2013 Ford Shelby GT500 Mustang: 200+ MPH and 662+ horsepower! Specs, price, photos, history, video, and news

The 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 Mustang, available as a coupe or convertible, has Americas most powerful production V8, and is rock solid proof that the modern muscle car wars are back with a vengeance.
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Video: 2013 Ford Mustang commercial (includes GT500)
 View more video clips here

​Extra: Win a 2013 Ford Mustang GT (not the GT500 though) with $5,000 USD in Ford Racing Performance Parts and Ford Custom Accessories combined from Ford Parts.

The 2013 GT500 is among the quickest (with a 3.5 second best 0 to 60 mph / 97 kph time), and fastest (with a top speed of over 200 mph / 322 kph), automobiles in the world. Actually, the GT500 has the most powerful "series" production V8 in the world, though there is the limited Koenigsegg Agera R exotic car from Sweden who's 5.0L V8 twin-turbo engine puts out 1140 hp (caradvice.com.au points out). The Agera R price equals 20+ GT500s, or one GT500 with well over a million US dollars in performance upgrades.

The high-performance Ford GT500 is ready, willing, and able to incinerate the rear tires on a whim, but, the driver can also switch on an improved traction management system that nearly eliminates wheel slip. The 2013 GT500 went with 285 wide rear tires, instead of a larger contact area, mainly because bigger tires wouldn't fit into the current configuration: SVT Chief Engineer explains (video). 

Aggressive road and track testing has shown the 2013 GT500 to be an extremely reliable automobile under the most abusive conditions. This upgraded Shelby was obviously designed for durability and long term reliability, to go along with the ungodly amount of tractable power available in this road warrior. Ford stands behind its Shelby GT500 muscle car with a 3 year / 36,000 mile basic, and 5 year / 60,000 mile drivetrain (and roadside) vehicle warranty.

2013 Ford Shelby GT500 Mustang

The frame on the current model Mustang was designed for a solid rear (or live) axle, vs. the independent rear suspension (IRS) types, and it remains in place on the 2013. These beam type (live) axles increase unsprung weight, but are extremely stout and durable. Many vehicles depend on the weight and rigidity of solid (live) axles in high torque traction situations like the new Chevy COPO Camaro drag racer having the factory IRS swapped out for a live rear axle which is very similar to the Mustangs.

The 2013 Ford GT500 has one of the highest performing production live rear street car axles in the world.

The Ford GT500 could easily be modified and tuned for even more extreme straight line performance. It has also been recorded holding nearly 1 g-force of lateral acceleration on the skidpad (.98 g) which is definitely gripping asphalt. Weight distribution is 57/43 (front/rear) on the coupe and 56/44 on the convertible.

For driver information, a 4.2" LCD system sits between the 220 mph speedometer and tachometer with over-rpm lighting (view image): it displays fuel economy and trip distance, cylinder head, transmission, and oil temperatures, plus fuel to air ratios: the optional SVT Performance package adds the "Track Apps" (controlled with a 5-way button on the steering wheel) which shows g-force, acceleration times (0-30, 0-60 and 0-100 mph, plus 1/8th and 1/4 mile times), and braking information (60-0 and 100-0 mph braking time and distance).

Track Apps demonstration (part of optional SVT Performance Pack)