New Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Coming to Detroit in January
Not to be outdone by Toyota’s announcement of an all-wheel drive Prius at the Los Angeles Auto Show, Ford issued a teaser promoting the most capable variant of one of its own iconic models — the Mustang Shelby GT500.
However, the car isn’t coming to LA. According to Ford’s social media accounts and a new display in California, the vehicle won’t be on display until January 14th of 2019. As you might have guessed, that’s in the midst of the North American International Auto Show.
Leading up to NAIAS 2018, Ford launched a teaser video claiming the new GT500 will arrive with over 700 horsepower. The automaker was less forthcoming at the actual event, though we at least learned the model was in the works. Since then, camouflaged test mules showed up everywhere and Ford’s marketing team issued a few teasers detailing the Mustang’s new look. But there wasn’t an official reveal date announced until this week.
Those teasers have already given us a pretty good idea of what the model will look like, but we’d be speculating if we told you what was under the hood. Whatever it is, Ford is supercharging it. That’s not much of a revelation, as Ford has been doing so for years. Our best guess is that the manufacturer plans to upgrade the 5.2-liter, flat-plane V8 currently found in the current Mustang GT350 and slap a snake on top.
The unit’s output is also up for debate. After promising at least 700 horsepower at the start of 2018, Ford scaled back its claim to “over” 650 hp. Unconfirmed leaks suggest Ford is still aiming for the moon, though. We’ve heard everything from 670 to 750 ponies and would imagine the truth will be somewhere in the middle. Those same leaks also claimed a hefty curb weight of 4,200 pounds and a top speed just shy of 200 mph. Info on the rest of the GT500’s hardware has been tougher to pin down. While a fully independent suspension is basically guaranteed, we don’t even know if Ford will offer a manual variant.
Fortunately, we should be able to find out in January, when The Blue Oval slaps us in the face with the model at the 2019 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
[Images: Ford Motor Co.]
A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.
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Who needs 200 MPH? I'd put 4.10:1s in the rear, should it come with that option. If not I'd have it done, shims and all, and never turn the T.C. off.
5 years after this generation came out. About time...