The new big-dog 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 is finally here with at least 700 horsepower from a supercharged cross-plane V8, and it backs it up with an all-new dual-clutch gearbox. It’s the most powerful street-legal Ford ever. Will this be the American performance car to beat?
First of all, listen to it below. My God!
OK, then. I’m OK.
Following the leak of what appeared to be a brochure for the new Shelby GT500 last night, Ford finally ripped the sheet off of its highest-performance street ‘Stang this morning at the Detroit Auto Show. It’s Ford’s answer to wanting more from the current GT350, as well as wanting to kick the ass of Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and family of Dodge Hellcats.
Ford hasn’t delivered exact power figures yet, but promises a quarter-mile time under 11 seconds and a zero to 60 mph time in the mid-three second range. Ford calls it a “takedown artist,” so they’re not shying away from how weaponized the muscle car competition is these days.
Here’s what we do know.
The GT500's 5.2-liter supercharged V8 is paired with an all-new seven-speed dual-clutch transmission from Tremec and has no manual option, at least not at launch. The chassis is fitted with a carbon fiber driveshaft, MagneRide dampers and high performance Michelin tires Ford claims were specifically engineered for the car, with Pilot Sport 4S tires optional. There’s also huge Brembo 16.5-inch rotors with six-piston calipers, so the thing can stop hard, too.
The new gearbox is claimed to be capable of shifts in under 100 milliseconds, “markedly faster than any manual gearbox,” Ford says.
There’s also the aero kit: A more aggressive front end than your standard Mustang, an adjustable carbon fiber spoiler, and a new front air dam. The face openings have more than doubled since the Shelby GT350 to give it tons of air.
It also gets an electronic line-lock for ripping sick burnouts (on the track, or whatever), launch control, and some apps for tracking your track attack accurately.
As for looks, who wants a sleeper when you get that very pronounced front splitter and redesigned grille, massive functional slatted hood vent, black and glossy 20-inch wheels, and paint options like “Twister Orange Metallic,” “Red Hot Metallic,” and “Grabber Lime.” There’s also a silver.
You can also option a Carbon Fiber Track Pack which includes 20-inch carbon wheels with the Pilot Sport 4S tires, exposed carbon fiber on the rear wing and instrument cluster, Recaro leather and suede seats, and a rear-seat delete.
And then there are all of the stripes. Vinyl stripes over the top, painted stripes over the top, and vinyl side-stripes are available. Each undoubtedly add a few horsepower, so definitely check those boxes.
It’s also still a Mustang that you could technically drive every day, if you were incredibly cool, so it comes with the Sync 3 infotainment setup, a 12-inch digital instrument cluster, a 4G LTE hotspot for Instagramming from the track that much faster, and a rear-view camera.
If that new seven-speed DCT is any good at putting the power down, the GT500 seems to promise a truly terrifying new level of Mustang.
This is a breaking news post and will be updated.