Equipped with a supercharged 5.2-liter aluminum alloy engine that was hand-built by Ford Performance, the 2020 Shelby GT500 promises to deliver more than 700ps and a mid-three-second 0-100km/h.
“With its supercar-level powertrain, the Shelby GT500 takes the sixth-generation Mustang to a performance level once reserved only for exotics,” said Hermann Salenbauch, global director, Ford Performance vehicle programs. “To that end, we’ve set a new standard among American performance cars with our most powerful street-legal V8 engine to date, plus the quickest-shifting transmission ever in a Mustang for all-out precision and speed.”
The supercharged 5.2-liter unit is equipped with an inverted a 2.65-liter roots-type supercharger with air-to-liquid intercooler – which is tucked in the V8 engine valley – keeping the intake air cooler and delivering a lower center of gravity.
Like Shelby GT350, the aluminum alloy block features weight-saving wire-arc cylinder liners and high-flow aluminum cylinder heads, plus larger forged connecting rods, improved lubrication and cooling passages. Beneath that, a structural oil pan adds strength, reduces vibration, and features a patented active baffle system to keep oil where it’s needed.
To channel power and torque to the unique carbon-fiber driveshaft, Ford Performance leveraged knowledge developed from tuning of its Ford GT supercar’s dual-clutch transmission. The team selected a Tremec 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, which is capable of shifts in under 100ms.
