Latest Shelby GT500 Leaks Suggest 720 Horsepower, The Drive
Hot tip from anonymous source tells The Drive the Shelby also comes with a Tremec six-speed manual, 3.73 gears & carbon fiber driveline.
Since 2016, the Shelby GT350 has been making a case for the best performance Mustang of all time. It benefits from a tuned chassis, muscular bodywork and incredible 5.2 flat-plane crank Voodoo V8. Simply put, the car (and the race-focused GT350R) has brought the Mustang from a straight-line rocket to a legitimate Porsche and BMW-fighter.And yet, we’ve still been waiting in anticipation for the return of the big dog: The GT500.
As we all know, the S550 Mustang is an entirely different beast. It’s the entire lineup too, from the base EcoBoost car to the now range-topping GT350. The S550 more advanced, more balanced, and better-built than any Mustang that came before. That’s why our expectations for the 2019 GT500 are so high. And thanks to this latest leak first reported by The Drive, it looks like our expectations will largely be met.
In its last incarnation, the S197-based GT500 cranked out 662 horsepower from its massive 5.8-liter supercharged V8. It claimed a 202 mile-per-hour top speed and a zero to 60 time in the low-three second range. But the heavyweight Shelby was more of a straight-line terror than a corner carver.
According to the anonymous source, the GT500 also has a 5.2-liter V8. It’s supercharged here, making an incredible 720 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque. In comparison, the GT350 makes 526 horses and 429 pound-feet of torque. While the Voodoo V8 in that car is known for high-revving, there’s no word on where the big Shelby’s redline will land.
But there are some inconsistencies that make us question the validity of this information. For example, the spec sheet first shared on Reddit (and since deleted) claimed that the GT500 has a curb weight of 4,225 pounds. That’s nearly 600 pounds heavier than the GT350 and would likely make it too portly to carve corners like its stablemate. In fact, that’s nearly 400 pounds heavier than the notoriously heavy S-197 GT500.
The spec sheet also claims a top speed of around 190 miles per hour. That’s a lower top end than the previous GT500, but still in current Camaro ZL1 and Dodge Challenger Hellcat territory. Power is allegedly routed from a Tremec six-speed manual transmission to a rear differential with 3.73 final drive gearing via a carbon fiber driveline. Weight distribution is 56/44 with a front bias. And thanks to the few teasers put out by Ford, it will likely look incredible.
So the big Shelby will be the heavyweight of the Mustang clan. That’s no surprise. And curb weight aside, we’re sure that the big coupe will be able to get out of its own way just fine. At this point, we’re just counting down the days until Ford finally unveils the thing. The suspense is starting to get to us.
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