Cobra on the fairways: meet the world’s meanest golf cart

Mustang and Cobra on the fairways

“POP UP the blinkers.”

Isa Suarez, Ford Philippines’ communications manager, and I just passed by the fleet of white golf carts and several caddie girls with all eyes fixed on our Ford Shelby GT500 golf cart in deep impact blue with white Le Mans stripes.

Isa and I were taking this ultra-rare golf cart—well at least on this side of the globe, only four of its kind in the Philippines—for a photo shoot in front of the well-kept Sta. Elena Golf Club in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

“Pop up the blinkers,” I repeated. Isa looked at me quizzically; we were about to make the right turn en route to the clubhouse’s driveway, and there was no moving car in sight within a 200-meter radius. Isa, a non-golfer, was still coming to grips with the gem of a golf cart that we had on our hands.

A few minutes ago, all the golfers who saw the Ford Shelby golf cart parked in the clubhouse veranda gushed. One man was rearing to buy one on the spot, a few took iPhone selfies behind it, and virtually all the men imagined how many beers could fit under its sporty hood.

Big Shelby

Ford GT 500. Photo by WALTER C. VILLA

To understand its raw, animalistic appeal, most especially to the baby boomers, one should read the sacred pages of Wikipedia and find out the rich heritage of Shelby, the higher-performance variant of Ford Mustang.

Also known as Cobras, the Shelbys were built from 1965 to 1970 specifically for racing. Starting as a stock Mustang, this two-seater car had a modified engine to kick in 306 horsepower from its standard K-Code 271 HP. It was then shipped to Shelby American where it got pimped out with high-raiser manifolds, heavy-duty Ford Galaxie rear axles, larger metallic-lined rear drum brakes and Kelsey-Hayes front disc brakes.

By 1968, fresh from Ford’s back-to-back victories over Ferrari at Le Mans in 1966 and 1967, Shelby Cobra GT500KR came out sporting the new 428 Cobra Jet engine with Ram Air Induction. KR stood for King of the Road and it would be the last muscle car to carry the Shelby tag until nearly four decades later with the release of the V8-powered Shelby GT-H in 2006, albeit available exclusively through the Hertz car rental agency. It’s a limited edition, with only 500 units produced.

Ford Shelby GT500’s latest incarnation, the 2013 edition, from which this super golf car is based, is the most potent Mustang ever with 354.6 cubic inches, 4-V V8 supercharged engine churning 662 break HP, and 855.52 Newton-meters of torque with a claimed top speed of 325 kilometers per hour.

Small Shelby

Ford Shelby GT 500 golf cart. Photo by WALTER C. VILLA

While the Ford Shelby GT500 golf cart, like any golf cart, has a stifled level ground top speed of 30 kph, it still bears its race car heritage like the Shelby badging, custom-formed hand-laid front body, vinyl and ultra-suede upholstered seats, Cobra logo and Shelby signature on seat backrest, custom aluminum 12-inch wheels, locking front storage trunk, fold-down windshield, panoramic rearview mirror, headlights, horn, emergency flashers, and unlike most golf carts in the country, a turn signal.

“Pop up the blinkers.”

Isa obliged. Yeah, baby. Because we can. I wished I could flip back my bangs with a cobra neck-snap for added effect but my thinning top begged to disagree. Still, riding this golf cart felt good. It’s quiet yet bursting with power when you need it. I was brimming with alpha maleness.

Evidently, while golf carts like this have a definite market in the country (even if it costs more than a Ford Fiesta), Ford Philippines managing director Kay Hart said they have no plans of bringing the Ford Shelby golf cart in horde and the only way for anyone in the Philippines to get one is to join Ford Philippines’ promo, “Conquer the Highways, Rule the Fairways.”

“We have no plans of bringing the Ford Shelby golf cart to the Philippines, even to the Southeast Asian region,” claimed Hart. “It’s really exclusive to the promo.”

Philippine-based customers, aged 16 and above, who buy a Ford Mustang from any authorized Ford dealerships within the period of Dec. 1, 2013, toFeb. 28, 2014, automatically qualify for the raffle. Depending on the date of purchase, customers will be eligible for any of the three draw dates: Jan. 15, Feb. 14 and March 14.

A total of three Ford Shelby GT500 golf carts are up for grabs, each with a different color: race red, ingot silver and deep impact blue.

However, the chance of winning one is really good; as of this writing, only 11 entries will vie for the first raffle date.

“The Ford Mustang is such an iconic car and we have no doubt that the golf cart will be the same,” said Hart. “And it’s just fantastic to drive, seeing the reaction of the public. They just love it because it’s so different.”

“You know, what hurts, Kay,” I piped in, “is to see this beauty go to a non-golfer.”

“Well, he can then use it to drive around the village where he or she lives,” Hart said.

Well yeah, baby, that won’t hurt.