The new 2020 Shelby GT500 is nothing short of amazing from front to rear. From its aggressive front fascia to its venom-infused 760 horsepower supercharged 5.2L V8 under the hood, the new GT500 will surely be a crowd pleaser once it hits dealer floors soon. Ford and Ford Performance definitely kept the enthusiast base on their toes for the past year and a half up until the unveil at the 2019 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), but here we are. And boy, was it worth the wait!

The 2020 Shelby GT500 produces 760 horsepower, will run 0-60 mph in 3.3 sec and tackle the quarter mile in less than 10.7 seconds at 130+ MPH!

For a little history, think back to 2012 with the unveil of the 2013 Shelby GT500. SVT/Ford Racing and Shelby did it right with 662 horsepower under the hood. Needless to say, they outdid themselves again with the unveil of this car featuring a slew of awesome track-inspired features and a supercharged cross-plane crank 5.2L V8 derived from the GT350, tweaked and upgraded for big power. Let’s dive in, shall we?

2020 GT500 Engine & Performance

Where to start… the GT500's rumor mill has been churning for at least a couple years now. At a beastly 760 horsepower and 625 lb-ft of torque thanks to the talented team at Ford Performance, the facts speak for themselves on this one. Equipped with a 5.2L supercharged cross-plane crank V8 and a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission derived from the Ford GT, this Mustang is equipped to put insane power to the ground… Ford pulled out all the stops with this car to truly make it the most impressive and capable Mustang ever created.

And don't even get us started on that exhaust note! That 5.2L supercharged monster under the hood sounds angry -- pair that with the active exhaust option that Ford has thrown into the mix and you can make this Shelby as quiet or as obnoxiously loud as you want! A big thanks to our friends at Road & Track for capturing this killer video of this venomous snake's exhaust note!

Equipped with all the proper engine oil, transmission fluid and differential coolers to keep this venomous snake cool on track, Ford Performance also threw in some insane Brembo stopping power with 16.5” front brakes and 14.5” rear brakes. Additionally, you can expect to get under the car and see a composite carbon-fiber driveshaft and a slew of other advancements over other Mustangs that we are used to on the road today. Be sure to get in line, though, because 2020 production numbers are limited to 5,000 units!

...Which brings us to the killer specs of the GT500 Carbon Fiber Track Pack:

20-inch exposed carbon fiber wheels

Adjustable strut top mounts

Exposed carbon fiber instrument panel

Exposed carbon fiber GT4 track wing

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Tires - 305/30R20 front, 315/30R20 rear

Rear seat delete

RECARO leather-trimmed seats with Miko sueded inserts

Splitter wickers

Wheel locking kit

2020 Shelby GT500 Specs Highlight 2020 Shelby GT500 Vehicle Base Price (MSRP) $70,300 Engine 5.2L Supercharged cross-plane crank V8 Transmission TREMEC 7-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT) Horsepower 760 hp Torque 625 lb-ft Redline 7,500 RPM Compression Ratio 9.5:1 Max Boost ~12 PSI Bore and Stroke 94 mm x 93 mm Fuel Delivery TBA Ford-Estimated MPG TBA Front Brakes 6-piston red painted Brembo brake calipers - 420mm (16.5-inch) two-piece, smooth, ventilated brake rotors Rear Brakes 4-piston red painted Brembo brake calipers - 370mm (14.5-inch) two-piece, smooth, ventilated brake rotors Base Curb Weight 4,225 lbs (approx.) Fuel Capacity TBA 0-60 MPH 3.3 sec Top Speed 180 MPH (gov.) 1/4 Mile 10.61 @ 133 MPH 60-0 MPH (braking) TBA Skidpad TBA

2020 GT500 Exterior

Surprisingly enough, the new Shelby GT500 is much like what was leaked a few months back. With that said, it’s quite clear that the GT500 is largely based on the GT350 platform that’s been around for a few years now. Many people have said they were hoping for the new 2018+ Mustang headlights on the ‘500, but the fact of the matter is that the development of this new snake has been wrapped around the superior GT350 platform. Hence the older-style headlights. And, you know what? We’re totally okay with that -- because this new front fascia looks sinister!

With the wider, almost Raptor-like, notches outside the headlights, revised fenders and revised hood, if this Mustang is coming up in anyone’s rearview mirror, they’ll surely get out of the way quick. The area of the bumper cover in front of the crash support is an interesting place to black-out. This was something that GM tried with the 2019 Camaro that wasn’t that well received, but I think that Ford has done a better job of incorporating this look into the rest of the front fascia. It nicely compliments the massive functional hood vent, aggressive splitter and black wire-mesh upper and lower grilles.

Perhaps some of the not-so-obvious changes are why the front fascia is so aggressive. Well, it's not all for looks! Ford has reported thanks to the brand-new front cooling pack chock full with six heat exchangers providing cooling for the engine, supercharger, engine oil and dual-clutch transmission, will increase airflow by 50% in comparison to the Shelby GT350. And will extract up to 230 kilowatts of engine heat at wide-open throttle; which is enough to heat 12 homes!

Additionally, you can expect to see numerous GT500-defining features including the 20” flow-formed gloss black wheels (or optional 20” carbon fiber wheels), unique rear spoiler, revised rear fascia, larger exhaust tips, signature GT500 badging on the front fascia and more.

2020 GT500 Exterior Highlights:

Aggressive front splitter and fascia

Functional hood vent with removable rain tray and self-locating hood pins

Exclusive rear splitter

Standard 20” Gloss Black Flow-Formed Wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4S Tires

Optional Over-The-Top Stripe Packages: Vinyl or Painted

Optional Carbon Fiber Instrument Panel

2020 GT500 New Colors:

Grabber Lime

Iconic Silver

Rapid Red Metallic Tinted Clearcoat

Twister Orange Metallic Tinted Clearcoat

2020 GT500 Interior

Much like the Shelby GT350, Ford Performance added a few small touches to set the new GT500 apart from the rest of the Mustang lineup. First and foremost, the signature Shelby snake lives right at home on the center section of the steering wheel. The GT500 also includes feel-good touches like alcantara on the steering wheel, a carbon fiber instrument panel, black toggle switches near the start-stop button and most importantly, beautiful optional two-tone Recaro seats with that Shelby snake stitched right in the back of the seat!

Perhaps the most perplexing interior change would go to the gear shifter. Obviously, the dual-clutch transmission is derived from the Ford GT, but you would expect to see a gear shifter similar to past automatic Mustangs. Not with the GT500! You’ll actually see a gear selector dial in its place similar to what Ford has placed on the newer Fusion, Edge and Explorer. Some may not like this change, and it will take some getting used to, but this could have been a necessary change in order to utilize the new DCT. A trade-off that is well worth it in my book!

2020 GT500 Technology Package:

B&O Sound System by Bang & Olufsen (12 speakers)

Voice-activated touchscreen Navigation

Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) with cross-traffic alert

3-Setting Memory Seat Feature (when ordered with power seats)

Mirrors - heated, memory, turn signal and Cobra puddle lamps

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It’s been a long road leading up until the ultimate GT500 reveal at the North American International Auto Show! Since the strong rumors started in late 2017 of a new Shelby GT500, the enthusiast base has been eagerly awaiting the blue oval’s latest venomous pony to the stable.

VIN #001 To Be Auctioned Off At Barrett-Jackson (12/17/2018)

As the inevitable January 14th date gets closer and closer, more and more info is slowly coming out on the GT500's release. The latest, of which, is that Ford will be auctioning off VIN #001 of the 2020 Shelby GT500 at the Barrett-Jackson event on January 18, 2019 in Scottsdale, Arizona. The best part about this is that all the proceeds will go towards Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation research to find a cure for the disease. This will add to the $2M that Ford contributes towards JDRF annually making a total of over $60M during their 35 years of partnership. This is just four days after the planned unveil date of January 14, 2019 for Ford's latest snake.

Ford's doing everything they can to keep the details of the car a secret until January. Needless to say, the excitement of the automotive community is through the roof and we can't wait to see what's to come of this new supercharged beast from the folks at Ford and Ford Performance!

3D Printed Brake Parts To Come On 2020 GT500 (12/6/2018)

This past week, Ford hosted a big holiday party at their brand new $45M Advanced Manufacturing Center where many influencers and friends in the industry were invited to check out the new facility. Through the tours, it came out that there will be two 3D-printed parts from this facility that are used in the braking system of the new 2020 GT500!

We don't have much more information other than that, but this high-dollar facility features a ton of really cool robotics, artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality, and much more. Just like Henry Ford streamlined the assembly line in the early 1900s, Ford is looking to change the game again with the latest and greatest technology!

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