2010 Ford Shelby GT500 squeezes out an extra 2 MPG

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 08:59:00 EST

2010 Shelby GT500 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Ford has managed to eke out an extra 2 miles per gallon on the highway from the heavily revised 2010 Shelby GT500, bringing its EPA estimated figures to 14 mpg city and 22 mpg highway. Sure, it seems rather unlikely that buyers considering a muscle car will be all that concerned with fuel economy, but we'll take what we can get, especially since the fuel economy increase is accompanied by a bump up to 540 horsepower and a stump-pulling 510 lb-ft of torque. Plus, an increase in highway mileage means fewer stops on long trips, and that's always welcome in our book.

Now, all of this is fine and dandy, but we all know the real reason this car exists is to obliterate its tires on every 4.3-second blast to 60 mph. Fortunately for fans of ridiculous straight-line acceleration, the revisions that make the latest Shelby more fuel efficient also also end up contributing to its ability to accelerate. The biggest change that helps on the highway is numerically lower gearing in the transmission for the fifth and sixth cogs, which, combined with a 3.55:1 axle ratio, allows the baddest 'Stang to boast improved acceleration in the first four gears to go along with the lowered RPM highway drone made possible by the last two gears.

Ford also points to a refined air intake and a revised twin-disc clutch as reasons that the 2010 Shelby GT500 is a step above its predecessor, and we also took note of the vastly superior interior that's standard in all new Mustangs when we last looked at the GT500. Click here to read all about it, and click past the break for the mpg-touting press release.

Gallery: Detroit 2009: 2010 Shelby GT500 Live

[Source: Ford]

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2010 Ford Shelby GT500 squeezes out an extra 2 MPG originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Apr 2009 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2010 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 cometh, order guide leaked online

Drew Phillips — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 04:05:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Performance, Ford

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2010 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500

At the 2010 Ford Mustang debut in Santa Monica, Mark Fields told us that the Blue Oval would reveal "another chapter in the Mustang story" at the Detroit Auto Show next month. If the camouflaged Shelbys running around Motown were anything to go by, the "next chapter" would come in the form of the new GT500. While Ford has yet to officially announce the car or when it will make its debut, a leaked order guide posted on MustangBlog.com confirms that the car will be produced as a 2010 model and reveals new details about the updated Shelby.

In addition to the new-for-2010 sheetmetal, the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 benefits from a set of 19-inch wheels (the convertible gets new 18-inchers) and comes equipped with a new aluminum hood with a power dome and a single functional heat extractor. The supercharged 5.4L V8 remains, and although specific power output is not listed, the new model will offer "increased performance." A 3.55 axle ratio is now standard, and the suspension has been tuned by SVT. Inside, an optional Electronics package provides a voice-activated nav system and dual climate control. The leather seats will feature a stripe that color coordinates with the exterior stripes as well as Alcantera accents. New exterior colors will correspond with the standard 2010 Mustang and include Grabber Blue, Kona Blue, Sterling Grey, and more.

Gallery: 2010 Ford Mustang GT500 Convertible - spy shots

[Source: MustangBlog]

Continue reading 2010 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 cometh, order guide leaked online

2010 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 cometh, order guide leaked online originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Dec 2008 04:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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