Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 (AP2)

Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 w/ Carbon Aero Package

The history of Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 is almost as long and impressive as the black lines each generation's owners have left on the pavement. What started out as a successful aftermarket racing hop-up package from the inimitable Carroll Shelby in 1967 eventually morphed into something of a high-powered factory show pony with a heart for drag strips.

Set to arrive in showrooms this fall after debuting at the Detroit Auto Show in January, the 2020 GT500 builds on the precedents established by Ford's frankly wonderful GT350 coupe, adding even more power, technology and sophistication. 

The outgoing GT500 was both quick and fast, with 0-60 miles per hour happening in about 3.5 seconds en route to a claimed top speed of over 200 mph. The new model adds at least another 39 horsepower, perhaps more importantly, a standard seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. You read that correctly: You can't get a manual transmission any longer in the King of the Hill Mustang. With shifts in as little as 100 milliseconds, the new gearbox developed in partnership with Tremec will undoubtedly be quicker than a three-pedal setup.

Like its less powerful sibling, today's 526-hp GT350, the 2020 GT500 starts out with a 5.2-liter aluminum-block V8 that's hand-assembled in Romeo, Michigan. But stuffing a massive 2.65-liter Roots-type supercharger down in the "V" of the engine has necessitated a bunch of other changes, too. The flat-plane crank that gives the GT350 its unique voice has been nixed in favor of a cross-plane design to better handle the increased loads of a forced-induction engine. With that big blower honking away at 12 PSI, the engine needed increased cooling and lubrication capacity, too, forcing changes to the block itself, many of which will find their way back into the 2019 GT350.

Altogether, those high-performance bits and tight tolerances give 760 hp (771 PS). That's enough, Ford claims, to consider this engine the most power-dense supercharged powerplant in the world.

All of that power will be routed to the ground via Michelin rubber regardless of how you option your Shelby. The full "knives out" Carbon Fiber Track Package shown here adds 20-inch carbon fiber wheels that are a half-inch wider out back (11.5), and those come wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 summer tires.