Most fans of Ford and Shelby would probably give an arm and a leg for a chance to own, much less drive, a new Mustang in Shelby GT500 trim. But when those lucky few who do get their hands on Ford's Shelby GT500 do go out and drive way too aggressively—especially on the wide-open roads of pandemic-ridden America—there's a good chance they'll discover that the car has way more performance potential than its drivers. And when that happens, the first responders on the scene need to know how to extricate any survivors from the wreckage, which explains why the fire department of Dearborn, Michigan, recently posted images on Facebook of a Shelby GT500 that was destroyed during a training exercise.

A Travesty Explained

Fire Department Destroys Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 3
via Facebook

The Dearborn firefighters used this Mustang as a testbed for their own rescue techniques and equipment, though the truth is that Ford had donated the car for this expressed purpose because it was, itself, a test mule for the most powerful Mustang of all time. And most of the tester vehicles that manufacturers build during their design and development process won't ever be deemed street-legal, so they do have to be destroyed anyway. Still, that knowledge doesn't make the images seem any less forlorn.

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Ready For An LS Swap

Fire Department Destroys Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 2
via Bring a Trailer

Of course, the post prompted the expected outcry on social media, with one commenter suggesting that perhaps all the firemen in the photos drove Chevrolet Camaros. But regardless of brand loyalties, anyone out and about in their high-performance sports car should rest assured that the firemen who may one day come to their rescue have received sufficient training. As the post explained it, "Your Dearborn Firefighters train daily. This week we trained on vehicle extrication. It almost broke our hearts to cut up this 2020 Ford Shelby Cobra GT 500 test vehicle. Thank you to Dennis Lark and FoMoCo for the opportunity. Other training included special operations and equipment familiarization."

Sources: facebook.com and ford.com.

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