2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Roars Into Detroit With 700 HP, Loads of Carbon

Hide yo kids, hide yo wife, because the most powerful Mustang ever created is finally here.

byChad Kirchner|
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Year, Make, Model: 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500

Topline: The Shelby GT500 returns for the 2020 model year as the top dog in the Ford Performance Mustang fleet. Making over 700 horsepower, the new pony car uses an all-new 5.2-liter supercharged V8 mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The dual-clutch is the only option on the new GT500, completing shifts in less than 100 milliseconds. It's also expected to run the quarter-mile in under 11 seconds.

What's New: The Shelby GT500 is all-new since the last time the badge was used, but it does share a platform with the current Mustang and Shelby GT350. The GT350 will continue to be sold alongside the GT500.

The 5.2-liter V8 in the GT500 revs to 7,500 rpm, according to a Ford spokesperson who spoke with The Drive, meaning it won't rev quite as high as its little GT350 brother, but it should still be a screamer. The supercharger is a 2.65-liter roots-type blower and has an air-to-liquid intercooler positioned in the V8 engine valley.

Wire-arc cylinder liners and high-flow aluminum cylinder heads are like those on the GT350. Larger forged connecting rods, improved lubrication, and cooling passages help keep the engine from blowing itself up. The oil pan is structural on the GT500 and has a patented active baffle system to keep the oil in the pan where it's needed when cornering—it's sci-fi level stuff in there.

The dual-clutch automatic takes the learnings from the Ford GT and is improved in the Shelby. It includes driving modes for every type of situation from on-road to track to the drag strip and more. There's also revised tuning of the MagneRide magnetorheological ride control dampers and new suspension geometry to get power to the ground.

Plus, you can get a rear spoiler with a Gurney Flap! A Gurney Flap!

Quotable: “Carroll was always working on the next faster Shelby, I think he would love this Mustang more than any other,” said Jim Farley, Ford president of global markets. “A takedown artist, the new Shelby GT500 will surprise supercar owners with its Ford Performance racing tech, supercharged engine and visceral swagger.”

What to Know: The GT500 will come in three flavors. The base model has all the fun performance stuff but is a bit more suited for street use. It uses alloy wheels paired to Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires.

An available Handling Package adds the Gurney Flap and an adjustable strut top mount. Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires are optional here, providing some seriously sticky rubber from performance applications.

A digital gauge cluster comes with the Shelby G500, and an upgraded Bang & Olufsen stereo system is an option.

For the hardcore enthusiast, the GT500 has a Carbon Fiber Track Package, which replaces the alloy wheels with carbon fiber rollers measuring 11.5-inches, customer Pilot Sport 2 tires, and an adjustable carbon fiber GT4 wing. Finally, there are splitter wickers with an integrated dive plane to help with aero even more. The rear seats are deleted.

Twister Orange, Red Hot and Iconic Silver are new colors for the GT500, and if you want stripes, you can actually get them painted on the GT500.

“With its supercar-level powertrain, the all-new Shelby GT500 takes the sixth-generation Mustang to a performance level once reserved only for exotics,” said Hermann Salenbauch, global director of Ford Performance vehicle programs.

Ford says that final performance numbers are still pending verification, as is fuel economy. Expect to see those numbers, along with pricing, closer to launch later this year.

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