The lineage of Ford’s muscle cars goes back a long way, but the line continues with the latest addition to the Mustang legend: the 2020 Ford Shelby GT500.
This is an all-new vehicle for 2020, and it comes armed with a spec sheet that would intimidate a Ferrari: 760 horsepower, huge 16.5-inch Brembo brakes, and an aerodynamic body as aggressive as the cobra on its grille. Ford hasn’t revealed official acceleration times, but this will likely be the fastest Mustang in history.
The Ford Shelby GT500 comes in only one trim, referred to as the Shelby GT500. It’s technically part of the Mustang lineup (covered separately), but so many parts are unique that it functions as its own model. Prices start at $73,995 after destination fees.
The engine powering the Shelby GT500 is a 5.2-liter supercharged V8 that cranks out an astonishing 760 horsepower and 625 pound-feet of torque. Managing all that power is a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that can rattle off shifts in as little as 80 milliseconds.
From there, power is sent to the rear wheels via a carbon fiber driveshaft and a limited-slip rear differential. Ford hasn’t released official times, but they've indicated that the car will do the 0-60 mph sprint in a little over three seconds, and the quarter mile in under 11 seconds.
The Ford Shelby GT500 technically seats four, but the rear seats won’t be much fun for adults. If you’d rather go without them, the GT500 has a rear-seat delete option in the Carbon Fiber Track Pack.
The GT500 shares the same cargo capacity in the trunk as the regular Mustang: 13.5 cubic feet.
The Shelby GT500 comes with its fair share of airbags, but safety tech isn't a strong suit. Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are available as part of the Technology Package ($3,000), but that's it. We can’t entirely blame Ford here – it'd be hard to add automatic emergency braking to a car this powerful.
Infotainment is handled by an 8-inch touchscreen using Ford’s SYNC 3 software, and a nine-speaker audio system is standard. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility comes baked in. The aforementioned Technology Package makes navigation and a 12-speaker Bang and Olufsen audio system available.
Although the Shelby GT500 is a focused performance machine, it’s not devoid of creature comforts. Leather-trimmed and power-adjustable sport seats coddle the front passengers, complemented by dual-zone automatic climate control and push button start. The exterior gets LED headlights and taillights, black 20-inch wheels, and a barrage of carbon fiber.
For buyers that look at “extreme” as a mere starting point, the Carbon Fiber Track Pack ($18,500) takes the GT500 to a new level of ludicrous. The wheels turn to carbon fiber and gain sticky Michelin rubber, the rear seat disappears, and the trunk gets a carbon fiber wing from the GT4 race car. The remaining seats are swapped out for leather-trimmed Recaro units, and the suspension gets a few upgrades.
If that’s still not enough, more aerodynamic upgrades can be found in the Handling Package ($1,500). In addition to blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, navigation, and Bang and Olufsen audio system, the Technology Package also includes LED courtesy lights shaped like cobras and memory functionality for the driver's seat.
Compare Shelby GT500 Trims Side-By-Side
Anything worth doing in a Mustang is worth overdoing, so we’d add the Carbon Fiber Track Pack to our 2020 Ford Shelby GT500. The Technology Package is less appealing, but it’s hard to say no to lights in the shape of cobras.
