Holy tyre smokes! Ford cooks up mental 700hp-plus Shelby
GT500 ATTACKS
Ford has blown the Mustang into the realms of supercar performance with the release of its eagerly anticipated supercharged Shelby GT500. Snuck under its bulging bonnet is the GT350’s 5.2-litre Voodoo V8, with a cross-plane crank, to handle the delivery from a 2.65-litre supercharger. It’s strengthened to withstand earth-crumbling power, with longer cylinder head bolts and new seals in the block.
It backs onto a new Tremec seven-speed dual-clutch transmission that drives a carbon-fibre propshaft. The new transmission, promised to shift gears in less than 100 milliseconds, also has a line-lock function and rpm selectable launch control starts.
Exact performance figures are being withheld to build suspense towards its launch late this year, but Ford Performance claims it’ll produce more than 700bjp, accelerate to 0-60mph (97km/h) from rest in around 3.5 seconds and run 10-second quarter-mile times.
For perspective, the Ford GT supercar develops 482kW/746Nm from its 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6. And Dodge claims 10.8sec quarter miles for its 594kW Challenger Hellcat Redeye Widebody.
Lighter springs coil around new generation MagneRide adaptive dampers. They work with revised GT350 suspension geometry and a new electronic power steering unit to control custom Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres.
The standard car, without options, rolls on 20-inch wheels that are 11 inches wide at the front and 11.5 inches at the rear. Up front stronger Brembo six-piston calipers clamp 420mm two-piece brake rotors.
With the GT500 only to be produced in left-hand drive (booo), Ford Australia confirmed to Drive-My no plans to bring this super ’Stang Down Under. However, local firm Mustang Motorsport will locally import, comply and convert a select run. Exact pricing and specification will follow once Ford confirms such details, as well as an expected Q3 launch.
BELOW Openings in the frontend have doubled to improve airflow by 50 per cent. There are six heat exchangers carried in its snout, along with an “active” baffle oil pan at the bottom of its V8
RIGHT A full interior, with suede door inserts and carbon trim, features in all but carbon fibre track pack cars.
Wider front fenders feature with a composite rear diffuser. Americans can boost handling with a package that adds adjustable strut top mounts and a spoiler with gurney flap.
A carbon fibre track pack adds a splitter, side planes and adjustable rear wing, along with CF wheels that are 0.5 inches wider at the rear and wrapped in Cup 2 rubber
