The 2011 Shelby was specifically designed in commemoration of the 1965 Shelby GT350 and the Shelby Cobra. The 2011 GT350 comes roaring with a supercharged V-8 5.0L engine derived from the stable of Mustang.

The 2011 Shelby GT350 is a product of collaboration of the Shelby American team with experts from Goodyear, Borla, Ford Racing, Cragar, and Baer. Everything revolves around the idea of making a car that is very fast but has very good handling. The idea came into life with the design of the small but powerful engine derived from the Mustang.

The Shelby GT350 will be rolling out in the traditional white donning the Guardsman blue stripes as it was known in Le Mans. The V-8 power plant is coupled with a six speed transmission on manual control. The supercharged engine has a Blue Shelby valve covers. Baer brakes are set up as 6 piston kit for the front and 14-inch rotors for the back, and matched with cooling ducts for all the corners.

The suspension of the car uses Ford racing springs, sway bars, struts, and adjustable caster/camber plates. The fascia of the car from front to rear have also been upgraded with a new tail light design, front splitter, and rear lid filler. The badges of the GT350 found inside and out of the car has Shelby serial numbers. The A pillar inside carries gauges for fuel, oil, and boost.

The Shelby American team plans to release the 2011 GT350 this spring. Prices are expected to kick off at $33, 995. That doesn’t include the Mustang GT base car which adds up about $30,000 more. The GT350 total package will exceed the current price of the GT500.

A reliable source from Mazda was quoted in some reports that it will issue around 363 million shares of the company. This figure translates to about 25% of the existing stock of the carmaker. There are also some information that it will be selling 96.8 million shares it acquired from majority stakeholder Ford.

Mazda did not show early interest on developing hybrid or electric vehicles like the other Japanese car manufacturers. The North American division of the company categorically declared that they will not go into production of such vehicles if they are not sure if it will click with the market. As the demand for greener vehicles becomes the trend, Mazda changed its view and is hoping to produce hybrid units soon.

About 65% of the $1 Billion fund will be allotted to safety technology and environment-related developments. The rest of the funds will be used to upgrade their factories, facilities, and push for their other capital expenditures.

Mazda is not that late in the race even though competitors like Toyota and Honda have earlier initiatives to design and produce hybrid and electric vehicles that will be safe for everyday use and affordable to the public. The sudden change of heart by Mazda is inevitable since they eventually need to cater to the demand of the public and meet the stricter laws being imposed by different countries on fuel mileage and emission of harmful gases. No news has yet about specific dates I’ll be able to go for a test-drive in my local Los Angeles Mazda Service station…