Future Cars: 2016 Ford Shelby Mustang GT500 Hits The Redline
What It Is: The high-performance variation of the new-for-2015 Ford Mustang, which we believe will keep its Shelby GT500 moniker. In light of the expected return of the Shelby GT350, we hear those in Dearborn are wary of two Shelby-branded offerings in the lineup diluting the badge’s equity, and are looking into changing the more powerful car’s name to SVT Cobra. We don’t expect this name change to happen, but many monikers from high-performance Mustangs past are being considered for resurrection. If you’re wondering whether this is a GT350, well, that model isn’t expected to arrive for a few years yet, so it’s safe to assume this is a GT500.
Why It Matters: Traditionally, in the pony-car wars, horsepower is firepower—and the more you have, the better to thump your competition. The outgoing GT500 comes packing heat in the form of a supercharged 5.8-liter V-8 pumping out a brutal 662 ponies and 631 lb-ft of torque. Code-named “Trinity,” the blown V-8 is a double-barreled shotgun to the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1’s magnum pistol—an 82-hp and 75-lb-ft advantage that cannot be ignored. The Camaro’s not going anywhere, and neither is the long-running muscle-car rivalry between Chevy and Ford, so the next GT500 will need to maintain its predecessor’s edge.
Platform: The new Mustang makes use of a newly developed rear-drive platform code-named “S550.” Of course, the big news of S550 is that it features an independent rear suspension. Our guess is that this is where the majority of the development work on the GT500 is centered; the engineers must tune the suspension to handle the Trinity motor’s mighty thrust and unique weight balance. In previous sightings of GT500 mules, we spotted what appeared to be carbon-ceramic brake rotors peeking through the front wheel spokes, with the rear discs appearing to be crafted from steel. This car rolls with some visually prohibitive covers mounted over the wheels, obscuring any insight as to what may stop this tester. The fact covers now exist suggests that Ford will indeed move away from the outgoing car’s steel brakes.
Powertrain: We expect the Shelby GT500 will again utilize the 5.8-liter Trinity V-8, and while a power bump is possible, it’s not at all necessary. The GT500 today struggles to lay down the power and is plenty quick. Once again, the GT500 should get just a single transmission option: a six-speed manual.
Competition: Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, Chevrolet Corvette, Nissan GT-R.
Estimated Arrival and Price: The car likely won’t arrive until 2015 as a 2016 model. Don’t be surprised if the GT500’s price edges upward from its current $54,995 base price, especially if the carbon-ceramic brakes reach production
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