2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 is Finally Here and it is Magnificent
Gorgeous, Aggressive Exterior
As you can see in the pictures here, the 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 has a unique exterior that is easily the most aggressive factory face to ever grace the Motor Company’s muscle car. Up front, the GT500 comes with the “older” headlight design rather than going to the new look of the Mustang GT, just like the GT350, but the rest of the front end is unlike anything else we have seen. Since the front fenders are wider, the front end is wider as well, allowing for gobs of air flow. The GT500 has a huge central grille opening to pull air through the radiator and into the engine bay, flanked by two smaller-but-still-huge vents at the corners that direct cool air through additional cooling system components. In total, the front end of the GT500 pulls in about 50 percent more air than the front end of the GT350, but that isn’t the only area where the Ford engineers made sure to allow plenty of air flow.
The composite hood has a massive vent in the middle, the largest vent that Ford has ever put on a street car, and it helps suck hot air from the engine bay when the car is in motion. Cool air flows in through the huge grille and hot air flows out through the vent, but for those who are worried about their engine getting dirty in the rain, the new Shelby Mustang comes with a catch pan under the vent that is to be removed when the owner goes racing.
Along the side, the new GT500 has sharper side skirts and out back, this new Mustang comes with a standard low-rise rear spoiler and a lower diffuser that wraps around the five-inch quad exhaust tips.
The new GT500 looks great from the side and the rear, but there is no question that the face is the highlight of the exterior, being the most-aggressive and the most aerodynamic design to date while still pulling more air into the engine bay than any other Mustang in the past.
Performance Upgrade Packages
In standard form, the 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 is going to be a beast on any track, but drivers who want even greater capabilities will have two performance packages to pick from when the car goes on sale late this year.
The simpler option is the Handling Package, adding a Gurney Flap to the rear spoiler along with adjustable strut mounts, but for those GT500 buyers who want the pinnacle of performance, there is the Carbon Fiber Track Package. This package starts by adding 20-inch carbon fiber wheels similar to the ones on the GT350R, measuring 11-inches wide up front and 11.5-inches out back, wrapped in 305-millimeter front and 315-millimeter rear Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires. Next, the Carbon Fiber Track Package adds the huge carbon fiber wing shown here, carbon fiber splitter wickers with an integrated dive plan and a rear-seat delete package.
By the way, the standard wheel option is an aluminum roller measuring 20-by-11 all around, wrapped in specially-made Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires rather than the Sport Cup 2 tires.
MagneRide and the Biggest Brakes in America
As expected, the 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 features the company high-tech MagneRide suspension setup featuring lightweight coil springs along with a new electronic power steering system. When working with the high performance tires, this Mustang is expected to the best lateral acceleration of any Ford pony car to date while also helping to make the most of all of the supercharged power on a hard launch.
Next, the Brembo brakes are so big that Ford had to come up with new wheels, so while the carbon fiber wheels are similar to those on the GT350R, these wheels are larger specifically for the purpose of fitting over those huge brakes. The front brake rotors measure 420-millimeters and when tucked under the six-piston calipers, there is so little clearance to the inner wheel barrel that the cap of my pen wouldn’t fit. These are the biggest brakes on any two-door American sports coupe and while the stopping power is surely impressive, the mere look of these huge stoppers tucked so tightly into the carbon fiber wheels is just plain awesome. Mind you, this is a steel floating rotor design, similar to the one introduced on the GT350, but this one is considerably bigger.
Premium Performance-ready Cabin
The interior is likely going to get the least amount of attention by those checking out the new GT500, but the engineers went to great lengths to make this new Mustang comfortable in any driving situation. The cabin is heavily clad in suede and carbon fiber trim, with manual-adjusting seats, but Recaro race seats are available, as are standard seats with power controls, heated surfaces and suede inserts.
The new GT500 comes standard with Ford’s big, bright 12-inch driver information screen, an 8-inch SYNC infotainment screen and a basic sound system, but there is an optional Bang & Olufsen 12-speaker system offered as well.
In other words, the new GT500 comes nicely-appointed inside, but it can be upgraded for more comfort on the road or at the track.
So, while we don’t know how much power or torque the 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 will have, nor do we know how much it will cost, it has all of the components needed to go toe-to-toe with the best in the muscle car world. Even without power numbers, there is no question that this is the greatest Mustang ever and when it hits the street late this year, Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE owners are definitely going to have their hands full on the road course while Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat owners are going to have a new competitor to be taken seriously on the drag strip.
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