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Ford has billed the 2020 Mustang Shelby GT500 as its most powerful, street-legal Mustang it has ever built. Some experts out there have put that to a test by taking this super-car-like muscle car on the track to measure its launch time and its quarter mile times. Ford’s engineers were able to get the Shelby GT500, unmodified, to have a 0-60 mph time in the mid threes and run a quarter mile time of sub 11 seconds.
However, You Tube Channel That Racing Channel made only three minor modifications to a 2020 Shelby GT500 and was able to improve upon that performance even more. Watch the video here. At the Palm Beach International Raceway, Ken from Palm Beach Dyno, put a slightly modified Shelby GT500 on the drag strip to test its performance. The results were beyond impressive. In four quarter-mile runs, the modified Mustang improved each time. The first run saw a quarter-mile time of 10.12 at 144 mph. Each run thereafter improved, from 9.99, to 9.74 to a record-breaking 9.70 time on the last run, which occurred in the evening.
The modifications made to the otherwise stock Mustang Shelby GT500 were:
- 2.5 Pulley
- Lethal Track Exhaust
- ID 1050x
- Pump E85
The car was tuned by Ken at Palm Beach Dyno and was running Toyo R888 performance tires.
2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 by the numbers
The Shelby GT500’s aero-led design increases downforce and thermal management, while Ford Performance race-tuned active chassis drive modes make this the most advanced performance Mustang to date. The Shelby GT500 starts with a supercharged 5.2-liter supercharged aluminum engine that is built by hand. This engine creates more than 700 horsepower.
To keep the intake air cooler and deliver a lower center of gravity, the team inverted a 2.65-liter roots-type supercharger with air-to-liquid intercooler tucked neatly in the V8 engine valley. This car has a Tremec 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, which can shift smoothly in less than 100 milliseconds. This transmission has several varying drive modes including normal, slippery, sport, drag and track and features line-lock and rpm-selectable launch control for amazing track times, as evidenced in this video.
Like Shelby GT350, the aluminum alloy block features weight-saving wire-arc cylinder liners and high-flow aluminum cylinder heads, plus larger forged connecting rods, improved lubrication and cooling passages. Beneath that, a structural oil pan adds strength, reduces vibration, and features a patented active baffle system to keep oil where it’s needed.
“With a double front grille opening and 50 percent more cooling pack airflow versus the Shelby GT350, along with the most advanced aero components and downforce we’ve ever offered, every millimeter of Shelby GT500’s fastback design is aimed at improving performance,” said Melvin Betancourt, Ford design manager.
“With its supercar-level powertrain, the all-new Shelby GT500 takes the sixth-generation Mustang to a performance level once reserved only for exotics,” said Hermann Salenbauch, global director, Ford Performance vehicle programs. “As a Mustang, it has to be attainable and punch above its weight. To that end, we’ve set a new standard among American performance cars with our most powerful street-legal V8 engine to date, plus the quickest-shifting transmission ever in a Mustang for all-out precision and speed.”
See you in my next story and look how the Mexican police is using the new 2020 Ford Mustang.
Jimmy Dinsmore has been an automotive journalist for more than a decade and been a writer since the high school. His Driver’s Side column features new car reviews and runs in several newspapers throughout the country. In addition to being a nationally syndicated automotive columnist, Jimmy has been published in a compilation book about children growing up with disabilities, where he shared his own very personal experience. He is also co-author of the book “Mustang by Design” and “Ford Trucks: A Unique Look at the Technical History of America’s Most Popular Truck”. Also, Jimmy works in the social media marketing world for a Canadian automotive training aid manufacturing company. Follow Jimmy on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Find most of Jimmy's stories at Torque News Ford and Torque News Ford Mustang. Search Torque News Ford daily Mustang, F-150 and other Ford news stories from our expert automotive reporters.
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Comments
Previous GT500s and Hellcats
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Previous GT500s and Hellcats have previously been able to run into the nines with drag radials, pulleys, and a race tune. But two elements set this new GT500 apart. First, it genuinely runs the 1/4 mile in the mid-tens totally stock. And importantly it ALSO can competitively run against high performance cars on a circuit racetrack, with lots of turns and braking required. The Challenger Hellcat Redeye widebody handles decently for being so heavy and having an older chassis. The Camaro ZL-1 is a top handling car as well, but lacks the GT500's 760HP. So the new GT500 seems like a super-GT350 approach, rather than yesterday's musclecar idea where it is plenty powerful, but mostly spins or bogs, and only is competitive in a straight line.
I don't find the Hellcat to
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In reply to Previous GT500s and Hellcats by DeanMcManis (not verified)
I don't find the Hellcat to handle well at all. I've been in that with a professional driver and it's so heavy, on turns it had to be throttled down big time. On a straightaways it's for sure bananas, but otherwise, the weight really restricts its handling.