And, a final tribute to Lee Iacocca
Just last month 20th Century Fox released the trailer already seen by over five million people, Ford vs Ferrari. The movie recounts the story of Ford’s victory over Ferrari at the most famous sports car race in the world, the 24 Hours of LeMans. Starring Matt Damon and Christian Bale this is a must-see for racing fans everywhere or anyone who just likes to go fast.
The movie is a biography of the chicken farmer from Texas turned race car driver, designer, and entrepreneur. When Lee Iacocca famously approached Shelby in 1964 about converting the Mustang into a race car he responded, “Lee, you can’t make a racehorse out of a mule. I don’t want to do it.” Iacocca responded, “I didn’t ask you to make it; you work for me.” And as they say, the rest is history.
2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 – Image Source: MotorTrend
Now Ford, the Mustang, and the Shelby GT are making history again. Details regarding the 2020 Shelby GT500 have just started leaking to the public. Let’s start with these two items, and we’ll cover the rest in a bit.
• The 2020 Mustang Shelby GT500 will feature a hand-built, supercharged 5.2 liter, V8 engine producing 760 horsepower. The quickest, best handling, and most powerful Mustang, ever.
• The MSRP on the GT500 will be $70,300 a fabulous horsepower per dollar ratio. However, the delivered price can quickly rise to six figures when fully optioned.
Even at its base price, the new Shelby is more expensive than its closest rivals the Camoro ZL1 with 650 horsepower, and the 797 horsepower Dodge Hellcat Redeye. And Ford is making it relatively easy to reach the previously mentioned six-figure price tag. Add destination charges of $1095, and gas guzzler tax, another $2,600, and the base price is $74,000. A few additional options:
• Carbon Fiber Track Pack, including carbon wheels and race car-derived rear wing, $18,500
• Handling Package, which includes other aero elements and an adjustable suspension, $1,500
• A Technology Package adds an upgraded stereo and power-seats for $3,000
• Leather-trimmed Recaro seats, $1,595
• Special Paint Colors and Packages
• Custom colors, $495
• Vinyl Racing Stripes, $1,000
• Painted Racing Stripes, $10,000
With a little imagination and some basic math, one could option this car above $110,000. For 760 horsepower we believe this is still an excellent value on a horsepower per dollar basis, and it’s a Shelby, and it doesn’t cost like a Ferrari.
Performance Facts
Ford engineers tell us that the GT500 will do zero to sixty in about 3.5 seconds, and the quarter mile in under 11 seconds. That is so quick the Shelby will require hood pins to keep the highly vented hood in place!
The 2020 Mustang comes standard with a new Tremec twin-clutch seven-speed automatic transmission. There are no plans currently for a manual transmission, but that could change in the future.
It will ride on 20 inch-rims to get more rubber on the road. The front fenders are composite and flared to accommodate the larger tires.
Coming the Fall of 2019
We sincerely hope we’ve piqued your interest. Unfortunately, the new 2020 GT500 doesn’t go on sale for a few more months until this Fall.
A Final Tribute to Lee Iacocca
While preparing this article, we became aware that Lee Iacocca, a key figure in the Shelby Mustang story, and the driving force behind the “Pony” car concept passed away at the age of 94. Iacocca’s Mustang project defined the category of affordable performance cars people could drive every day.
Lee Iacocca and Dodge Viper Model
Iacocca was probably best known for resurrecting Chrysler Motors, where he once again defined a new category, the minivan. To save Chrysler, Iacocca convinced the U.S. Congress to fund the first major automotive bailout. And, in 1983 he repaid the government with a massive check in the amount of some $813 million.
The automotive industry has lost one of its true legends. What would Iacocca think of the latest iteration of the GT500? We think he’d say, “If you can find a better car, buy it.”
Whether you drive a vintage Pony car or the new Ford Shelby Mustang, a cracked windshield can be a major inconvenience. Now, companies like the SunTec windshield replacement team in Phoenix, Arizona can source the proper OEM windshield replacement for your Mustang no matter if it’s a new model or a classic.
Something bothers me about the side profile, the hood doesn’t incline down enough to say “sports car,” and I would hate to think that’s because the air cleaner needed the room (why not design an air cleaner that’s off to the side(s)?)
In the Bullitt version they have a nice bit of chrome on the rear 3/4 window that adds a little class. It is shocking that Chevy; is talking about suspending production of the Camaro, I thought exterior-wise, it is on a par with Mustang but for some reason they keep changing the nose and tail to find something makes look like it’s all designed by one person.