Ever since Ford introduced the modern Shelby GT500 four years ago, almost no one has complained about the prodigious power levels produced by its supercharged 5.4-liter V8. With as much as 540 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque in the 2010 model, there was no shortage of grunt. No, the issue was an excess of mass.
Before the contemporary GT500 was born, Ford had a blown aluminum block 5.4-liter V8 in the short lived GT supercar. However, when the engineers at Ford's Special Vehicle Team developed the GT500, they opted to mount the GT's cylinder heads on the cast iron block used in the big F-Series pickup trucks. After debuting a visual refresh for the Mustang a year ago, Ford has spent the last two months announcing fresh new powertrains for the base and GT models. That process has now come full circle with SVT rolling out a heart transplant for the Shelby GT500. The 2011 model finally has the aluminum powerplant we all wanted when it debuted, and the effect is absolutely en-lightening.
It was just a month ago that Ford Racing pulled the drape off the new Mustang BOSS 302R race car that will be campaigned this year in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. Formerly known as the KONI Challenge series, the Grand-Am season started off at Daytona Beach last weekend.
Ford brought out the whole gang including racing legend Parnelli Jones who helped make the original BOSS 302 a legend some 40 years ago. Three of the new Mustang BOSS 302R’s raced at Daytona; #37 Bret Seafuse & James Gue, #16 Gunnar Jeannette & Frank Montecalv, and #15 Scott Maxwell & Joe Foster.
It was unfortunately not a great opening for the new Mustang as the new BOSS 302R models did not show as well as perhaps Ford might have preferred. But given the three teams campaigning the car had just taken delivery and barely had time behind the wheel, it does not necessarily forecast the season to come.
UPDATED: New 2011 GT-500 with 550hp will be unveiled on Monday. With all the big powertrain news for the 2011 Mustang including the 305hp V6 and the new 400hp 5.0 V8, Ford couldn’t let the GT-500 roll without some new bits too. News has come this week to confirm the GT-500 will get an upgrade to an aluminum block for its 5.4 liter DOHC supercharged V8 to shave some weight. That would be a direct response to the long held gripe that the 2007-2010 is a bit on the porky side. But there’s more.
Dealer order guides for the 2011 GT-500 tell of us some new standard features but also an alluring new SVT package that promises to take it up a notch. First of all for 2011, the previously optional HID headlamps are now standard on the Shelby as they should be for what it costs. Ford also has added the same electric power assist steering (EPAS) found in the 2011 V6 and GT. Electric power steering takes load off the engine by removing the power steering pump and when done well increases stering feel. Could be a win win.
Other Ford standards come with the GT-500 like the new MyKey feature which allows you to program the car for different drivers, limiting top speed and other parameters. For convertible buyers, you will now get the same 19″ wheels that come on the coupe. For 2010, the convertible came with 18″ wheels. And now if you are a fan of the glass roof, you can now option one on the GT-500.
