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The year was 2007 and Ford’s Special Vehicle Team (SVT) wanted to do something special and drastic. So they brought back a moniker that hadn’t donned a Mustang since 1970. It was the return of the GT500 nameplate to create the most powerful pony car Ford had produced. And as such, the 2007 Ford Mustang GT500 is still highly sought and incredibly collectible to date. One could argue, it was the year, the Mustang became a muscle car again. So let’s take a look at this instant classic.

Based on the all-new S197 Mustang platform and equipped with a special 500-horsepower supercharged version of the 5.4-liter V-8, this modern-day Shelby GT500 took the muscle car world by storm with looks that mirror some of the all-time greatest Mustangs and the kind of power and performance previously unheard of in any factory-built Ford Mustang. Usually you had to special order a Mustang with this kind of performance or turn to Shelby specifically for such performance. But from 2007-2014 Ford produced this car from the factory.

Throughout its seven-year lifespan, the Mustang GT500 continued to gain more power as Ford’s engineers tweaked it and modified the performance. A limited edition 2008 and 2009 GT500KR really harkened back to the muscle car glory days, paying homage to the King of the Road special edition Mustangs of the late 1960s. The 2008 and 2009 GT500KR churned out 540 horsepower, and so did the 2010 GT500. For 2011 the engine became aluminum-based (instead of iron) and as such, the horsepower increased to 550 hp. That horsepower and torque surpassed the Ford GT making this the most performance-driven vehicle Ford had produced.

Near the end of its lifecycle, Ford continued to make advancements, each year producing more and more horsepower. They finished it off by creating a 5.8-liter Trinity V8 engine that churned out a whopping 662 horsepower, making this a blazing fast and the fastest Ford on the road.

2007 Ford Mustang GT500 Specs
According to Ford Performance’s website, the specs for 2007 Mustang GT500 are pretty impressive.

Engine
Type: 90-degree, DOHC 32-Valve supercharged V-8
Displacement: 5.4L / 330 CID
Horsepower: 500 hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque: 480 lbs.-ft. @ 4500 rpm
Bore x Stroke: 3.55 in. x 4.17 in.
Compression: 8.4:1

Suspension
Front: Modified (reverse-L) MacPherson strut, 34mm stabilizer bar, coil springs
Rear: 3-link solid axle with coil springs, panhard rod, 24mm solid stabilizer bar

Brakes
Front: 14.0 in. vented Brembo disc, four-piston aluminum caliper
Rear: 11.8 in. vented disc, single-piston caliper
ABS: Four channel, four-sensor ABS system with EBD, linked to all-speed traction control

Wheels/Tires
Wheels: 18 x 9.5 in. machined aluminum wheels with SVT center caps
Tires: P255/45ZR-18 (Front); 285/40ZR-18 (Rear); BSW high-performance

Performance
0-60 mph: 4.5 seconds (Motor Trend)
60-0 mph braking: 112 feet (Motor Trend)
1/4-mile @ MPH: 12.6 seconds @ 114.2 mph (Motor Trend)

How Much Is a 2007 GT500 Worth?
Ford produced a total of 10,847 Mustang GT500 in 2007, with 2,695 of those being convertibles. The most popular color was white with the red package, although almost as many red and black ones were sold too. Classic car insurance company Hagerty says the 2007 GT500 holds its value well with an average value of $25,000 for the coupes. Convertibles are worth even more and of course the special editions like the Super Snake and the Shelby packages can exceed $75,000 or more.

I’ve written a lot about the current model Mustang GT350 and GT500 here. Also, Ford just unveiled the fastest Ford they’ve manufactured with the announcement of the supercar 2021 Ford GT. I saw this car unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show and wrote about it here.

Also, read my next story where I am discussing one of the most popular Ford Mustang events, called Ponies in The Smokies, which is a must go for a Mustang owner.

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. 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.