24 hrs with the Mustang Shelby GT-Hertz Edition

With this past weekend being the unofficial end of summer I wanted to get my car fix by renting a cool sports car for a day. My main intent was to go out and shoot in multiple settings, as well as just cruise for fun. My original target was a Camaro SS but the Avis location at Detroit Metro Airport had already turned them in for the season. While out in rental car land I decided to stop at Hertz to ask a question.

Since finding out some time ago that the 50th Anniversary Mustang Shelby GT-H (Hertz) was available in the Detroit area I always wanted to get my hands on one. That is until I saw one of the qualifications on the Hertz website requiring the renter to have a return flight. So while at Hertz I asked for myself what the requirements were. The rental agent told me I needed a driver’s license (I’m sure I have one of those), a passport, and two credit cards! Check, check, and check…looks like I was good to go. A few hours later I made my reservation for pick up the next day!

It’s noon the following day, and I have a date with the “Rent – A – Racer”! As I pulled out of Hertz I was careful not to end up another casualty of the Mustang spinouts we see so much of on YouTube. Under the hood of the Shelby GT-H is the standard 5.0L V8 rated a 435 hp. The black paint with gold stripes is definitely an eye catcher. Now keep in mind this is a rental car, and there are various signs of wear and tear. Nevertheless it’s still a beauty, and I received multiple thumbs ups driving down the highway! The Shelby GT-H is mostly aesthetics, but has some Ford Performance items such as the Performance Handling Pack and a Cat-Back exhaust, which I made scream many times!

I put the car to the ultimate test…took the wife and kids for a ride. I’m a guy who drives a Jeep Grand Cherokee daily so kids and a sports car make for an interesting situation. Once the car seats and the kids were in the Mustang driving became a little less comfortable. I almost felt as if I was driving a Smart car! Well not quite that bad, but not as comfortable as I’d want to be. The interior was basic Mustang GT with a few Shelby GT-H specific features. The front floor mats and headrest were embroidered with yellow Shelby GT-H logos. The dash contained a special serial numbered Shelby plaque.

I finally dropped the family off at home and spent the rest of my evening driving around and photographing the car in various locations. The next morning my wife and I took the kids to school (1st day) and picked up Starbucks in victory! After I dropped her off at home I headed to downtown Detroit to get some more shots with a more industrial backdrop.

Around October seems to be the time Hertz will start taking these vehicles out of service and putting them in the secondary market through Hertz car sales. If you have an opportunity to rent one I’d definitely do it! We probably won’t see another Hertz badged Mustang until 2026.

See if your airport is one of the rental locations here: https://www.hertz.com/rentacar/misc/index.jsp?targetPage=ShelbyGTH.jsp

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