The wait is finally over — Ford finally ripped the sheet off the 2020 Mustang Shelby GT500. Ford’s latest super Mustang is a 700-plus hp track rat special with a wider body, an aggressive aerodynamic package and a dual-clutch transmission. Yeah, you read that right — the long-rumored seven-speed DCT is more than just speculation, it’s what’s in the car. Ford left no stone unturned in developing the Shelby GT500 — borrowing tech from the Ford GT, the Mustang GT4 and the Mustang Cobra Jet programs.
The heart of the Shelby GT500 is the 5.2-liter supercharged V8. Ford did away with the flat-plane crankshaft in lieu of a more sensible cross-plane crankshaft. Ford engineers say that the forged micro-alloy crank was developed with insight from Ford’s Cobra Jet program. New connecting rods help keep the engine’s bottom end more robust. The folks at Ford also looked at the GT350’s cylinder head and made some changes to make it even better. If you tear into it, you’ll see new valves, seals and seats as well as longer head bolts.
Oh yeah, and there’s a supercharger. Mounted on top of the 5.2-liter V8 is a 2.65-liter roots-style supercharger with an integrated liquid-to-air intercooler. The engineers at Ford said they worked hard to make the blower as low as possible in the engine bay — that way the weight stays lower, and the design team didn’t have to use a significantly taller hood. The engine breathes through a 2.75-inch exhaust system before exiting through 5-inch exhaust tips.
Keeping the engine cool, Ford opened the Mustang GT350’s nose by 50 percent so that the various heat exchangers get as much as air as possible. Ford also added a functioning heat extractor in the hood and a pair of factory-installed hood pins. To keep water from dripping onto the engine bay from the 31-inch-by-28-inch hole in the hood, Ford added an aluminum water drip tray that you can remove before heading to the track. The hood pins should help keep the hood down better during high-speed sprints.
Mated to the engine is, as previously mentioned, a seven-speed DCT. Only. If you want a stick, you’re out of luck. Ford says it wanted to have the fastest shifting transmission it could get its hands on to shave time on the racetrack. Ford also says this transmission will complete a shift in less than 100 milliseconds — so it’s fast. The transmission also responds to the various drive modes: normal, weather, sport, drag and track. From there, power goes through a carbon-fiber driveshaft into the independent (and cooled) rear axle. Expecting hard launches, Ford beefed up the rear CV shafts to handle the abuse of the sub-11-second quarter-mile trips expected from this Mustang.
Of course, the new Shelby Mustang should be able to go around a track, too. Ford went with retuned Magnaride dampers to keep the rubber planted to the track. Optional carbon-fiber wheels and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup2 rubber will further maximize your lap times. Of course, alloy wheels and Ford Performance Michelin Pilot Sport 4S are standard. The folks at Ford widened the front fenders to clear massive 20×11-inch wheels up front, with a matching set out back. Unless you opt for the carbon-fiber wheels — then you’ll get 20×11.5-inch wheels out back. Ford also added a magnesium front strut tower brace to keep the weight down, but keep the front shock towers from doing any twisting.
Bringing this to a halt is a set of massive front brakes. Up front, you’ll find 16.5-inch (420 millimeter) two-piece rotors that are clamped by Brembo six-piston calipers. That’s 20 percent more sweep area and 30 percent more thermal mass than the already big brakes you’ll find on the Shelby GT350. Ford claims these are the largest front brakes on any domestic coupe — for now.
Brakes and suspension work are nice, but to get the job done, Ford engineers borrowed what they learned from the GT4 program and the Ford GT and went all in on aero. Out back, there's a rear diffuser, A two-position rear wing is available as part of the carbon-fiber track package, and it replaces the stock spoiler. Up front, there are integrated splitter wickers and a front dive plane. Remember that heat exchanger in the hood? Well, Ford says that adds downforce, too. All of this, according to Ford, adds up to the most aggressive aero package Ford’s ever offered — and the one that makes the most downforce.
On the inside, Ford’s offering Recaro seats and deletes the rear seats with the Carbon Fiber Track Package. If you’re not that hardcore — or just opt for the less aggressive Handling Package — you can keep your rear seat and even check the box on a six-way power seat with faux-suede inserts. In the dash, you’ll find an 8-inch touchscreen running Ford’s Sync 3 infotainment system, and you’ll see a 12-inch digital instrument cluster. Your favorite songs or podcasts are relayed by a 12-speaker B&O sound system.
There’s no word about how much this Mustang will set you back. Hell, there’s not even an official horsepower figure, yet, but you can imagine it won’t be cheap. You can probably expect to see these roll onto dealer lots near the start of summer. Maybe you’ll even see a few during the Dream Cruise.
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