The latest high performance variant of the Ford Mustang bearing the Shelby name has been unveiled at the 2011 LA Motor Show, and it's a beast. Packing a 5.8-liter supercharged V8 producing a headline-grabbing 650 horsepower and 600 lb-ft of torque, Ford claims the new 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 is the most powerful production V8 in the world. While the Mustang has never been the most aerodynamic vehicle on the road, the vehicle's completely reworked drivetrain provides the power to propel it to a top speed of over 200 mph (322 km/h). And as surprising as the grunt under the hood, Ford says the new Shelby GT500 even manages to avoid the United States' Gas Guzzler Tax.
While the 1964 Mustang provided the template for a new class of car dubbed the "pony car" by the editor of Car Life magazine, Dennis Shattuck, it was the high performance variants built by Shelby American from 1965 to 1970 that really pushed the vehicle into muscle car territory. In the summer of '69, Carroll Shelby terminated his agreement with Ford but after a break of over 30 years, Shelby and Ford teamed up yet again in 2005 for the Ford Shelby Cobra GT500 show car. Other vehicles followed, culminating this week in the new 2013 Ford Shelby GT500, which 89-year-old Carroll Shelby was on hand to unveil in L.A., proclaiming it his "favorite Mustang of all time."
Ford says producing the new GT500's additional horsepower required nearly every part of the powertrain to be optimized. This includes a new cross-drilled block and heads, updated camshaft profiles, new carbon fiber driveshaft, upgraded clutch, transmission and axle, and a new TVS Series 2300 supercharger that creates 2.3 liters of displacement.
The new 5.8-liter engine also sees updates to the entire cooling system, with a larger cooling fan, fan shroud with high-speed pressure-relief doors, more efficient charge air cooler, higher-flow intercooler pump and an intercooler heat exchanger with 36 percent more volume.
To manage the torque and make the car more "driver-friendly," nearly every gear on the 2013 GT500 has been revised. After considering more than 35 gearing combinations, engineers finally decided on one they say transmits balanced torque all the way through the wheels and grip to the ground. The six-speed manual transmission has a final drive ratio of 3.31:1, while the dual-disc design clutch has increased torque and rpm capacity.
While the 3,850 pound (1,746 kg), 2013 GT500 doesn't really look any more aerodynamic than its forebears, Ford claims significant work has been done in this area to ensure the car has the proper downforce for optimum performance at all speeds. Modifications to the front fascia and splitters were made to handle the extreme loads felt at speeds of 200 mph and plant the vehicle's 19-inch front and 20-inch rear forged-aluminum wheels more securely to the road. Ford says that, compared to the 2011 model, the 2013 Shelby GT500 offers 33 percent more effective aero loading at 160 mph (257 km/h).
The vehicle is also designed to be as at home on the track is it is on surface streets, with the traction control system and electronic stability control settings that can be completely disabled for skilled drivers in controlled track situations, or fully engaged for maximum safety in normal driving situations or in less-than-ideal traction conditions. There's also an intermediate sport mode that permits more aggressive driving before the traction control and electronic stability control cut in.
"We took a completely different approach with this car so drivers can choose their settings instead of a computer making the selection," said Jamal Hameedi, Special Vehicle Team (SVT) chief engineer. "Nearly every system the driver interacts with can be tailored to his or her situation including the Bilstein electronic adjustable suspension, launch control, AdvanceTrac and steering assist levels."
To keep all those horses under control on the street or on the track, the optional Performance Package includes a Torsen limited-slip differential and SVT0-designed Bilstein electronic adjustable dampers that can be accessed on the dash with a push of a button. In Normal mode, these provide a more comfortable ride over bumpy roads, while Sport mode delivers improved response times on the track with less body roll while cornering and pitch under braking.
"The adjustable shocks let us develop our car on the track without any compromise," said Kerry Baldori, Ford SVT Global Performance Vehicles chief engineer. "Before, we had to tune the car with street implications in mind. Now we can go as extreme as we want on the track setting and still offer the customer a comfortable ride on the road."
Those looking for all-out performance can upgrade the Performance Package with an additional Track Package that includes an external engine cooler, rear differential cooler and transmission cooler. These coolers improve the durability of the vehicle by preventing crucial components from overheating under high-speed conditions.
Ford is yet to reveal the vehicle's acceleration times, gas mileage or pricing of the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500, but says it will built at the AutoAlliance International Plant in Flat Rock, Michigan, with sales due to begin next year.
Go FORD!!
The future for performance vehicles is going to be electric and gas powered cars are rolling dinosaurs whose time is passing.
You would not.. you would fight and scream and yell and complain.... just like we car guys do. God Bless America, God Bless Henry Ford and God Bless Carrol Shelby!!! -Amen
Can i get a witness here?
I suspect I am in the minority in this venue but \"global warming\" theory has many flaws. I am not a buyer. Additionally, there is no reason to suspect that because the world goes through warming trends, they will experience runaway heat build up. Just as global cooling should not be expected to continue in a single direction. Climate change is something we want. When the climate stops changing I will be worried.
In any case according to the IPCC\'s Third Assessment Report, Ruminants have been calculated to produce more \"greenhouse gas\" than the transportation sector. Let\'s stop raising cattle and other farm animals and stop eating meat. That way we can drive cars without guilt!? ??
I don\'t eat meat so I guess I can feel okay driving a petrol car around or should I mandate others not eat meat??
Don\'t lump me as an environmental rapist just because I disagree with one position. For a a really well researched book check out Superfreakonomics! One of the best books in print. Better I think than its prequel Freakonomics. Both are very good.
Another thing you want to judge cars on overall handling and not acceleration? I think that the GT500 satisfies in both categories. I would have thought from the tone of your post that you would think that cars should be judged by thier enviromental footprint or at least the amount of energy that they require to transport thier cargo from point A to B.
Personally I like accelleration. It is something that I can easily feel , it is very usful when merging into traffic and I don\'t need to experiance the risks of speeding on an entrance ramp to a highway to experience it.
I suggest that you go get in a Nissan Leaf or on your bicyle equivalent and save some oil (more for me)
If I can swing it I will happliy drive off into the sunset in a 2012 Shelby GT500.
If the vehicle doesn\'t guzzle gas, then it avoids the gas guzzler tax, doesn\'t it? I\'m surprised no one objected to the fact that this article made that tantalizing tax statement and then failed to explain how. The answer is that the 2013 Shelby gets 15 MPG city, 23 highway, which means it just avoids the 2011 bar for the tax.
I\'m glad to see that the Cadillac CTS-V coupe finally has a worthy competitor (depending on price). I\'m anxiously awaiting price info and the inevitable car mag match-ups.
To the rest - just because sustainable this and that and eco-friendly whatchamacallits are good, that doesn\'t mean you can\'t appreciate something else. Just because a house doesn\'t have solar panels or geothermal heating, does that mean I can\'t pass by a mansion and say \"Beautiful?\" Does it make us warmongers if we read an article about a new stealth fighter or invisibility cloak and say \"Cool!\"? I don\'t know about the 2013 Shelby, but the 559HP Cadillac CTS-V coupe is about $70K, which means most of us will never own/drive one. There\'s nothing wrong with admiring it, though.
For all you know, though, those who do own it could use an environmentally friendly hybrid, electric, or two-wheel vehicle for routine use and only use their muscle car on weekends or to take to the track. They might also take public transportation to work and thus produce less CO2 overall than someone with a less powerful vehicle who drives it everywhere. Like so much in this world, almost everything can be ok if done in moderation.
Dr. Veritas - \"Additionally, there is no reason to suspect that because the world goes through warming trends, they will experience runaway heat build up.\" There is if the reason for THIS warming trend is the greenhouse effect.