The Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 is the most powerful production car Ford has ever produced - and it's one of our favorite cars of 2021. It boasts 760 horsepower of mayhem from its supercharged V8 engine. While muscle cars love to flaunt their power and strength, the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 has another trick up its sleeve that sets it apart from the rest – it handles very well.
It can dance around a racetrack so well that it can even beat a few exotic sports cars. In fact, the Shelby GT500 draws a very thin line between all-out muscle car and proper sports car. It is athletic and agile, and it’s perhaps the most fun Ford Mustang ever built. Carol Shelby would be proud of this car.
On top of that, the Shelby GT500 comes at a pretty reasonable price tag for enthusiasts, considering what lies underneath the hood. Throw in the optional Carbon Fiber Handling Package and that’s where things start to get fascinating, and a bit more expensive.
Out of all the brawny and powerful muscle cars available on the market, these are the reasons why the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 is the HotCars Best Muscle Car of 2021.
The 5.2-Liter Supercharged Cross Plane Crank V8
The highlight of the 2021 Ford Mustang GT500 is undoubtedly Shelby's massive supercharged 5.2-liter V-8. This engine is something special in itself. Capable of pumping out 760 hp and 625 lb-ft of peak torque, the GT500 can race from 0-60mph in just 3.4 seconds. All of that power is sent only to the rear wheels through a wonderfully mated 7-speed dual clutch transmission. Even though there is no manual available, this transmission does the job just fine and makes shifts exactly when you need them. If that doesn’t tell you enough, well, the Shelby GT500 can reach a top speed of 180mph, and it can do a quarter-mile run in just 11.3 seconds. There’s good reason why the motor has been named ‘Predator’.
This beast of an engine almost breathes fire, so there’s no surprise here that it’s always thirsty for gas. Still, though, this V8 is a modern marvel and uses sequential multi-port electronic fuel injection and also gets dual exhaust with electronic valves and quad tips. The exhaust note sounds incredible and every time you pull up into your garage you will definitely get noise complaints from your neighbors.
The Shelby GT500 Looks Fast Even When It’s Not Moving
The Shelby GT500 is such a beautiful car to look at. It looks mean, menacing and muscular, and it certainly demands attention wherever it goes. The 2-door coupe design has been incredibly well executed, and while it does come without the race stripes if you want, we feel the car looks incomplete without them. The flared wheel arches around the 20-inch wheels give it a proper sporty stance on the road, and the swooping roofline gives it an athletic touch.
Apart from being the most powerful production Ford, the Shelby GT500 is also the most expensive Mustang. You also have the option of the handling package, which includes 20-inch carbon fiber rims, added aerodynamic design elements, and adjustable strut-top mounts. All of this hardware makes the Shelby GT500 look even more race-ready and also adds to the overall performance. But, even without the optional package, the GT500 is still a monster to drive.
The Driving Dynamics Of The Shelby GT500 Is What Sets It Apart
The Shelby GT500 isn’t exactly a light car. With a curb weight of 4,171 lbs, it's still lighter than most muscle cars, though. However, the manner in which the GT500 handles is truly incredible. The GT500 has been designed especially for racetrack use. When fully-loaded with the optional Carbon Fiber Handling Package, it can even post quicker lap times around some tracks compared to exotics such as the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 and the Lamborghini Huracán Evo.
It is such a fun car to drive on the track, and at the same time it’s far more practical than a supercar. The adaptive suspension also offers a pretty good ride quality on city streets.
The interiors are set up almost identical to the mainstream Mustang, which makes the cabin welcoming and roomy. So, it also offers a lot more practicality and can be used as daily driver. A very powerful daily driver indeed. The optional package includes a completely different interior that is set up for track enthusiasts and include carbon fiber elements, and if you want to get really serious you can throw in some bucket Recaros as well, and remove the rear seats.
The Shelby GT500 is truly unlike any other muscle car out there. It boasts blistering quick acceleration times that will probably excite you just as any other six-figure sports cars would. It’s comfortable, fast, fun, and it looks gorgeous. That’s why it’s our top pick for best muscle car of 2021.