Photo: Ford
When Ford Performance came out with the Shelby GT350 and GT350R, we all knew those two are forbidden fruits for European customers. The same stands true for the Shelby GT500, the most powerful road-going model ever offered by the Blue Oval.
Marketing manager Jim Ownes had a chat with Muscle Cars & Trucks, defeating any hope for an official import to Europe through official Ford channels. But Ownes did mention the Shelby GT500 will make it to Mexico and the Middle East, and you know what that means going forward! In other words, gray imports to the Old Continent.
“The Shelby GT500 and its 5.2-liter supercharged V8 engine are not welcome by EU regulators,” according to MC&T, a similar problem to the Chevrolet Camaro SS and C7 Corvette with the 6.2-liter LT1 small-block V8. The Predator in the ‘Stang to rule all S550 Mustangs develops no fewer than 760 horsepower and a whopping 625 pound-feet.
Tipping the scales at 4,225 pounds, the Shelby GT500 retails at $70,300 excluding the $1,095 delivery and $2,600 gas guzzler tax. A few desirable options bring the sticker close to $100,000, which is a lot of money even by Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye standards. The biggest difference between the two, however, is that the ‘Stang is a better-handling machine thanks to plenty of carbon fiber and a lot more downforce.
What’s most surprising about the GT500 and its absence from Europe is that Ford Performance demonstrated the car in 2019 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the United Kingdom, a market where the EcoBoost and GT are selling rather well. As a matter of fact, the Mustang is the best-selling sports coupe in the world for a few years already.
As it happens, European customers will have to settle for the Bullitt as the most powerful Mustang available through official channels in this part of the world. The 5.0-liter Coyote V8 is tuned to 480 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque, translating to 163 miles per hour (262 km/h) on full song.
“The Shelby GT500 and its 5.2-liter supercharged V8 engine are not welcome by EU regulators,” according to MC&T, a similar problem to the Chevrolet Camaro SS and C7 Corvette with the 6.2-liter LT1 small-block V8. The Predator in the ‘Stang to rule all S550 Mustangs develops no fewer than 760 horsepower and a whopping 625 pound-feet.
Tipping the scales at 4,225 pounds, the Shelby GT500 retails at $70,300 excluding the $1,095 delivery and $2,600 gas guzzler tax. A few desirable options bring the sticker close to $100,000, which is a lot of money even by Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye standards. The biggest difference between the two, however, is that the ‘Stang is a better-handling machine thanks to plenty of carbon fiber and a lot more downforce.
What’s most surprising about the GT500 and its absence from Europe is that Ford Performance demonstrated the car in 2019 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the United Kingdom, a market where the EcoBoost and GT are selling rather well. As a matter of fact, the Mustang is the best-selling sports coupe in the world for a few years already.
As it happens, European customers will have to settle for the Bullitt as the most powerful Mustang available through official channels in this part of the world. The 5.0-liter Coyote V8 is tuned to 480 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque, translating to 163 miles per hour (262 km/h) on full song.
Google News