Well, this one is definitely Ford’s answer to the Dodge’s 707 HP Challenger SRT Hellcat and Chevy’s 650 HP Camaro ZL1, and for that matter, a much-needed answer. The 2018 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 will probably be the most pumped up horse in the companies garage and it will have more power under its hood than any other production Mustang so far.
Platform
Ford wanted to do something different with this one, and thanks to their efforts for the first time we have a factory Mustang Shelby GT500 with independent rear suspension. The rest of it is not that great, meaning it has the same bits and pieces like the rest have including wider tracks, aerodynamic work, fatter tires. There is a thing-or-two that set it apart from the previous GT500, and that is the enlarged grille with a big lower intake combined with a visual effect that is offered by those open holes on its body. But it sure does look mad, doesn’t it?!
2018 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Engine
Well here comes the fun part. The openings on the front of it are not there just for looks, they actually are feeding air into the big forced-induction V8 unit. Ha! I can already see you disappointed because you expected something like a twin-turbocharged Coyote 5.0 L V8. Well, that one probably is in the mix somewhere, but it will definitely sacrifice a lot of efficiency to try to beat the old GT500’s 662 HP, top the Camaro ZL1’s output, or even come close to beat the Challenger Hellcat’s horsepower rating.
In order to do so, Ford is leaving the EcoBoost units and taking up the supercharged, larger-displacement version of the Mustang GT’s Coyote. That, of course, means that it will adopt GT350’s 5.2 L Voodoo V8 but with a conventional 90 degree crankshaft and a direct fuel injection. The transmission options are going to be a six-speed manual transmission and a 10-speed automatic co-developed with GM (also used in the ZL1). We still do not have any power figures, but there is a good chance that it will eclipse any older Mustang and certainly come close to competition if not beating them.
The main competitors of the new beast on the block will be familiar faces in the form of BMW M4, Cadillac ATS-V Coupe, Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, Mercedes-AMG C63 S coupe. Its arrival is set for sometime later this year with a price tag of at least $60,000.
