Ford to Unveil Mustang GT500 in Detroit

Ford Motor Co. confirms it will unveil the next-generation Mustang Shelby GT500 at the Detroit auto show in January. Sales of the 2020 model will begin next autumn.

However, the carmaker has dialed down the supercar’s performance targets to “more than 650 hp.” When the vehicle was announced at last January’s Detroit show, Ford promised engine output would top 700 hp.

The 650-hp bogey would match the output of the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and make the new GT500 Ford’s most-powerful street-legal production model. But both vehicles fall well short of the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye that kicks out a whopping 797 hp.

The GT500 engine is expected to be a supercharged version of the 526-hp 5.2-liter V-8 that powers the current GT350. Ford will hand-build the engine at its Romeo, Mich., factory.

Camouflaged prototypes spotted being tested on public roads indicate the GT500 will feature a massive grille and large rear spoiler.

Other rumored details for the modern GT500 include a new front fascia, 7-speed dual-clutch transmission borrowed from the Ford GT supercar, 20-inch wheels with 315-millimeter tires at the rear and an uprated Brembo brake package.