The Ford Shelby Mustang GT500 has been around for longer than most of us, but the one GT500 that triggered a desire for hardcore Mustangs was the Eleanor from "Gone in 60 Seconds". Nicolas Cage drove it, like he stole it, which broke a few hearts. But the car left an impression in the minds of many.
The Shelby GT500 is the ultimate Ford Mustang. There is nothing faster or more wicked than it. The previous-generation Mustang GT500 looked mean and muscular alright, but after Ford introduced the current-generation GT500, people's eyes opened wide, leaving them glued to the screen on their television - and for once, without reaching out for the remote. It brought the world to a standstill, the new car.
Also, the Shelby GT500 is commonly referred to as an overtly powerful sports car with handling that demands nerves of steel, and as we're already aware, it's created its own culture in the United States, in the same way, Harley-Davidson has with its motorcycles.
Powered by a supercharged V8, it's got the power (and the noise!) to wake up an entire neighborhood. The 2022 Shelby GT500 is not only made for drag strips anymore; Ford claims - and it's been proven too - that the hardcore 'Stang can take to the track and rattle the bones of a Porsche 911 GT3.
Since going fast was a box that had to be checked, Ford has equipped the new GT500 with a Tremec 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, letting it sprint from 0-60mph in under 3.5 seconds. The GT500 has come a long way - and as you'll find out further in the article - it's a performance car that's right up there with the best.
It's going to impress you on track just like any other exotic car - and if you opt for the Carbon Fiber Track package, your lap times are going to improve drastically. The ride, being on the stiffer side, is another giveaway of Ford's intentions with the car.
The engine is a monstrosity - and so they had to develop equally gigantic brakes to bring the GT500 to a halt. If there's an American muscle car that's made America proud, it's the Mustang GT500. It also breaks all stereotypes closely related to muscle cars - and this is where its supercar-like characteristics shine through!
2022 Shelby Mustang GT500 Has Supercar Looks
Good Lord! Just look at the large, double front grille - it looks wild and allows for better cooling than the Shelby GT350. The aero components stare you in the face and contribute largely to downforce as well. The fastback look is unmistakably that of a Mustang.
The bulge on the hood, and those angular grille openings - are all the result of wind tunnel experiments. The wide front fenders add to the stance of the car, and the 20-inch wheels align perfectly with the rear fenders.
The huge wing on the back is not something America has been accustomed to, but if it hadn't been digested since 2020, the GT500 wouldn't be among the many Mustangs sold globally, making it the world's best-selling sports coupe; the rear diffuser is made of composite materials.
There's even a huge louvered hood vent that features an aluminum rain tray that can be removed for better downforce. It's hard to look at the Mustang GT500 and call it a muscle car; the details make it sway towards the supercar category; perhaps a supercar with lots of muscle!
2022 Shelby GT500 Interior Qualifies As A Cockpit
It's hard to call it a cabin because that's not what it looks like. There are plenty of race-inspired premium materials with a world-class finish. The exposed carbon fiber instrument panel applique looks great, and the door panel inserts in suede, get accent stitching.
The Recaro racing seats get good side bolstering, and pass-throughs for safety harnesses, all screaming high-performance. There's a 12-inch full-color LCD instrument cluster, a custom-tuned 12-speaker B&O Play premium audio system (we're not so sure when you're going to be using it). All this and more in the latest GT500.
Ford Better Not Ditch The V8 In The GT500
The aluminum alloy, 760 hp, 5.2-liter supercharged engine is hand-built (in your face AMG!), pushing out 625 lb-ft of torque. Ford Performance learned to send power and torque to the carbon fiber driveshaft, after having taken down notes from the tuning of the Ford GT's dual-clutch transmission.
The transmission is said to shift faster than any manual 'box out there, and there are multiple drive modes, like normal, slippery, sport, drag and track, rpm-selectable launch control, and of course, the one feature that makes you feel like you know it all: line-lock.
Ford Mustang GT500 Is A Sleeper Among Supercars
Name one part of this car that doesn't hint at the high-performance intent of a supercar. It's got massive intakes, enough of aero, a large wing, racing stripes for which you'll have to pay more, a loud, technologically-advanced V8 - and the best part is, it isn't turbocharged. With a starting MSRP of $79,420/-, we can't think of too many cars packing V8 power under the hood!
Source: Ford