You Can Now Rent a 900-HP Shelby Mustang From Hertz

Excess is a proven marketing tactic. Those who want some, often want it all. And then more than that. So, Hertz is once again conspiring with Shelby American to put renters into sweetened versions of the Mustang.

There’s the pure cane GT-H coupes and convertibles for customers who want to add some sugary goodness to their next rental. And then there’s the GT500-H which is pumping a claimed 900-horsepower of supercharged super-sucrose directly into the veins of lunatics on vacation who don’t mind risking automotive type-two diabetes.

First, yes, at least some of the GT-H models feature black paint and gold graphics inspired by the original “Rent-A-Racer” GT-350H Hertz and Shelby unleashed upon a well-suspecting public back in 1966. But they’ll also be stocked by Hertz in red, white, gray and black. This 2022 version is actually the third revival of the concept, which also had 2006, 2007 and 2016 iterations.

Based on the Mustang GT, the GT-H models use that car’s 5.0-liter, naturally aspirated, Coyote V-8 paired to a Shelby-specific, Borla-made cat-back exhaust system. Ford rates the GT at 450-horsepower and maybe the exhaust pumps that up a few ponies. Maybe not.

There’s also a lot of visual hammer to the GT-H. Shelby bolts on its vented "Deep Draw” hood, a new grille, “winglets,” some stripes and lots of logos including a Shelby (CSM) serial number plaque and badges celebrating the 60th anniversary of Shelby American. The wheels are 20-inchers with Michelin tires of some sort in a staggered fitment – they’re wrapped over nine-inch wide wheels in front and 10-inch wide ones in back.

The original GT-350H was the only Shelby Mustang then offered with an automatic transmission. Shelby hasn't said yet if the new GT-H continues that tradition.

Meanwhile, over in Cloud Cuckoo-land, here is the GT-500H. Based on Ford’s production Shelby GT500, the big change is the replacement of the 5.2-lite V8’s usual Eaton Roots-style supercharger with a 3.8-liter displacement Whipple screw-type compressor. This seems to be the same system Shelby uses on its GT500KR. That includes a larger throttle body, cold air intake, updated pulley system and dual core dual pass intercooler. Shelby claims the system is optimized for 93 octane fuel, but will happily thrive on 91.