2013 Ford GT500 Horsepower Confirmed: 662 and $54,995!
The numbers are stunning -- but how long will the one-upmanship go on? And does it matter?
By Sam Smith Apr 27, 2012 4:32AM
Ford recently confirmed engine specifications on the 2013 Mustang Shelby GT500. The car, which debuts later this year, is set to make an insane 662 horsepower and 631 lb-ft of torque. Wow. Just -- wow.
There are a lot of things to think about here. Most are questions such as, "Where on earth would I use that much juice?" and, "What kind of person needs that much power?" For a certain type of person, the answers are obvious*; for another type of person, those questions don't have answers at all. But the Ford's numbers -- 662 and $54,995 -- prompt thought.
*"Anywhere with gravity and pavement," and, "What are you, a communist?" respectively.
A friend of mine recently asked if the arrival of a 600-plus-horsepower Mustang meant the death of the so-called horsepower wars. He wanted to know if this car, the "green" movement and the rising price of gasoline marked the end of our recent run of high-horsepower, relatively low-cost performance cars.
These questions don't have easy answers. For one, the term "horsepower war" was conjured up by car magazines; it doesn't mean much. The common interpretation is a power battle between two carmakers, a la BMW and Mercedes in the 1980s or GM and Ford in the 1960s. But the truth is that car companies rarely battle outright over performance-car outputs, and when they do, they don't make a big stink about it. It's usually circumstance, not actual competition. And it rarely has a well-defined beginning or end.
A brief side note for clarity: Power is relative. Ford says the GT500's supercharged 5.8-liter V8 engine is the most powerful production V8 in the world. This is a nice statement, but it lacks context. To wit, the following, from Car and Driver's post on the subject:
But there’s this: The GT500 tops the Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG by 99 hp. It beats the mighty Cadillac CTS-V by 106. For heaven’s sake, the GT500 has 232 more horsepower than does the base Corvette. Even the gladiatorial Vette ZR1 falls shy, at 638 hp and 604 lb-ft.
Besides the ZR1, these cars aren’t really the GT500′s intended competition, but the extent to which the GT500 tops these cars, rightly thought of as extremely powerful, is shocking. The most direct competitor to the GT500 is the Chevy Camaro ZL1, which has a supercharged V8 good for 580 hp and 556 lb-ft.
Nuts, no? I'll let you draw your own conclusions there.
Suffice it to say that the ZL1 (above), released this year, is the GT500's intended market foe. It is the car that GM has specifically called out in press releases, the model that the two companies believe will compete directly with the Ford. Perhaps. (I've met a lot of people who buy cars like this, and very few were cross-shoppers. Everyone is a Mustang Person, a Camaro Person, and so on. You have to wonder how many people actually weigh the two versus simply being a loyalist and liking what they like.)
The greater point is that cars like these aren't going to be around forever. Fuel economy has never been more important. (The GT500's EPA rating? 15 mpg city/24 mpg highway.) Turbocharging, shrinking displacements and exhaust emissions are the buzzwords of the day -- and the future -- and studies have shown that fewer teenagers care about cars, fast or otherwise. Several manufacturers have green(ish) supercars in the works, and cars that prioritize gas-guzzling speed above all are thin on the ground. That the automotive landscape is changing is inarguable.
What do you think? If it's a given that this sort of thing will end, when will it happen? How? Are cars like the GT500 a step forward, backward, sideways? Would you rather have a ZL1 or a GT500? And do commies even like horsepower?
Inquiring minds (read: we) want to know. The comments are below. You know what to do.
[Source: Car and Driver]
196Comments
May 5, 2012 3:15AM
May 5, 2012 3:44AM
May 5, 2012 3:08AM
BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER! I OWN A 67 MUSTANG GT AND A 2012 GT500 CONVERTIBLE! THE 67 IS FUN TO TOOL AROUND TOWN AND CRUISE, BUT DOESN'T COMPARE TO THE GT500! YES, THE POWER IS AWESOME (550 HP), BUT THE SHELBY IS JUST A JOY TO DRIVE! IF YOU HAVEN'T FELT YOUR HEARTBEAT TAKE OFF WHEN PUSHING THE THROTTLE OF ONE OF THESE CARS, IT'S REALLY NOT FAIR TO BE CRITICAL OF THEM. I LOOK FORWARD TO EVERY SUNNY DAY WHEN I CAN DROP THE TOP AND LET IT RUN!!
May 1, 2012 7:07AM
@Someone: Still bashing Ford? Must sting you with the TRUTH that they held their own (yes Ford made BUSINESS decisions like hocking the name as certain people on this board say, and took PRIVATE INVESTOR money), to sure up the walls), BTW, there's NOTHING wrong with that. MANY companies do the same thing, if bankruptcy or financial problems are imminent. THAT IS CALLED BUSINESS. Bankruptcy, is something that not only embarrasses, it also hurts credit, and credibility.
Bottom line: FORD DID NOT GET BAILED OUT OF TROUBLE, GM AND DODGE DID. How Ford kept out of trouble is irrelevant, so long as the took NO GOV'T bailout money!
GO FORD!!! YOU ARE DOING IT RIGHT!!!
May 5, 2012 3:05AM
You have to love the Shelby. I read some coments from the others and I don't think they get the point. This GT500 is not produced for everyone to own. It's for the people who can afford the sticker price and pay for the gas, insurance, and upkeep. I've been a Shelby fan since day one. Mr. Shelby has a fantastic history as a driver and creator of both the Cobra and the Shelby. The legend behind these beautiful vehicles is something to admire. Why all the negativity? This is a high performance vehicle that has state of the art, top of the line equipment. This Shelby wasn't built to go to the store on the weekends, it was produced to go out and put the pedal down, listen to the roar of the engine, and just slip into an out of body experience, even if it's only for a couple of minutes. I agree with Sukamc, get out and see, touch, and test drive this special car. Maybe you can't afford one now, but there's always the used car market in a few years that will shrink the $54,995 price down into the $30's. I'll put to rest the other comments about the camro. GM did build the Camaro to compete with the Mustang. Plymouth/Dodge also hit the market with the Cuda and Challanger to take away sales from Ford. The 60's and 70's were great years for the Muscle cars because everybody was competing against each other for top muscle car. The result was GREAT! You don't have to be a car person to remember all those great muscle cars that were not only built for performance, but were affordable for most. Oh yea, gas was under a dollar. I'm partial to Shelby because of the man and the vehicle and one day I hope to own one. I won't say which one because somebody out there might go get it.
May 5, 2012 12:49AM
Apr 27, 2012 8:43AM
May 5, 2012 5:59AM
This is good competition between car manufacturers. The fact is that American's love hot cars. I am 53 and I can remember as a teen how bad I wanted my first Corvette. Then something happened to American's, and US car manufacturers. We all forgot the past,and all the people who in the past that had give their lives for this country. We allowed the backbone of our country and our economy to suffer a crushing blow delivered.by foreign car manufacturers. How you ask? Well I see seniors driving and buying Japanese vehicles. I see family's buying foreign vehicle, and most of all I seen parent's buying Japanese cars for their teenagers. Japan has avenged WWII without firing a single shot. They took an enormous bite out of our economy,and we let them. Don't fall for them telling us,"The Cars are made in America." While that being accurate all the corporate profits fly back to Japan faster than you can blink your eyes. Not to mention that all (100%) the componentes are Japanese. This is what killed our economy. not high oil prices. The American Car industry was and still is the backbone of this Country. So next time you see an old timer, a family man or woman, or a teen let them know about how they are responsible for the economic woes. It is about time the car buying public is held accountable.
May 1, 2012 4:37AM
May 5, 2012 2:27AM
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