It’s been spied time and again, and it’s been the subject of the rumor mill since eons ago. The Shelby GT500, which is returning for the 2020 model year in 2019, is the car in question. And as unsurprisingly as it may sound, Ford will tune the newcomer’s blown V8 engine to 700-plus horsepower.
The Ford Motor Company confirmed the supercharged nature and V8 configuration of the powerplant, adding that the 2020 Shelby GT500 will be “the most powerful street-legal production Ford ever.” Don’t feel pity for anyone who bought the 2017 Ford GT because the mid-engine supercar with the twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 is an overly different animal.
“Twice as powerful as the original 1967 Mustang performance model,” the S550-based Shelby GT500 will, therefore, boast 710 horsepower if not more. That’s a jab at Dodge and the Challenger SRT Hellcat, though Fiat Chrysler Automobiles still has the upper hand thanks to the 840-hp Demon.
What else can you expect from the most powerful road-going Ford ever? True motorsport expertise, apparently, with the automaker promising performance for both the public roads and racetrack. “Innovative track technologies, performance hardware, plus aggressive and functional track-tuned styling” are also in the pipeline, as teased in the following CGI clip.
Speaking of the teaser video, have you noticed the GT500 features the headlights of the pre-facelift S550 Mustang? That’s curious, no doubt about it, but bear in mind there’s still a lot of time to go until the first examples hit the streets with the bloodlust for shaming Hellcats, day in and day out.
In regard to styling, GT350 and GT350R influences galore, with added downforce thanks to a serious-looking rear wing. The black-painted wheels with Shelby-badged center caps are offset by red-painted brake calipers and carbon-ceramic rotors. Last, but certainly not least, pay attention to the way the GT500 launches off the line. It’s obvious, then, that Ford wasn’t bluffing with the statement on performance hardware.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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