662 bhp Ford Shelby GT500

Outputs from the 5.8 litre, supercharged V8 that powers the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 have been SAE-certified at an impressive 662 bhp (493 kW / 671 PS) and 855 Nm (631 lb/ft) of torque.

Those figures are slightly more than Ford estimated when the GT500 was first announced back in February, and reinforce the claim that it features the world’s most powerful production V8 engine.

Developed by Ford’s SVT division, the performance Mustang has been engineered to be driveable right through the rev range, and to that end ninety percent of peak torque is usefully available from 2,200 rpm up to 5,800 rpm.

Ford Shelby GT500 (2013) Engine Output Graphic

Although no acceleration stats have been released, Ford is saying that the GT500 coupé is capable of hitting 200 mph (321 km/h). Fortunately the chassis has also been tweaked to cope, despite the presence of an archaic live rear axle set-up.

That comprehensive approach is summed up by Jamal Hameedi, SVT chief engineer, who said: “Our goal is to create outstanding all-around performance cars, not just stoplight-to-stoplight sprinters.

“We’ve backed up this amazing powerplant with a more refined chassis tuning that helps keep the rubber on the pavement without punishing the driver’s spine and six-pot Brembo brakes that dissipate speed with ease stop after stop.

“The engineers at Ford SVT focused on the fundamentals first with solid mechanical grip and strong brakes. On top of that platform they added advanced driver-adjustable electronic assist features including launch control, Bilstein adjustable damping, AdvanceTrac stability control and electric power-assisted steering.”

Related posts:
2013 Roush Mustangs
Shelby GT500 convertible
Shelby Anniversary Editions

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