Ford Mustang Shelby GT 500

Developed with consultation from legendary snake charmer Carroll Shelby, the GT 500 packs a supercharged 5.4L V-8 packing more than 450 horsepower. Unlike the previous generation Mustang Cobra, the GT 500 will not use an independent rear suspension.

Dolled up for this spring's New York auto show, the nuevo GT500 follows '60s-era recipes to the letter. It's the classic big engine stuffed into a barely modified standard car. Suspension alterations are mainly tuning tweaks. The only sheetmetal change is an aluminum hood bulked up like a football captain on prom night. According to Hau Thai-Tang, Ford's new director of advanced product creation and SVT programs, this project is the first tangible evidence of SVT's revised game plan. Instead of well-meaning but ultimately half-finished attempts to reinvent the high-performance automobile, SVT hereafter will focus on more circumspect alterations of mainstream products delivered with a significantly higher level of execution.

The Mustang Shelby GT 500 convertible won't be available with the Le Mans stripes, as these weren't available on the original version back in the 1960s. The Mustang Shelby GT 500 convertibles spring rates will be less aggressive than the GT500 coupe's, too: 8.8 percent softer up front, and 14.6 percent softer at the rear. GT500 convertible uses regular GT coupe roll bars front and rear.

Even though SVT's leash is tighter, the new GT500 is a credible step beyond the last Mustang Cobra (2003-04). That 390-hp snake had a 4.6-liter four-cam V-8 at the core, whereas the new Shelby edition moves to the 5.4-liter block that powers the Ford GT and various large trucks. Mixing and matching parts, the GT500's powerplant gets the Eaton Lysholm screw-type supercharger, air-to-water intercooler, and four-valve DOHC heads from the Ford GT mated to the iron block found in the workaday trucks. As the result of a stroke that's 17 percent larger than the bore, this engine will be a growler, not a screamer; the redline on the show car's tach is stuck at the standard Mustang's 6000 rpm.

Cast-iron block; aluminum four-valve heads from Ford GT; camshafts from 2004 Cobra. Eaton R122 supercharger delivers max boost of 8.5 psi. 500 horses at 6000 rpm and 480 pound-feet at 4800 rpm only certified April 21--after first media drives. Target was 475 horses, but work with Eaton on supercharger geometry delivered more grunt. 92.6-horse/liter output beats 84.8 of 2003 Cobra. Engine weighs 175 pounds more than4.6-liter.

Type: Supercharged V8
Configuration: Iron block and aluminum heads
Intake manifold: Cast-aluminum with screw-type supercharger and air-to-water intercooler
Exhaust manifold: Cast iron
Crankshaft: Forged steel
Throttle body: Dual 55 mm, electronic
Valvetrain: DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder
Displacement: 330 cubic inches (5,409 cc)
Horsepower: 500 hp
Torque: 480 lb-ft
Transmission: T56 six-speed manual
Driven wheels: Rear-wheel drive

Suspension
Front: Reverse-L independent MacPherson strut, 34-mm tubular stabilizer bar
Rear: Three-link solid axle with coil springs, Panhard rod, 24-mm solid stabilizer bar

Brakes
Type: Four-wheel power disc
Front: Brembo 14-inch vented and cross-drilled disc, four-piston aluminum calipers
Rear: Brembo 11.8-inch vented and cross-drilled disc, single-piston calipers

Wheels
Type: 18x9.5-inch aluminum wheels
Tires: P255/45ZR-18 up front and P285/40ZR-18 on the rear

Size
Wheelbase: 107.1 inches (272.0 cm)
Length: 187.6 inches (476.5 cm)
Width: 73.9 inches (187.7 cm)
Height: coupe 54.5 inches (138.4 cm) convertible 55.7 inches (141.5 cm)
Track width, front/rear: 61.9 inches / 62.5 inches (157.2 cm / 158.8 cm)
Ground clearance: 5.71 inches (14.5 cm)
Cargo Volume: 9.7 cubic feet (27 L)