Ford has confirmed that its upcoming Shelby Mustang GT500 will be the most powerful car in the US company’s 116-year history.
The new model is named after former racing driver and Ford tuning guru Carol Shelby, and is essentially a track-honed version of the marque’s popular two-door Mustang muscle car.
Thanks to a new supercharger and various engine upgrades, the next-generation GT500 will produce around 760bhp - the highest output of any Ford production car to date.
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Here’s more information about the new GT500:
Price
The GT500 may be one of most powerful production cars available when it hits the market, but that doesn’t mean it will have a price tag to match those of McLarens and Ferraris.
Official pricing has yet to be announced, but Motor1 expects the GT500 to cost slightly more than the current GT350, which starts at $60,235 (£47,380).
Release
Ford says the GT500 will launch in the US in 2020, but has yet to give a specific release date.
Is it coming to the UK?
Sadly, Ford has no plans to release the GT500 in the UK.
That may disappoint British fans of US muscle cars, but Ford typically launches its hardcore Mustangs in the US only.
Design
Despite being based on the V8-version of the Mustang, the GT500’s design is a radical departure form the standard model.
The front bumper of the new model features a significantly larger grille that is adorned with the Shelby’s signature Cobra badge. And on either side of the grille are large ducts that appear to channel air to the brakes to keep them cool.
Below the front bumper are a series of winglets that are sculpted into the bodywork, which will no doubt provide downforce when sprinting around a track. There’s also a large rear wing on the boot lid, improving traction and rear-end stability and high speeds.
Other notable tweaks include a raised bonnet, which appears to cater for a large supercharger, along with carbon-fibre skirts that run along the sides of the car.
Engine and performance
Although the visual upgrades give the GT500 a more aggressive look, the engine is where Ford has really focused its efforts.
Under the bonnet sits a “hand-built all-aluminium” supercharged 5.2-litre V8 engine, reports Auto Express. The new supercharger, which Ford claims is the “most power-dense” version in production, has helped the company extract 760bhp and 625lb-ft of torque.
Power is sent to the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and a carbon-fibre prop shaft. Meanwhile, the transmission is capable of shifting gear in less than 100 milliseconds and features different drive modes tailored towards “road, track and drag strip driving”, according to the motoring magazine.
The revised powertrain means the new GT500 can do 0-60mph in “the mid-three-second range”, and cover a quarter mile in around 11 seconds, says Top Gear. Ford has also installed “the largest brake rotors ever fitted to an American sports coupe” to bring the vehicle to a stop after a drag race, the site adds.
