Rumor: The 720 Horsepower 2020 Mustang Shelby GT500 Beats the Hellcat on Power…Just

Ford Uncovered - Shelby GT500
A teaser of the impending Shelby GT500. [Photo: Ford]

Some leaked documents suggest the 2020 Shelby GT500 Mustang will be a pretty powerful beast.

A few years ago, you might have gasped at the concept of a 707 horsepower muscle car. And yet, FCA built one anyway, in the form of the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. Then they went a bit more mental, putting that same engine in the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. Let’s not forget about the upcoming Ram Rebel TRX either. For 2019, Dodge upped the horsepower in the Challenger SRT Hellcat to 717. According to some new information, however, Ford isn’t going to stand for that. And this is their answer: the Mustang Shelby GT500.

2019 Shelby GT500
Ford hasn’t given us much official information on the new Shelby GT500 yet.

The last-generation model was no slouch, providing a whopping 662 horsepower and 631 lb-ft of torque. However, times have moved on, and Ford doesn’t want to come out a loser in this escalating horsepower war. To that end, they’ve upped their game with the 2020 Shelby GT500. We know from the company’s teaser in Detroit that it would have more than 700 horsepower. Great, but how much more? Now, thanks to Mustang6g forums, we may have our answer. A leaked document shows possible specs for a 5.2-liter supercharged V8 Mustang. Now, we had some inclination that the Shelby GT500 would likely use the same Voodoo V8 engine as the GT350. However, it appears this one will be more powerful, producing 720 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque.

2019 GT 500 Leaked
An earlier leaked image showed what could be the GT500’s 5.2-liter supercharged V8.

Powerful, but heavy

Not just that, but this document also suggests the 2020 Mustang Shelby GT500 will use a 3.73 rear axle – again, like the GT350 – and tip the scales at 4,225 pounds. If that figure turns out to be true, this new GT500 will be a heavy one compared to the 3,760 pound GT350. That’s not quite as heavy as the Hellcat, which weights over 4,400 pounds, but it is a bit heavier than the Camaro ZL1.

Ford hasn’t released further official information yet, but we expect to see something soon.