Ford Turns Up the Heat on the Mustang, Confirms New Shelby GT500

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

Ford Mustang fans won’t have to settle for 526 horsepower for much longer. That’s currently the model’s headiest output, churned out by the 5.2-liter V8 found under the hood of the Shelby GT350.

In 2019, however, a new snake slithers into Dearborn. Rumored endlessly, the Shelby GT500 will return as “the most powerful street-legal production Ford ever,” the automaker claims.

The previous GT500, which disappeared from the lineup after 2014, made 662 horsepower and 631 lb-ft from its supercharged 5.8-liter V8. Since then, Ford fans without the cash for a GT could only console themselves with the GT350, since eclipsed by the 707-horsepower Dodge Challenger Hellcat and 650-hp Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.

Well, expect a potential Hellcat killer when the new Shelby arrives. Ford projects “more than 700 horsepower” from the reborn model’s supercharged V8. Sadly, there’s no confirmation of what engine we’ll find under this beast’s hood, though documents leaked to the internet a couple of weeks ago suggest it’s a modified version of the GT350’s 5.2-liter V8.

An accompanying video shows close-ups of fire-breathing quad tailpipes, an aggressive front air dam and splitter, a black-surfaced wheel hiding a massive red brake caliper, and a sky-high rear wing. Sadly, the camera’s focus goes soft once the car peels away from the shooter.

Basides this, there’s precious few official words about the model. The automaker claims the “new Mustang is engineered to stand apart on roadways and race tracks, thanks to its new innovative track technologies, performance hardware, plus aggressive and functional track-tuned styling.” As for when we’ll see this model, Ford just says it’s “arriving in 2019.”

Hopefully it’s an early-in-the-year launch.

(Note: a previous version of this story identified the Shelby GT350’s 5.2-liter V8 as supercharged, when it is in fact not. The copy has since been updated to reflect this.)

[Images: Ford Motor Company/YouTube]

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

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  • Sub-600 Sub-600 on Jan 16, 2018

    “The most powerful street-legal production Ford ever.” And it’ll still be looking at the tail end of a Dodge, some things will never change. The new ‘Stang should provide some great YouTube vids when these guys exit Cars & Coffee events though. Fore!

    • See 4 previous
    • Fordson Fordson on Jan 17, 2018

      @MeaMaximaCulpa On the Viper ACR, the aero/downforce stuff works great...but it is an add-on and inflicts a lot of drag. On the new GT, the whole body is an airfoil - the suspension lowers the ride height at high speeds - the rear spoiler can raise and lower...and also tilt forward to act as an air brake. There is way more in the area of active aero in the GT than in the ACR. The ACR's top speed goes from a bit over 200 mph to around 180 in ACR form...the aero doodads are pretty stone-axe...the GT still has a top speed of 216 mph, even with its aero package. That is nothing against the ACR - it's great - but it's a different class of car than the GT.

  • Superdessucke Superdessucke on Jan 17, 2018

    So wait, is the GT500 going to continue to be based on the Mustang? Or do you think they're considering putting it on the Explorer? Pictures suggest Mustang but I want to be sure.

    • See 1 previous
    • Superdessucke Superdessucke on Jan 17, 2018

      @Flipper35 No, Edge = ST. Should go.... Mach 1 - Escape GT500KR - Exploder Personally I like... Stallion - Edge Cruising Wagon - Escape Cobra II - Exploder

  • MaintenanceCosts It's not a Benz or a Jag / it's a 5-0 with a rag /And I don't wanna brag / but I could never be stag
  • 3-On-The-Tree Son has a 2016 Mustang GT 5.0 and I have a 2009 C6 Corvette LS3 6spd. And on paper they are pretty close.
  • 3-On-The-Tree Same as the Land Cruiser, emissions. I have a 1985 FJ60 Land Cruiser and it’s a beast off-roading.
  • CanadaCraig I would like for this anniversary special to be a bare-bones Plain-Jane model offered in Dynasty Green and Vintage Burgundy.
  • ToolGuy Ford is good at drifting all right... 😉
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