelby Super Snake Mustang, which sends "over 750 horsepower" to the pavement via either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. Suspension tweaks include adjustable Eibach coil-overs, camber/caster plates, and lightweight 20-inch Weld wheels. Stopping power is adequately fortified with 6-piston front/4-piston rear Brembo brakes.
Interior highlights include added gauges for boost and oil pressure, unique headrests, and a plaque signed by Shelby, Neile, and Titus. Racing seats are optional.
Under that vented hood sits a supercharged, 5.0-liter V8, shared with the Shelby Super Snake Mustang, which sends "over 750 horsepower" to the pavement.
Track time
We put the Terlingua through its paces at Spring Mountain Ranch race track, which is about 60 miles west of Las Vegas. For comparison purposes (and to show off the rest of their fun-loving Mustang lineup), the Shelby folks also had a couple of Super Snake Mustangs on hand, on which the Terlingua is based, as well as a Shelby GT Mustang EcoBoost. Keep in mind these are all ultra-high performance versions of Ford's already capable Mustang, with plenty of power underfoot and sharpened-up handling to go with it. And yet the Terlingua quickly showed itself to be the top track jock of the group.
Once we were comfortable with the circuit, the pace quickened, and we found that the Terlingua was very well-planted and confident when being caned around the track. The well-weighted, communicative steering and buttoned-down suspension allowed us to consistently pick off apexes with surgical precision. Even when running through a slight rise and dip in the track while approaching one of the first turns, this Shelby didn't wiggle or waver off line.
Blasting out of the corners and down the straights in this well-behaved beast was effortless, thanks to the linear delivery of the tidal-wave of thrust on tap. Those brawny Brembos chipped in as well, allowing us to brake late and hard, time and again with no fade, as we dove aggressively into the turns.
Want one?
With a production run of just 75 total cars, of which 50 are slated for the U.S., the Shelby Terlingua Mustang will be a rare sight indeed. Pricing starts at $65,999, but that's on top of the cost of a new 2015/2016 Mustang GT, meaning you're at about $100 grand minimum.
For those lucky few who pony up (sorry) for a Mustang that can go head to head on a road course with European thoroughbreds that are three times the price, we salute you. The rest of us will be watching videos of your epic track days on YouTube.
