Tuned Shelby Mustang GT500 Tears up the Dyno
It doesn’t take much to make substantial improvements to the output of an older Shelby Mustang GT500.
While we await a new (and substantially more powerful) Shelby Mustang GT500, it’s worth noting that even older versions of the blown pony aren’t exactly slouches. But buyers of 2009 models have to be at least a little miffed. Sure, their cars produce an impressive 500 hp, but the very next year saw a redesign that pumped output up to 540 ponies. Heck, it even got better gas mileage.
Things just got worse after that, as you already know. 2011 saw the arrival of an all-aluminum 5.4-liter V8 that was 102 pound lighter and produced 10 more hp. Then, of course, came the big hammer. In 2013, Ford said hello and goodbye to the Shelby Mustang GT500 with the most powerful production Mustang of all time. The 662 hp beast topped 200 miles per hour, as well as everyone’s wish list. And the envy of previous generation GT500 owners was strong.
To keep up with that (and an ever improving lineup), the owner of this 2009 Shelby Mustang GT500 decided to let Dallas Mustang Parts work their magic under the hood. Nothing crazy, mind you. Just a custom tune, in fact. But even just a few tweaks is enough to unlock 571 hp and 561 lb-ft of torque at the wheels. Taking into account drivetrain power loss, that’s mighty impressive.
It’s a testament to how well the 5.4-liter (and most boosted mills) responds to a little finagling. And with a few more simple modifications, you can easily match or exceed the output of even the mighty 2012-13 GT500. Obviously, you aren’t going to sneak up on anybody with that rather audible supercharger whine. Except maybe the unsuspecting owner of a later model Shelby!
