When the Shelby GT350 and the GT350R was revealed, fans of the muscle car were all wondering about the all-new GT500 version and now they don’t have to wonder anymore with the official reveal of the 2020 Ford Shelby GT500.
Ford did not get us all the details we needed but did tell us that the 5.2-litre V8 has a massive supercharger bolted on to it which is good for over 700 horsepower. This should allow it to sprint to 100 km/h in the mid 3 second range and achieve a sub 11 second quarter mile run.
The supercharged V8 uses the same block as the GT350 but unlike previous reports, it won’t be a flat-plane crank unit. The supercharger attached to it is simply massive, at 2.65 litres of capacity. That’s bigger than the ones found in the Hellcat and Camaro ZL1 and slightly smaller than the one in the Demon.
Ford will offer the new Mustang GT500 with a choice of two handling packs: the first, simply called the Handling Package, includes adjustable strut top mounts and a spoiler with Gurney flap. The most hardcore choice is the so-called Carbon Fibre Track Package, which includes 20-inch carbon wheels that are half-an-inch wider at the back (11.5 inches), custom Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 rubber, an adjustable GT4 wing and splitter wickers with dive planes made out of carbon fibre and no rear seat.
The interior gets its own special touches, including the exposed carbon fiber instrument panel appliqué and new door panel inserts in dark suede with accent stitching. A set of Recaro racing seats is optional while Ford is also offering a more comfortable set of power-adjustable seats with suede inserts.
We have reached out to Shelby South Africa to ask about availability in South Africa.
