The 2020 Shelby GT500 is Now Part of the Auto Landscape
Slideshow: The new 700+ horsepower 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 is here and ready to launch you down the drag strip or through your next track day. Can you handle this Mustang's kick?
Most Powerful Street-Legal Ford in History
The all-new 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 was revealed at NAIAS and is going to be the most powerful street-legal Ford of all time. Using a supercharged 5.2-liter V8, Ford claims the new Mustang will turn out over 700 horsepower. Look out Dodge, Ford is coming for you
Photo: Jakob Hansen
Official Figures Not Released
Ford has yet to release all of the detail on the Shelby GT500, but they have given us a good idea of what to look forward to. 700+ horsepower is the first number we saw. With figures like that, I think we know who is in the sights. Ford is claiming mid-three-second 0-60 mph times, as well as sub-11 second quarter-miles.
Photo: Ford
The Hardware
Ford is using a handbuilt upgrade version of the 5.2-liter V8 from the GT350. It’s an aluminum alloy block with a massive supercharger bolted up top, 2.65 liters to be exact. The Roots-type supercharger is inverted with an air-to-liquid intercooler in the V of the engine, helping to lower the center of gravity.
More on That 5.2-Liter V8
The aluminum alloy block is the same found in the GT350, only slightly tweaked. It has lightweight wire-arc cylinder liners, larger, high-flow aluminum heads help the engine breath. Forged connecting rods are larger and stronger than the GT350 sister. Oil management has been enhanced as well, with improved lubrication passages and a structural oil pan with active baffles.
Transmission
A first for Ford, a dual-clutch transmission has been fitted to the GT500. The TREMEC® 7-speed dual-clutch transmission was picked for a number of reasons. The shifts are smooth and pop off in less than 100 milliseconds. For perspective, human eye blinks around 300 milliseconds, so it shifts literally faster than the blink of an eye. Several maps are available, including Normal, Slippery, Sport, Drag, Track, Launch Control, and a line lock option.
Not Just Straight-Line Speed
The Shelby GT500 is not afraid of corners. MagneRide™ suspension is standard and connects down to Ford Performance-spec Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires and more aggressive Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires. The largest front brakes on an American car, 16.5 inch (420-millimeter), are fitted to the front to help it stop and lightweight coil springs allow for a precise turn-in.
Aerodynamic Design
The entire car has been designed in Ford’s motorsports technical center in North Carolina and Windshear, “every millimeter of Shelby GT500’s fastback design is aimed at improving performance,” says Melvin Betancourt, Ford design manager. Wide, muscular flared fenders tuck the massive 20x11 inch wheels in front and 20x11.5 in back. The front end was modeled after modern jet fighters with a functional splitter channeling airflow underneath the car into a thermally efficient rear carbon fiber diffuser. A massive GT4 Mustang inspired rear wing sits on the truck forcing the rear end into the pavement.
More Room For Cooling
The double front grille opening results in 50 percent more cooling air flow compared to the already specifically designed GT350. Ford fit six heat exchangers in the massive front end, cooling various components of the GT500. There is a 31x28-inch hole in the hood as well. The louvered hood vent helps move hot air out of the engine compartment and has removable rain tray to further improve performance.
Two Different Packages
Two different handling package options are available on the Shelby GT500. The standard Handling Pack comes with top strut mounts and a spoiler with a Gurney flap. For more hardcore track customers, there is the Carbon Fiber Track Package. This comes with a host of upgrades including exposed carbon fiber wheels, 0.5 inch wider rear wheels (11.5 inch), stickier custom Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, exposed carbon fiber GT4 style rear wing, as well as exposed carbon fiber front splitter and splitter wickers with integrated dive plane. On top of these options, the rear seat is deleted to save weight.
And, for information on maintenance and repairs for your Mustang, head on over to our How-Tos at MustangForums.com!