When Ford unveiled the 2020 Shelby GT500 in January, the automaker claimed it would be the most powerful vehicle it had ever created outside of motorsport applications. With a suggested 0-to-60 time within the 3-second range, we presumed that the Blue Oval would be targeting Dodge’s Hellcat in terms of power and don’t appear to have been far off.
On Wednesday, Ford confirmed that the meanest Mustang’s supercharged V8 will play host to 760 horsepower and 625 lb-ft of torque. The manufacturer is proclaiming it to be the most energy dense supercharged production V8 in the world.
Following some gentle head scratching and cursory mathematics, we found the company’s claim difficult to dispute. Dodge’s Demon may still be the horsepower king, but its motor is a full liter bigger than the supercharged 5.2-liter mill Ford will be placing inside the Shelby.
However, the GT500’s true performance chops are likely to be dictated more by how effective engineers have been at translating power to the pavement than the maximum hp of its cross-plane V8. While exceptionally fast, the 717-hp, 6.2-liter Hellcat is known for being a bit of a handful under heavy acceleration. As Ford’s performance benchmark, competing with it likely means that overwhelming the Shelby’s rear tires will also be a throttle blip away. Finding ways to alleviate that phenomenon will help yield swifter quarter-mile times and, potentially, put some egg on the face of Fiat Chrysler.
We’ll have to wait to see if that will be the case, though. The 2020 Shelby GT500 doesn’t go on sale until the fall, with Ford parsing out details as the launch date gradually approaches.
[Images: Ford Motor Co.]
I recall potential insurance premiums put a halt to my wanting a new 1970 442. Got a 350 Cutlass instead. I haven’t heard much about that subject regarding cars like this GT500. Anybody know how insurance companies would view this?
Where will it stop?
Granted I only have 415 HP but insurance for my SS sedan is $400 every 6 months. I believe Corvette insurance is lower than that from my understanding. Something about the avg age of the buyers and insurance expecting most buyers to put them in the garage 99.99% of the time.
My rate as a married 34 year old male is about $700/6 months for my 640 hp Viper. That is for 10x state minimum liability and a $500 collision deductible. The actual price I pay is less because I drop down to storage insurance during winter.
The only stipulation is under 7500 miles driven per year.
More peasant the a Viper, I know, but my truck is $1000/year. Adding a 2007 CTS-V only raised it by $400/year with State Farm. My V came with 400hp but it now has, um, more.
Meh, it’s still a mustang. Still a plague upon Cars&Coffee
Another fine comedian from the Robert L Saget Philadelphia School of Comedy!
Have you ever watched Bob Saget’s standup?
If not, it’s the polar opposite of everything he is famous for.
Yeah, I’m betting it’ll take a set of drag radials to see that 3.x second time. Should sound great though.
DCT = TCS
Probably needs special track prep like the Demon. Without all wheel drive, we’re sure to see a few “Model 3 Defeats 2020 Shelby 500” videos on youtube.
Value has far less effect on insurance premiums than people think.
It’s the background data, death by a thousand cuts. For example, there are too many civics to count, therefore they are more frequently involved in traffic collisions. They are a small car so they are likely to sustain more significant damage and the occupants are more likely to sustain injury as a result.
Niche cars like this are not involved in as many accidents as they are driven far less and there are far fewer of them.
P.s. I want one
Pathetic automatic trash
Automatic?
That’s it? Seriously?
Does no one else see what they did to the front corners of this poor car?