2013 Mustang GT500: Just What We Needed, More Power

If I were to make a list compiling the positive and negative things about the Mustang Shelby GT500, it'd go a little like this. On the plus side: Enough power to pull an entire trailer park. Enough power to eclipse the sun with tire smoke on accident. Enough power to win a tug-of-war with a Panzer tank. Enough power to stand up at the United Nations and bang it's shoe on the table screaming "we will bury you!" and everyone takes it seriously.
Ford is updating the Mustang lineup for 2013, again, and the biggest change is to the GT500. Guess what’s different? It gets more power. Let’s skip the “why” and go straight to the “what,” because it’s faintly ridiculous. The GT500′s 5.4L all-aluminum V8 is expanded out to 5.8L. The block and heads are cross-drilled for durability, there are new cam profiles, and the cooling system is enlarged and updated – with a larger coolant fan and a redesigned shroud to force air through it at speed.


The entire supercharger setup is new as well. The GT500 now uses the Eaton TVS 2300- the same supercharger on cross-town rivals like the Cadillac CTS-V, Corvette ZR-1 and Camaro ZL-1. This larger supercharger is more efficient and powerful, and the rest of the system has been updated to suit. The intercooler and intercooler pump are also upgraded to avoid heat soak, which has previously been an issue with the GT500. Total result? A mind-blowing 650bhp and 600lb-ft of torque, a gain of 100bhp and 90lb-ft over the totally underpowered 2012 model.


The driveline is beefed up to handle what Ford calls “the world’s most powerful production V8 engine.” Perhaps they’re talking about domestic V8′s. Or current production V8′s. Koenigsegg would have something to say about that. Anyway, the GT500 retains the heavy duty Tremec TR6060 six-speeder (all other Mustangs use a Getrag MT-82), but now has upgraded gears, bearings and case to deal with the torque. The clutch is an upgraded twin-disc unit, the driveshaft is carbon fiber, and the axles and differential are beefed up to suit. The GT500 uses a relatively tame 3.31:1 final drive ratio, but with 600lb-ft of torque it doesn’t exactly need 4.10 gears to get going. This also helps the 3,850lb GT500 avoid a Federal Gas Guzzler Tax, which is nice. A questionable benefit of the 3.31 axle is the claimed 200+mph top speed of the GT500.