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Home / Ford / Mustang Shelby GT500

2021

2022 Ford Mustang

Shelby GT500
Starting at $80 795

FORD

9 /10 SPECS PHOTOS

C/D RATING

OVERVIEW WHAT'S NEW PRICING ENGINE & PERFORMANCE

HIGHS
The most immersive Mustang ever, surprisingly easy
to live with, performance numbers that rival exotics.

LOWS
Fighting the urge to unleash the beast, it has a gas-
guzzler tax for a reason, the Track Pack costs how
much?

VERDICT
The Shelby GT500 mixes the accessibility of a
Mustang with the excessive thrills of a rollercoaster.

BY E R I C STA F FO R D

Overview
Think of the 2022 Ford Mustang Shelby
GT500 kind of like a rolling theme park. Its
monstrous 760-hp supercharged V-8 launches
the coupe with eye-watering force, and its
immense grip causes sensations of euphoria
or nausea or both. All the while its thrilling
exhaust note provides the soundtrack, and a
rapid-shifting automatic transmission handles
gearchanges for the rear-drive-only coupe.
The Shelby GT500 isn't just the mightiest
Mustang ever, it's also the most powerful
road car Ford has ever built. We named it to
our 2022 Editors' Choice list, too. Despite
the ability to soil people's undergarments on
demand, it's still a Mustang at heart, meaning
it doubles as a daily driver. Opting for the
Carbon Fiber Track Pack optimizes the
GT500's performance, but it also costs almost
a quarter of the Shelby's base price. For some
owners, that money will be better spent on
fueling this thirsty beast or paying the
inevitable influx of speeding tickets.

What's New for 2022?

With 2022 marking 55 years since the birth of
the original Shelby GT500, Ford is offering
the current model with a limited-production
Heritage Edition. Essentially an appearance
package, it consists of a Brittany Blue paint
job with the choice of Wimbledon White or
Absolute Black twin stripes from stem to
stern. The commemorative look costs $2140,
but that's with vinyl stripes—the option to
have them hand-painted is $10,000. Ford also
adds Code Orange to the Shelby's color
palette. Want to spend even more money on a
GT500? A limited number of GT500KR (for
King of the Road) models will also be
produced, each offering over 900 horsepower.

Pricing and Which One to Buy

The price of the 2022 Ford Mustang Shelby
GT500 starts at $80 795 and goes up to
$127 895 depending on the trim and options.

Shelby GT500 $80,795

Shelby GT500KR $127,895

0 $100k $200k

The Shelby GT500 isn't only the most

powerful Mustang—it's also the most
expensive. The Carbon Fiber Track Pack (20-
inch carbon-fiber wheels, aerodynamic add-
ons, stickier Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires,
and other weight-saving measures) costs
$18,500, but we're extremely impressed with
the GT500 even without the pricey package.
So, we'd recommend only a few options. The
Handling package allows front suspension
adjustments and adds improved aero with
splitter wickers and a Gurney flap. The
available Recaro front seats don't have power
adjustments or heated and cooled cushions,
but they better match the car's personality
and are comfortable and supportive.

Engine, Transmission, and

Performance
The most powerful engine ever stuffed into a
Ford production car lurks behind the Shelby
GT500's menacing mug. Aptly called
Predator, the motor is a supercharged 5.2-
liter V-8 that summons 760 horsepower and
625 pound-feet of torque. That prodigious
power twists the rear wheels through a
clairvoyant seven-speed dual-clutch
automatic transmission (sorry, the mightiest
Mustang isn't offered with a manual
transmission). We've tested a GT500 with its
standard summer tires as well as the ultra-
sticky rubber offered with the Carbon Fiber
Track package, which includes 20-inch
carbon-fiber wheels. The latter was part of a
comparison test with the 650-hp Chevy
Camaro ZL1 1LE and 797-hp Dodge
Challenger SRT Hellcat. While during
testing the Shelby's base wheel-and-tire setup
actually provided better acceleration (hitting
60 mph in 3.4 seconds versus 3.6), the
upgraded rolling stock contributed to higher
cornering grip (1.13 g versus 0.99) and a
shorter stop from 70 mph (142 feet versus
150). Optimized for racetrack duty, the
Shelby GT500 proved that modern muscle
cars can post quicker lap times than more
exotic machines, such as the Porsche 718
Cayman GT4 and Lamborghini Huracán
Evo, at the most recent running of our
annual Lightning Lap event. Even when the
ultimate Mustang isn't blasting down drag
strips or terrorizing six-figure sports cars at
the track, it makes daily driving extra exciting
with its soil-your-shorts acceleration and
surprisingly agile handling, considering its
two-ton curb weight. Despite its racy
demeanor, the GT500's standard adaptive
dampers provide a merciful ride quality, too.

VIEW PHOTOS

FORD

M O R E O N T H E S H E L BY GT 5 0 0 CO U P E

Shelby American Introduces

1300-HP GT500 Code Red

Mustang GT500 Heritage

Edition Celebrates 55 Years

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Fuel Economy and Real-World

MPG
The Shelby GT500's 760-hp V-8 is the
antithesis of fuel efficiency. The government
estimates that it'll earn a measly 12 mpg city
and 18 mpg highway. That's less than the
Camaro ZL1 and Challenger SRT Hellcat;
they're EPA-rated at 13/21 mpg city/highway
and 13/22 mpg city/highway, respectively.
The GT500 did average 20 mpg on our 75-
mph highway fuel-economy test, part of our
extensive testing regimen. For more
information about the Shelby GT500's fuel
economy, visit the EPA's website.

Interior, Comfort, and Cargo

The Shelby Mustang's interior is very similar
to that of its mainstream counterpart.
Although they share a design and have
comparable passenger and cargo space, the
GT500 offers options such as carbon-fiber
instrument panel trim and more-aggressive,
Shelby-specific Recaro front buckets along
with a roster of desirable standard features.
The latter includes a configurable 12.0-inch
fully digital gauge cluster, dual-zone climate
control, leather-trimmed front seats with
heated and cooled cushions, and a six-way
power driver's seat. Shoppers who prefer a
more supportive pair of front buckets, albeit
without the aforementioned functions, can
opt for leather-trimmed Recaros. The Shelby's
standard aluminum dashboard trim can also
be swapped for a piece made of exposed
carbon fiber. Those looking to save extra
weight can delete the rear seats, but that
requires the extremely expensive Carbon
Fiber Track package.

VIEW PHOTOS

FORD

THE CAR AND DRIVER DIFFERENCE

Our Comprehensive Car

Testing Explained

Why We Test: Every Number

Tells a Story

Infotainment and Connectivity

The infotainment system in the Shelby GT500
is very similar to what’s found in the regular
Mustang: an 8.0-inch touchscreen that
supports Ford's Sync 3 software. Along with
steering-wheel control and voice commands,
the stereo's volume and tuning functions can
be controlled with physical knobs. Thanks,
Ford. Desirable standard connectivity features
include Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a
subscription-based Wi-Fi hotspot. A 12-
speaker B&O sound system is available for
drivers who want to complement the
supercharged V-8's thundering soundtrack
with beats of their own.

H OW TO B U Y A N D M A I N TA I N A C A R

How to Buy or Lease a New

Car

How to Buy a Used Car

How to Repair, Maintain, and

Care for Your Car

Safety and Driver-Assistance

Features
Unless you count a powerful braking system
and launch control as important driver-
assistance technology, the mightiest
Mustang offers a very short list of assists. For
more information about the Shelby's crash-
test results, visit the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA) and
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
websites. Key safety features include:

Available blind-spot monitoring and rear

cross-traffic alert

Warranty and Maintenance

Coverage
Ford's limited and powertrain warranties are
the definition of average, but they align with
the periods offered by and Dodge and
Chevrolet. However, in this group, only the
bow-tie brand offers complimentary
maintenance.

Limited warranty covers three years or

36,000 miles

Powertrain warranty covers five years or

60,000 miles

No complimentary scheduled
maintenance

Specifications
2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500

VEHICLE TYPE
front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door
coupe

PRICE AS TESTED
$81,565 (base price: $74,095)

ENGINE TYPE
supercharged and intercooled DOHC 32-valve V-8,
aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection
Expand
Displacement
315 in3, 5163 cm3

M O R E F E AT U R E S A N D S P E C S

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