2020 Shelby GT500 Cracks 9-second Barrier with 945 HP
After toying with tunes and launch techniques, Pennsylvania-based Evolution Performance coaxes a 9.93 pass out of their GT500.
From the moment we first saw the 2020 Shelby GT500 in the flesh, we knew it was going to be an incredible machine. And with the car landing in the hands of several lucky owners, we certainly haven’t been disappointed. The latest and greatest GT500 is laying down incredible numbers on the dyno and at the drag strip, even in stock form. But now, mere weeks after the car first hit the streets, the folks at Evolution Performance have already cracked the coveted 9-second barrier at the drag strip. And thankfully, YouTube channel REVan Evan was on hand to capture the historic event on film.
It all went down at Bradenton Motorsports Park in Florida, where wintertime offers up the optimal density altitude for record-setting passes. But of course, it takes a few passes for the Shelby to squeak past the 10-second barrier. Evolution’s GT500 is making a reported 945 horsepower at the wheels, but they still need to toy around with the tune a bit to dial things in perfectly. The first run netted a 10.53 at 138 mph, but for a good reason. “We left at 1,200 rpm,” Evan said. “Super low, just to make sure it would go down the track. And it did.”
Sure enough, things improve considerably on the second pass of the night. Evolution nets a 10.2-second pass at 139 mph after launching at 2,700 rpm. But there’s obviously more in the tank. “It’s running way better than it did on the first pass,” said Dalton from Evolution. “It’s feeling good. Of course a little heavy up top.”
Thus, they try launching the GT500 at 3,200 rpm on the next pass. With a freshly revised tune from Lund Racing, the car goes 10.17 at 141 mph. But the 60-foot time suffered as a result. “It launched, and then it hesitated a little bit,” Evan said. “The computer’s definitely doing some stuff.”
After playing around with shift rpms a bit, the GT500 manages a 10.03 at 139 mph. At this point, the Mustang is the last car left at the track, so they’ve got one more chance to crack the 9-second barrier. Thus, they stage shallow and hope for the best. And the best is exactly what they get.
The GT500 responds with a 9.93-second pass at 140 mph with a best 60-foot time of 1.63-seconds. But clearly, this car’s still got more in it. “There’s still a lot left on the table,” Evan says. Evolution is planning on toying around with the pulleys and the tune moving forward to try and tap that potential. And as far as the GT500 has come thus far, we can only imagine what a few simple changes will do for it moving forward.
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