2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 is Finally Here and it is Magnificent

Still no power numbers, but on paper, the new 2020 Shelby GT500 is poised to be the greatest Mustang of all time.

After years of speculation, rumors, spy shots and video footage, the 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 is finally here. The new super ‘Stang made its world debut this morning at the North American International Auto Show and the car is everything that we had all hoped that it would be.

There is only one bit of bad news. We still don’t have power numbers for the supercharged 5.2-liter V8 engine, as Ford is going to announce them closer to the release date later this year, but we know everything else about the newest Mustang and everything else is incredible. As expected, this is an all-purpose performance car with the power needed to blast down the drag strip and the handling goodies needed to dominate on a road course, serving as a higher-powered evolution to the Shelby GT350.

Blown V8 & Dual Clutch Automatic

We have all known for some time that the 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 would pack a supercharged V8, but today it is official. Under the hood of this beast is a 5.2-liter, an aluminum-block V8, but it should be noted that this is a cross plane engine, not a flat plane like the GT350. This all-new engine will be hand-built alongside the GT350 engine at Ford’s Romeo Engine Assembly facility, and while we don’t know the power numbers, we do know that it is topped by an Eaton-built supercharger assembly. Measuring 2.65 liters, this blower features an inverted design, with an air-to-water intercooler in the base, tucked between the aluminum cylinder heads.

Ford is still promising “more than 700 horsepower” while obviously saying that this will be the company’s most powerful street-legal engine to date, but we won’t found out how far over 700 until later this year. The car is slated to arrive during the fourth quarter, so it could be until much later this year before we know the exact power numbers.

What we do know is that the 2020 Shelby GT500 with the supercharged 5.2-liter V8 will dash from a stop to 60 miles per hour in the mid-three second range while running the quarter-mile in less than 11 seconds. If this Mustang gets to 60 in 3.5 seconds, a quarter-mile time in the 10.70 range would be very realistic.

A big part of that lightning-quick acceleration is the standard seven-speed dual-clutch transmission that is provided to Ford by the folks at Tremec. This transmission will shift from gear-to-gear in less than 100 milliseconds, making it the Motor Company’s quickest-shifting Mustang gearbox to date, possibly rivaling the DCT in the GT supercar. This gearbox features five different drive modes including Normal, Weather, Sport, Drag and Track, with those modes also including features like line lock and launch control.

This transmission will offer greater performance than a tradition automatic while shifting quicker than any manual, allowing drag racers to get through the gears quickly while road racers will be able to bounce from gear-to-gear with ease as they carve through the corners.

2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 is Finally Here, and it is Magnificent continued…

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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