Over the years, Ford has been at the apex of the muscle cars’ world. Its iconic Mustangs embodied the essence and the spirit of pony cars. But in recent years, the Blue Oval has been trying to bring the supercar feel to its gritty muscle cars. And to say the least, they've been successful. They reached their objective with the introduction of the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500.
This vehicle is the pinnacle of what an American pony car ought to be. And yet it brings you the personality of the supercar world. It tethers you to your seat from edge to edge. It's jaw-droppingly powerful and self-assured in respects that few cars can match.
It's also ridiculously fast. Putting your foot down on a highway sounds like it could be unconstitutional, or at the very least need a government permit. It sounds insane and throws you down the track in a manner that no other car can match.
You might think it can’t get any better than this but you’re wrong if you think this is GT500’s whole arsenal.
Top Variants And Replicas of Ford Mustang Shelby GT
VMP’s modification of the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 is a great adjustment to the factory-built GT500. The 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500's 5.2-liter supercharged Predator V8 is undeniably a capable engine, and no one is arguing about its peak output of 760 horsepower and 625 pound-feet of torque, even though many are seeking to enhance those figures even more. However, there is one flaw with Ford's ferocious Predator: it suffers from heat soak, just like all supercharged engines.
To put it more simply, blowers produce a lot of heat under the hood, which is bad for efficiency. Fortunately, VMP Performance has provided a solution to this problem. For the 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, the performance parts manufacturer and noted tuner has built a brand new 81mm intercooler race core update that is a direct fit replacement for the stock intercooler.
VMP's improved intercooler fits with stock-sized flow tubing, is MAP sensor compliant, and needs no modifications to use. The advantages include retaining the charged air conditioning unit in the engine bay, reducing heat soak, and enabling the 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 to sustain a constant level of output from run to run.
The VMP intercooler is made of aluminum and has a D-port configuration with a bar-and-plate style to easily dissipate heat. It provides a number of improvements over the stock 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 intercooler, including increased cooling capability, improved flowing tube design, and a more robust air-side fine design.
These enhancements, according to VMP, culminated in a 50% reduction in peak downstream air temperatures during a big open throttle pull or quarter-mile pass. And for those driving their 2020 Ford Shelby GT500 at the drag strip or on the road in the summer sun, that's enough to make a big difference.
Increasing horsepower is still enjoyable and satisfying, but as most people are aware, heat is the enemy of electricity. VMP's meaty fresh intercooler, fortunately, seems to be up to the challenge of keeping the mighty Predator cool under even the harshest situations.
Another upgrade for this car is by none other than the Shelby American. GT500SE is the GT500’s mutant brother. As if 760 horsepower wasn’t enough, they went ahead and Shelby-fied the whole thing by adding 40 extra HPs. Shelby American fitted a smaller supercharger pulley, an uprated heat exchanger, and an intercooler to the GT500's supercharged 5.2-liter V-8 to provide an extra 40 horsepower, and it operates on 93-octane pump gas.
During analysis, a stock 2020 GT500 hit 60 mph in 3.6 seconds and clocked a 11.4-second quarter-mile at 132 mph, making it one of the fastest muscle cars ever. With new front and rear springs and anti-roll bars, the GT500SE rides a little lower than the regular car. The extra strength is handled by stronger axle shafts. A new vented carbon-fiber hood that is 30 pounds lighter than the previous adds to the GT500's already intimidating appearance. There's a Shelby widebody kit and a carbon-fiber box to choose from.
Just 100 examples will be made per model year.
Hennessey Venom 1000; The Ultimate Monster
The magnificent Hennessey Venom; the talk of the hour. The Texas-based company cranked up GT500 and took this giant of a car to the next level. Although Ford's GT500 is the most potent factory-built, street-legal Mustang ever, Hennessey's Venom 1200 blows it out of the water with a twin-turbocharged V8 that produces 1,200 horsepower at 7,000 rpm.
As the tachometer reads 4,800 rpm, Hennessey claims the eight's optimum torque output is 1,000 pound-feet. It was easier said than achieved to reach those numbers. The intercooler, fuel supply system, induction system, and, most importantly, the pistons and connecting rods were all modified, according to the tuner's technical staff. The Venom 1200 also requires E85 or 109-octane race fuel. The V8 drives the rear wheels through a reinforced seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The 440 horsepower boost could make the Venom 1200 a drag strip force to be reckoned with.
If 1,200 horsepower is too much for you, Hennessey still makes GT500s with 850 and 1,000 horsepower. The Venom 850 gets its power from a customized version of the stock supercharger with a separate pulley, as well as a new intake and headers. It also has a torque of 725 pound-feet.
On top of the 850's updates, the Venom 1000 receives a brand new supercharger, updated fuel system, and intercooler. The Venom 1000 produces 825 pound-feet of torque in addition to 1,000 horsepower. The Venom 850 and 1000 are all powered by 93-octane pump gas.
Relevant emblems, embroidered headrests, and a numbered plaque signed by John Hennessey on the dashboard are the only visual updates.
It seems that a new era of muscle cars with four-digit horsepower numbers has begun. We weren’t expecting these kinds of changes in the pony car domain, but we’re genuinely eager to see what the future holds for us.