Folks
– say hello to the latest and greatest addition to the long and
lustrous Shelby Mustang history – the 2010 Shelby GT500. This Mustang
is set to be the fastest road legal, factory-based Mustang ever! And
who could argue with a 400kW (540hp), 690Nm (510 lb-ft) 5.4l V8?!
2010 Shelby GT500 Mustang unveiled
Like the more subtle Mustangs, the GT500 is mechanically an
evolution of the older model. Just as Ford used the (now) previous-gen
Bullitt model as the starting point for the 2010 Mustang GT, the
lessons learned from developing the limited edition GT500 KR fed
directly into the latest Shelby-badged variant. Oh yea – and the
handling is claimed to be better than before – which can only be great!
Here is an in-depth list of changes to the new-for-09 super ’stang…
“Like the last GT500, this one gets more aggressive styling,
particularly in the nose, and reprises many of the same detail
elements. The horizontally mirrored trapezoidal shape of the grille in
the upper and lower front fascia is meant to echo the oval shape of the
Shelby Cobras of the ’60s. The upper grille is tilted forward at a
steeper angle than the GT and the grille surround is separated entirely
from the hood. The leading edge of the hood on other Mustangs forms the
upper frame of the grille, while the new GT500 has an extra bit of
bodywork there.
The hood of the GT500 still has a functional air extractor
allowing some of the massive heat generated by the blown V8 to escape.
The power dome of the V6 and GT is supplanted by a smoother bulge that
now encompasses most of the hood. The driving lamps stay in the lower
fascia reprising the last edition and leaving the grille area open for
air flow.
Careful observers will note that the snake badge has moved
from the right to the left side of the grille (when viewed from the
front). This has nothing to do with the blowing of political winds, but
is actually functional. Like the GT, the GT500 now has a cold air
intake that sits directly behind the snake’s former residence.
A revised duck-tail spoiler sits at the back end along the
trailing edge of the trunk-lid and incorporates a Gurney flap. The faux
diffuser along the bottom of the GT500’s rump is now more prominent,
although probably not any more functional. Regardless of the diffuser’s
functionality, the new GT500 does have more down-force thanks to that
spoiler and the front splitter. The center of pressure has also been
moved further forward, which should help reduce understeer at higher
speeds.
The diffuser is flanked by a pair of four-inch diameter tail-pipes that
could be used to patch your local water main the next time it bursts.
The Shelby badging along the trailing edge of the trunk-lid also now
stretches the width of the distance between the tail-lights, just like
the original 2005 concept.
Supporting the still excessive mass (we’ll get back to that)
of the GT500 are new ten-spoke alloy wheels with a slimmer spoke design
than before. Coupes and convertibles each get the same design but in
different sizes and constructions. The rag-tops get a cast 18-inch
version of the wheel, while closed-roof versions get a forged 19-inch
construction. The forged version is both stronger and lighter than the
smaller wheel compensating for the extra size. The sides of the spokes
on the forged wheels are milled, helping to reduce the mass without
sacrificing strength.
The leather seats inside the car now have pairs of
longitudinal contrasting stripes that echo the stripes stretching the
length of the body, as well as alcantara trim on the side bolsters,
shift lever, parking braking boots and steering wheel. The traditional
white cue-ball shift knob is now also adorned with a pair of black
stripes parallel to the shaft of the short throw shifter. All of this
is neither here nor there, as none one of these interior niceties makes
the GT500 faster, turn better or stop better.
For that we have to look in the engine compartment. The
powerplant remains a twin cam 5.4L V8 with a supercharger. New
additions to the power plant include knock sensors, the aforementioned
cold-air intake and a lower restriction exhaust system. The updates
bump output from from 500 hp at 6,000 rpm to 540 hp at 6,200 rpm.
Twisting force also goes from 480 lb-ft at 4,500 rpm to 510 lb-ft at
the same peak speed.
Unfortunately, one aspect that didn’t change is the cast iron
engine block. The aluminum block that was used in the Ford GT supercar
had a dry sump system that can’t be packaged in the Mustang. Thus, the
iron block from the F-150 was used with the top end of the GT engine,
which pushed the car’s weight up over 3,900 lbs (~1.8ton!). That makes
the GT500 both the heaviest and most powerful Mustang.
The top two ratios in the new GT500’s gearbox have been made
numerically lower to help reduce fuel consumption. As before, getting
all the drive torque from the engine to the gears is the job of a dual
plate clutch. The clutch plates have been increased in diameter from
215 mm to 250 mm. This allowed Ford to reduce the clutch pedal effort
while improving the torque transmission capability.
All that torque flows from the Tremec 6-speed gearbox through
a limited slip differential with a 3.55:1 final drive ratio. The 2010
GT500 gets 17% stiffer springs at the front axle and 7% stiffer at the
rear axle. The forged alloys on the coupe are wrapped in Goodyear F1
Supercar rubber sized 255/40R19 front and 285/25R19 rear. The Brembo
four-pot calipers are retained at the front and the GT500 also get the
same standard electronic stability control that lesser Mustangs get for
2010.
Like the GT with the Track Pack, the ESC in the new GT500
always defaults on when the car is started, but can be turned off or
put into a Sport mode. In Sport mode, the ESC allows greater amounts of
slip before intervening.
The 2010 GT500 now has more power and presumably better handling than
before. When we drove the last iterations of the GT500 and Bullitt, the
Shelby was undoubtedly faster but the Bullitt was a better all-around
car and daily driver. The Bullitt’s lighter weight and better balance
made it more fun to drive on the street while the blown Mustang was
king at the Friday night drag races. Only time will tell if the GT500
can overcome.”
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