Ford releases Shelby GT500 figures
The all-new Shelby GT500 will produce maximum power of 566.7kW (760hp) and max torque of 847kW (625 lb/ft). Those figures make it the most powerful street-legal Ford ever – with the most power- and torque-dense supercharged production V8 engine in the world.
Ford signed off this announcement with a simple ‘Enough Said’!
As previously reported in JUST CARS (issue #278), the 2020 Shelby GT500 made its debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this past January.
While Shelbys have always been quick in a straight line, what sets the upcoming GT500 apart from its predecessors is that it’s also versatile, with claims to being suitable and useable for the racetrack and street, as well as the dragstrip.
Each supercharged 5.2-litre V8 in the GT500 is hand-built, with the all-alloy block featuring several lightweighting measures and clever packaging solutions, including wire-arc cylinder liners and sitting the supercharger in the valley of the V8.
A 7-speed dual-clutch auto will be the sole transmission offered, but Ford says this can shift faster and smoother than any manual gearbox. For some measure of driver control, paddle shifters are standard.
A line-locker and launch control are standard, while MagneRide magnetic suspension, lighter springs and revised geometry developed for the GT supercar and Mustang GT4 racer are said to deliver exceptional handling – better than any previous GT500.
The 420mm front disc brakes are claimed to be the largest ever fitted to a US-market sports coupe and come with Brembo calipers as standard.
Aero designed to stick the GT500 to the track and keep its supercharged heart cool was developed by Ford Performance and their motorsport partners, with an all-new ‘double front’ grille opening, front splitter, rear spoiler and modified rear diffuser.
A ‘Track Package’ and ‘Handling Package’ will be available to further unlock the new GT500’s potential, but like all modern Shelbys, this one isn’t being built in RHD, so Aussie enthusiasts will need to contact Mustang Motorsport (www.mustangmotorsport.com.au), Australia’s only authorised Shelby Mod Shop, to have their MY20 Mustang GT upgraded to GT500 spec.
