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The ultimate Ford Mustang - Shelby GT500 - raises the bar high on performance with the introduction of the new 2013 model that goes on sale next year delivering 650 horsepower and a top speed of more than 200 mph.
"SVT keeps the Shelby GT500 on the cutting edge of technology and takes muscle car performance to new heights," said Jost Capito, director of Global Performance Vehicles and Motorsport Business Development. "We encapsulated every aspect of performance in this car - whether it's 0-60, top speed, racetrack or quarter-mile times. Beyond that, the daily driver also will find this car perfectly fits his or her needs."
The 5.8-liter V8 aluminum-block engine produces 650 horsepower and 600 lb.-ft. of torque, making it the most powerful production V8 in the world. The 3,850-pound car also stays exempt from the gas-guzzler tax.
Nearly every part of the powertrain has been optimized for producing the additional horsepower, including a new supercharger, new cross-drilled block and heads, updated camshaft profiles, a new carbon fiber driveshaft and upgraded clutch, transmission and axle.
A larger, more-efficient supercharger flowing more air through the engine is key to helping produce the massive 650 horsepower. The new TVS series 2300 creates 2.3 liters of displacement and is a unique design to the 5.8-liter engine.
While punching out the 5.4-liter aluminum-block V-8 out to 5.8 liters, the GT500’s powertrain crew also updated the heads for better cooling, changed the camshaft profiles, added piston squirters and higher-flow fuel injectors, swapped the old supercharger for a larger and more efficient TVS unit that ups boost from 9 to 15 psi, and fitted a larger intercooler. The result is an extra 100 hp and 90 lb-ft compared to the 2012 model. The cooling system was upgraded to dissipate the excess heat, and a carbon-fiber driveshaft, upgraded clutch, strengthened transmission (with revised gearing), and sturdier rear axle were deemed necessary to cope with the extra grunt. To help the driver cope, the GT500 is equipped with an adjustable launch-control function.
Despite the GT500’s barbaric output, Ford has come a long way from the muscle cars of yesteryear, wherein engineers fitted a bigger, more powerful engine and called it good. A new front fascia is home to the same revised headlights as the other ’13 Mustangs, and there’s a new front splitter. That last bit is important, as Ford says the new GT500’s top speed is in excess of 200 (!) mph. Chew on that, Camaro ZL1. Heck; chew on that, Corvette Z06, with your piddling 198 mph. Overall, Ford says the 2013 GT500 has 33 percent more downforce at 160 mph than its predecessor. With a factory Mustang joining the 200-mph club, drivers will appreciate standard Brembo brakes with six-piston calipers in the front and larger rotors and new pads at all four corners.
The new Shelby GT500 will be priced right on top of the Camaro ZL1, too — $54,995, including shipping, for the GT500 coupe, with the GT500 convertible fetching a $5,000 premium above that.
The Shelby GT500 coupe debuted last fall at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show, while the convertible was unveiled earlier this year at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show.
For an extra $3,495, the 2013 Shelby GT500 can be ordered with the SVT Performance package, which comes bundled with a Torsen differential, 19-inch painted forged-aluminum front wheels, 20-inch painted forged-aluminum rear wheels, 265/40R19 front and 285/35R20 rear tires, Bilstein adjustable dampers, unique rear springs, unique instrument cluster and unique gearshift knob.
source:netcarshow.com,caranddriver.com,insideline.com
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