Ford Shelby GT500 lives up to name - officially rated at 500HP
This summer the most powerful Mustang ever will go on sale, and Ford announced today that it would have 25 more horsepower than originally estimated. The Shelby GT500 was just ran through the Society of Automotive Engineer’s ringer of tests and came out the other end with an official rating of 500 hp and 480 ft-lbs. of torque. The supercharged 5.4L V8 uses a roots-type supercharger providing a not insignificant (for OEM) 9 lbs./square inch of boost. Many of the engines components were also borrowed from Ford’s supercar, the GT.
This news certainly makes the battle for domestic dominance interesting, with the Dodge Viper rated at 500 hp and 525 ft-lbs. of torque and the Corvette Z06 coming at a perhaps conservative 505 hp and 470 ft-lbs. of torque.
Follow the jump for Ford’s full press release.
[Source: Ford]
2007 FORD SHELBY GT500 OFFICIALY RATED AT 500 HORSEPOWER
-Ford Shelby GT500 officially rated at 500 horsepower, 25 horsepower higher than preliminary estimates
-The Shelby GT500 will go on sale this summer with more horsepower than any previous factory-built Mustang
DEARBORN, Mich., May 2 - The most powerful factory-built Mustang ever just got even more potent. Final certification testing of the Shelby GT500’s 5.4-liter supercharged V-8 shows it will produce 500 horsepower and 480 lb.-ft. of torque – 25 more horsepower than preliminary estimates.
“With 500 hp and the Shelby name, this car is an instant legend," said Hau Thai-Tang, director, Advanced Product Creation & SVT programs. "This is the most powerful, most capable Mustang ever."
The Ford Shelby GT500's supercharged 5.4-liter, 32-valve V-8 is a result of Ford's experience in developing the modular V-8 and V-10 engine series. The engine is force-fed air via a "Roots-type" supercharger providing 9 pounds per square inch of boost. It borrows the four-valve cylinder heads, piston rings and bearings, from the Ford GT engine.
The 500 hp rating was obtained using the Society of Automotive Engineer's latest standard and was witnessed by an objective third party. The Shelby GT500's 5.4-liter supercharged V-8 will be built at Ford's Romeo Engine Plant in Romeo, Mich. Pricing will be announced closer to launch.
The right to purchase the first 2007 Ford Shelby GT500 was auctioned for $600,000, with the proceeds benefiting the Carroll Shelby Children's Foundation. The 2007 Ford Shelby GT500 goes on sale this summer.
Technical Specifications
Type V-8
Manufacturing location Romeo, Michigan
Configuration Iron Block and Aluminum Heads
Intake manifold Cast-aluminum with Roots-type supercharger and air-to-water intercooler
Exhaust manifold Cast iron
Crankshaft Forged steel
Throttle Body Dual 60 mm, electronic
Valvetrain DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder
Valve diameter Intake: 37.0 mm; Exhaust: 32.0 mm
Pistons Forged aluminum
Connecting Rods Cracked forged steel I-beams
Ignition Coil-on-plug
Bore x stroke 3.552 x 4.165 in. / 90.2 x 105.8 mm
Displacement 330 cu. in. / 5,409 cc
Horsepower 500 hp @ 6,000 rpm (SAE Certified)
Torque 480 lb.-ft. @ 4,500 rpm (SAE Certified)
Compression ratio 8.4:1
Redline 6,250 rpm
Idle Speed in Neutral 750 rpm
Engine control system Spanish Oak PCM
Required fuel Premium
Fuel Injection Electronic returnless sequential
Oil capacity / type 6.5 quarts / Motorcraft 5W-50 Full Synthetic Motor Oil
Coolant capacity 21 quarts
Peak Boost 9 psi
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Corey W. 1:56PM (5/02/2006)
I'm glad to see Ford produce the GT500, but are they positioning Mustang to compete with Viper and Corvette? I never considered the Mustang in the same class as those cars. And how does that effect the (if ever built) Camaro?
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WolfgangNC 2:14PM (5/02/2006)
Typical mustang deal. Ford has used the mustang for a wide varity of segments. GT500(Cobra) will be the corvette fighter and the V8-GT will be the Pony car fighter and the V6 will be the import/rental car fighter.
IMHO, this puts GM between a rock and a hard place. If they build the Camaro to fight with the Mustang GT then the critics will say the Mustang is the winner; but if they make a Camaro SS or something that is on par with the GT500, then the base Corvette and even the Z06 will all be in the same performance class.
In todays market I can't see a Camaro making more than 400bhp, if the normal Corvette makes that much; but then the mustang will win the pony car war. See where I'm going with this.
Dodge and Chevy both has high performance cars Viper/Corvette. I see both the Challenger and the Camaro having issues if they start going after the GT500. Ford doesn't really have this problem since the GT(supercar) is in such a different price range and it is not longer being made.
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jordan 2:15PM (5/02/2006)
Hopefully they can keep the cost well below the cost of a 'vette and Viper. I haven't seen any set-in-stone pricing yet. IIRC, the last report I read said somewhere around $45k? For 500HP, that's near $20k below the 'vette, and who knows how far you can push that motor w/some simple mods.
But the Mustang isn't really supposed to compete w/the Viper/'vette, is it? I thought the 'stang was about good power at a more affordable price. I know that back in the day the two of them were probably dueling buddies, but it seems like there's a big gap between how many people would buy a Corvette now and how many would buy a Mustang (just look at sales).
I'd like to see how this does against the Challenger as well as the new Camaro, assuming they are both built and sold in the next couple years...
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roadside observer 2:45PM (5/02/2006)
Memo to the mullet-wearing Camaro crowd: read 'em and weep, kids!
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Chirs 2:53PM (5/02/2006)
That is more than awesome news! 500 freaking horsepower! I'm more than excited! I'm so excited I don't know what to type. How much is this awesome car, no strike that! How much is this FINE AUTOMOBILE going to cost. TOBY! SHE IS BOUGHT! Holla at you guys later. Out the door to put a deposit on this B-E-A-S-T!!!
-Chris (IMAGINE THE BIGGEST SMILELY YOU'VE EVER SEEN!
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Corey W. 3:01PM (5/02/2006)
GM will not have any other car faster than it's flagship sports car. It may not be a rock and a hard place, the Camaro will have to be competitive with the Mustang. GM might have a similar setup with a BASE (250HP), Z28 (400HP) and a SS (500HP) to compete with Ford. Which may be a good thing, they have time to up the power on the Vette. By then, the current Vette could be in the "Blue Devil" range (600HP), pushing the "Blue Devil" even higher.
This may be just me dreaming, but it sounds good... :-)
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Presto 3:02PM (5/02/2006)
It's still a Ford.
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Slinger 3:15PM (5/02/2006)
Oh wow, 500HP out of a 5.4L engine? That's pathetic--no wonder the rest of the world still makes fun of our cars. BMW's M5 engine produces 500HP out of a 5.0L engine without forced induction.
Why is it that American cars always produce such little power with huge engines?
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Richard Warren 3:19PM (5/02/2006)
Cool!
Regarding the Camaro comments, if they build it, my guess would be it's from a mouse milk 6 all the way through the largest V8, simply lay down the amount of cash you want and get what you want. Depending on weight and gearing, stomp the gas and you might just leave the Mustang behind even with lower horsepower, then again it might work out in reverse. I can smell the burning tires now.
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jeff 3:33PM (5/02/2006)
I'm pretty sure that last guy was being sarcastic with the displacement thing. But I still just wanna say, displacement to power is irrelevant. The only things that should really matter are fuel mileage to power, and price to power. Getting 500hp out of a smaller engine isn't doing any good unless it actually either uses less fuel, weighs significantly less, and/or costs less. Otherwise its just numbers that don't have any actual significance.
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Phen Phen 3:37PM (5/02/2006)
This is precisely why the Blue Devil is even under consideration. With Ford upping the ante on the Mustang, GM has to ratchet up the 'Vette to make room for the Camaro, should it be built, to compete. The 'Vette then moves into supercar territory, and the SS Camaro nestles into the 450-500bhp range.
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Big Dealo 3:52PM (5/02/2006)
500hp big deal!!! Lets see some real numbers like the Z06 ... 1/4 mile times ... 0 to 60 ...
Lets stop with the hp numbers and get to the real numbers.
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que 3:55PM (5/02/2006)
agreed, jeff. for example, the mitsubishi lancer evolution fq-400 puts out 400 horsepower from a 2.0 L engine, but does about 5 miles per gallon when driven hard. whats the point?
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Matt 4:06PM (5/02/2006)
The Supercharger is saving 10 grand or more for 100+ hp compared to the M5 on all motor...
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ricers suck 4:07PM (5/02/2006)
its also a matter of how much you have to revv it, hp is a function of torque over time, the ford engine, corvette engine etc... have lots of power at lower rpms, the beemer, and alot of those japanese, and ricer engines you have to rev the bejeezus out of to get that power (not so much in the beemer but that has a v10) also engines like the beemer cost much more, and have much more tech on them (vvt/vanos/etc) the mustang is the most bang for the buck.
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Matt 4:09PM (5/02/2006)
The Supercharger is saving 10 grand or more for 100+ hp compared to the M5 on all motor...
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HemiDakota 4:18PM (5/02/2006)
There is no issues with the Challenger SRT version in comparing the Horsepwoer war. Remember there are two more Hemi that are coming - one is referred too as the Superhemi Sixpack.
The SRT will get the 6.4ltr while the R/T will get the 6.1.
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HemiDakota 4:27PM (5/02/2006)
http://www.srtmopar.com/hemiblog/?permalink=471
Challenger SRT update
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iQuack 4:31PM (5/02/2006)
That 500 HP is ideal for sitting in traffic. The Mustang was an innovative car in 1964 when it was introduced, but it's a heap from a different era and boring now. The last new Mustang I saw had a bar code in the window and was bland rental car. Too bad it didn't have that slick paint job with the blue stripes because the car LOOKED like a rental car. It's too big and has a "been there, done that" appearance to me.
Now it seems that the revised Mustang will likely bring Chrysler and GM to the party with too little, too late Challengers and Camaros. Whoopie! I just can't wait!
Except for the PT Cruiser which is a useful and cleverly-styled vehicle, these retro things are pure nonsense.
Chrysler showed off its Dodge Challenger at an auto show on Nob Hill in San Francisco last Sunday. The Challenger is just a larger version of the boring Challenger from the 1970s--a car that was nothing special then, and less so now. A few guys will buy it and then it'll fizzle. And if it costs too much, even fewer guys will buy it.
A retro Ford with 500 HP will appeal to a few morons, but the rest of the auto-buying public will ignore it.
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HemiDakota 4:33PM (5/02/2006)
Update to the engine war - http://www.srtmopar.com/hemiblog/?permalink=438
Us baby boomers are living the good times again...kudos to Ford, Dodge, and Chevy.
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