We are well aware that Ford has an entirely new Mustang out. It's available for pre-order on the Blue Oval's website, and the first units will grace dealers nationwide this summer. But something about the previous-gen, in the range-topping Shelby GT500 configuration, still keeps us up at night.
A true wolf in matching attire, it is a supercar slayer in a straight-line battle and a proper track tool in the right hands. Nevertheless, mastering that tricky steering and the huge amount of power requires great skill. You shouldn't underestimate its brutal nature, as it will bite your head off if given a chance, hence the numerous crashed examples that keep hitting the used car market.
Now, about that straight-line performance, it was put to the test yet again. This time, it was AutoTopNL that took a blue with white racing stripes example of the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 to a no-speed-limit section of the German Autobahn, setting it loose. The purpose was to see how it behaves at dizzying speeds and how fast it can go on a public road. Sprinkled by lots of V8 rumble, the video was shot from the driver's perspective, and it shows this beastly muscle car being punished.
Boasting unique looks defined by the exclusive front and rear bumpers, fat side skirts, bulging hood, and large rear wing, as well as the Shelby logos, the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 sports a retuned chassis, uprated brakes, and a supercharged engine that breathes air from behind the cobra-branded grille. The 5.2-liter V8 churns out 625 pound-feet (847 Nm) of torque and 760 horsepower (771 ps/567 kW) at the crank. Everything is directed to the rear wheels via the dual-clutch seven-speed automatic gearbox.
With a little practice, it will take you from rest to sixty mph (0-97 kph) in just three seconds. The pony model is a ten-second car in perfect condition and with a skilled driver holding the wheel. It is no longer advertised on Ford's US website, and when it was still on sale, it had an MSRP of just under $80,000. Copies that have seen a lot of action tend to change hands for over $100,000 these days, and it's not uncommon to see some listed for roughly $150,000 and even $200,000+ every now and then. As for the 2022 Heritage Edition variant, it went for a little over one million dollars last year at auction.
It will be interesting to see what the next-gen Shelby GT500 will be all about, yet it is still a couple of years away. It will allegedly launch in 2025 and might get a convertible option. The power is obviously unknown, but it will likely dwarf the performance of its predecessor.
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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