Carroll Shelby and Ford Mustang. Two names that together have defined American muscle cars for an amazing 45 years. And this is their latest effort, the 2010 Ford Shelby GT500. With fresh hardware from Ford, and fresh inspiration from Shelby, it’s once again poised to conquer just about anything covered with asphalt. So, let’s get to it!

The story of the Ford Shelby GT500 began in 1967 with a menacing double dose of power and style.  Four decades later, in 2007, Carroll Shelby’s masterpiece was reborn in 21st century fashion. And for 2010, the Ford-Shelby partnership grows stronger as the latest GT500 is meaner than ever.

Pumping this stallion’s heart blood is the SVT limited edition GT500KR’s 5.4-liter Supercharged V8.  Horsepower is up 40 to 540, and torque is up 30 to 510 pound-feet over the previous model.  Peak output comes from an intercooled roots-type supercharger, now with nine pounds of added boost.

Sending heaps of power to a shorter 3.55 limited slip rear diff is a re-geared six-speed manual with its iconic cue ball shifter.

Down the long from straight of Savannah’s Roebling Road raceway, our Mustang roared to 60 in 4.5 seconds, and swallowed up the quarter mile in 12.9 seconds at 112 miles per hour.  The GT500’s fat power band delivers full tilt power all the way.  The exhaust growl combined with the supercharger whine doesn’t just sound scary, it’s flat-out nightmarish.

New SVT suspension tuning was aimed at improving the car’s dynamics. Also to help, new Goodyear F1 Supercar tires on special alloy wheels–19-inchers on the coupe, 18s on the convertible. Stability control is newly standard too, with normal and Sport modes, but can also be turned off.

But even with enhancements, the GT500's full throttle handling remains generally mediocre, especially compared to the Corvettes and Porsches of the world. In Roebling's tight turns, it comes off big and lumbering. With a minimum 3,900-pound curb weight, and relatively soft springs, we were surprised by so much front push and body roll.

But, back off a bit, say to about 80 percent max power, and everything changes. Now the GT500 maneuvers beautifully. Turn-ins are crisp and steering is very responsive. The GT500's power lets you blast out of corners, and the rear can easily be coaxed out by throttle with the ESP off. Also, the shifter works great on the track. Its pattern is tight and just right. And the pedal setup is perfect for "heel and toe" driving.

So, it's only when you push this pony car toward its limits that it scares you off. But that disappointment in a track test makes it one secure high performance car for the street. Indeed, the Shelby GT500 is the ideal backroad entertainer, and when the pavement gets rough, it won't shake your fillings loose like most track stars.

In terms of reeling it all in, the GT500's four-wheel disc ABS setup uses Brembo four-piston calipers up front. Stops were stable and averaged 130 feet, which is OK, but we expected better. Now onto the aggressive cosmetics, always a big part of a Shelby named effort. Most obvious are the signature twin racing stripes, now newly available on the droptop version.

For a meaner front-end, the hood and front fascia now shroud the waffled grille and lower air intake. The coiled Cobra is still there, but new is the front splitter and optional auto headlights. Follow the sharp but broken shoulder line back to a new lower-drag "Gurney Flap" rear spoiler and dual four-inch stainless exhaust tips.

Inside, the familiar four-seat twin-cockpit Mustang cabin is more refined than ever. This classic interior now displays far better materials and craftsmanship. The instrument panel features real aluminum to highlight the SVT-style gauge cluster. Sport seats are leather with embroidered snakes and new Alcantara racing stripe inserts that mimic those on the exterior.

The beefy three-spoke steering wheel wears a hissing snake as well. New technology for the GT500 includes Ford Sync with 911 Assist, as well as an SOS Post-Crash Alert System. And the standard Shaker stereo with CD-changer provides high octane tunes to accompany some serious performance driving. Being a Mustang, the GT500 does have rear seats, but they're way too tight for pretty much any adult to be comfortable.

But here's a surprise-Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 14 city/22 highway. So even with more power, the highway rating is 10% greener than last year. As to how much green you need to lay down, the Shelby GT500 starts at $48,575 for the coupe, and $53,575 for the convertible, which includes a $1000 gas guzzler tax. That's more than a base Corvette, but way less than a 911 or a Viper.

It's fast, it's mean, and it's historic. The 2010 Shelby GT500 is modern Detroit muscle in its purest form. On the track, we admit, it doesn't feel quite at home. But anywhere else, everywhere else, this classic beast rules the roads.

These days, you don’t have to spend a ridiculous amount of money to get some real-deal AMG performance from Mercedes-Benz, as they’ve spread their high-performance love throughout their lineup. So, let’s go for some high-speed bargain hunting in the Mercedes-AMG CLA 35.

You may think of big cars and bigger horsepower when you hear AMG, but this updated 2024 Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 4-door Coupe is certainly not a big car, yet there’s no doubt it packs a serious performance punch. The CLA is not the least expensive Mercedes you can currently buy in the U.S., but it is their lowest priced car, and it feels more right-size than small-size behind the wheel.

It’s a fun, enjoyable ride that lets you know what you’re in for right away with a nice raspy exhaust note at start up. Standard engine in the base CLA 250 is of course a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder turbo, but it is ‘Benz’s latest with mild-hybrid assistance and a rating of 221-horsepower.

This CLA 35 is one of two AMG versions which cranks the turbo up to boost output to 302 horsepower and 295 lb-ft. of torque; the CLA 45 S, goes even further with a full rebuild to crank it up to 416 horsepower and 369 lb-ft. of torque. The CLA is front-wheel-drive based but is sending power to all four wheels by the time it leaves the AMG shop with performance-tuned AMG 4MATIC.

AMG has done serious suspension tuning as well, and the great feedback that it provides through the AMG Performance steering wheel is a big part of this car’s fun-factor. But our test car came equipped with winter tires, which did hold us back a little bit through the cones at our Mason Dixon test track. Still, it felt both agile and fun and body roll was minimal. Not until we pushed hard could we really feel the lack of dry pavement grip from those tires. On the other hand, a few days after track day, we actually did have some winter weather to drive through and then we were very appreciative of the grip those winter tires provided.

With some assistance from AMG’s sweet launch control, which not only allowed us to launch at 3500 RPM with no wheel slip at all, but made sure the turbos were feeding full power, as we felt no turbo lag whatsoever on our quick 4.5-second trip to 60. AMG’s Speedshift eight-speed DCT lived up to its name, delivering quick and hard hits throughout the 13.1-second, 104 mph quarter-mile.

When it came time to remove speed in a hurry in our panic runs from 60 mph, those winter tires again played a factor, as the brakes felt very strong and there was very little nosedive but stops took a longer than expected 125 feet.

Now this 2nd generation CLA arrived for 2020, and for ’24 gets a subtle restyling at both ends. At the front, the grille has been redesigned, AMGs getting their own unique version with big vertical slats, prominent Mercedes star and subtle AMG badge. LED headlights are new, now labeled as High-Performance headlights, joined by upgraded rear taillights and a very aggressive looking AMG diffuser with big exhaust outlets. The back-up camera is smoothly hidden in a flip-out Mercedes badge. Multiple new wheel designs are available with sizes up to 19-inches.

Inside the CLA’s cabin, additional standard content includes a leather steering wheel and 10-inch media display. Both of which were already part of the AMG transformation, though AMG Line buyers can now add some heat elements to their sport steering wheel.

As we’ve seen with most Mercedes updates, both the virtual gauge cluster and the central touchscreen reside in a single housing mounted on top of the dash, upgraded with the latest MBUX software.

Pricing for the CLA 35 starts at $56,100, with the more powerful 45 S coming in at $66,550.

Bottom line, the folks in Stuttgart have given us a 2024 Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 that’s clearly better without messing it up. That’s certainly good news to us, as these days we seem to be getting less and paying more for just about everything. So, while you might not think the new CLA 35 sounds like a bargain, there is no better gateway into the amazing world of AMG performance.