Photo: USPTO
After numerous teasers, spy shots, and leaks (such as CAD images of the engine and photographs from a dealer meeting), the Shelby GT500 is edging closer to reality. This time around, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office steps into the spotlight with multiple design patens for aerodynamic solutions, cooling, and a strut-tower brace made from magnesium.
The diagrams included in these patents corroborate with the pre-facelift front fascia, headlights, hood, and front fenders of the Shelby GT500. Active brake cooling ducts are featured too, designed to channel the airflow to the wheels (all four of them), bringing down the heat down to optimum levels.
An active hood vent system (the diagram features a sketch of the Ford Focus RS) and an active aerodynamic underbody shield are present too, both designed with airflow and cooling in mind. The design of the underbody also pays dividend in terms of fuel economy and downforce.
A patent for side splitters with dive planes and “methods for speed control on vehicles with a vented hood and rain tray” round off the list of patents the Shelby GT500 will introduce to the S550 Mustang. As you’d expect, Ford Performance developed the king ‘Stang to be thrilling in the twisties and more than adequate in a straight line.
A 5.2-liter V8 derived from the Voodoo in the GT350 and GT350R is the beast lurking underneath the hood, complemented by a supercharging system. The Blue Oval looks forward to more than 700 horsepower, bringing the GT500 in the crosshairs of the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat.
It’s important to highlight that the Predator V8 is the most powerful production engine ever from the Ford Motor Company, besting the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 with two honkin’ turbochargers in the GT. In other words, expect dealers to mark up the suggested retail price like there’s no tomorrow.
Like every other Mustang from the S550 generation, the Shelby GT500 for the 2020 model year will be manufactured at the Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Michigan. The Mustang outsold the Challenger and Camaro (in that order) in 2018, but the segment is contracting compared to 2017.
An active hood vent system (the diagram features a sketch of the Ford Focus RS) and an active aerodynamic underbody shield are present too, both designed with airflow and cooling in mind. The design of the underbody also pays dividend in terms of fuel economy and downforce.
A patent for side splitters with dive planes and “methods for speed control on vehicles with a vented hood and rain tray” round off the list of patents the Shelby GT500 will introduce to the S550 Mustang. As you’d expect, Ford Performance developed the king ‘Stang to be thrilling in the twisties and more than adequate in a straight line.
A 5.2-liter V8 derived from the Voodoo in the GT350 and GT350R is the beast lurking underneath the hood, complemented by a supercharging system. The Blue Oval looks forward to more than 700 horsepower, bringing the GT500 in the crosshairs of the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat.
It’s important to highlight that the Predator V8 is the most powerful production engine ever from the Ford Motor Company, besting the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 with two honkin’ turbochargers in the GT. In other words, expect dealers to mark up the suggested retail price like there’s no tomorrow.
Like every other Mustang from the S550 generation, the Shelby GT500 for the 2020 model year will be manufactured at the Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Michigan. The Mustang outsold the Challenger and Camaro (in that order) in 2018, but the segment is contracting compared to 2017.
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