Six hundred fifty horsepower.
That’s it. There’s nothing else to say, really. We couldn’t find the words to jot down the awestruck expression on our faces. Because the stupendous power lies underneath the hood of, of all things, a Ford Mustang. Admittedly, it’s a Mustang far removed from your grandfather’s dream ride (i.e. the generation of the example recently and locally remade into aluminum). Step into the future that is today. Welcome to (model year) 2013, and your ride for the evening is the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500.
A refreshed front fascia differentiate the Shelby’s exterior from its predecessor, featuring revised headlights and LED tail lamps shared by other ’13 models, a quad-tipped twin-exit exhaust, and a new splitter designed to provide thirty-three percent more downforce at 160 mph (256 kph). It needs the aero tweak as it can achieve a maximum velocity of upwards of 200 mph (320 kph).
The mad, mad horsepower frothing out of the hood vents is courtesy of a punched-out 5.8L V8 with revised internal bits and a bigger Eaton TVS four-lobe supercharger pumping 15psi of boost, generating the aforementioned 650 horsepower, a bump of 100 hp and 90 foot-pounds of torque (12.5 kg.m) over the old model. The aluminum block’s cooling has been improved with additional components such as piston oil squirters. Bringing all that mighty meaty horsepower to the rear wheels is a carbon fiber driveshaft, stronger clutch and tranny, and a sturdier live-rear axle (!) while Brembo brakes rein everything in.
If you somehow deem the GT500 inadequate, Performance and Track packages will be made available to enhance the pony car’s performance capabilities. Electronically-adjustable Bilstein shock absorbers, a Torsen LSD, and Recaro seats are part of the Performance pack, and supplementary oil, differential and transmission coolers make up the Track pack.
To think that you’d have to gather seven Ford Fiestas to accumulate before you an equivalent amount of horses, an estimated price range of $60,000 (Php 2.7 million before applicable tariffs, taxes and costs) seems like a good deal to us. Because you can’t argue with 650hp.
Source: Car and Driver, Top Gear UK