The 2013 Ford Shelby GT500

The 2013 Shelby GT500 will go on sale at the end of 2012. The base price is $54,200, but if you want to add the SVT Performance Package, it jumps up by another $3,495. This package includes: Torsen limited-slip differential, 19" forged-aluminum front wheels or 20" forged-aluminum rear wheels, Bilstein adjustable dampers, unique rear springs, a unique instrument cluster, and an SVT gear shift knob. A glass roof will add yet another $1,995, while an electronic package adds another $2,340.

The 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 specs

We’ve reported here that the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 comes with a 5.8-liter supercharged V-8 engine that pumps out 662 horsepower and 631 lb. ft. of torque. That makes the car the most powerful production V-8 engine in North America. Ford tells us that the 662 horses will propel the coupe to track speeds of more than 200 mph.

the 5.8-liter V-8 engine

The 2013 model gets plenty of upgrades from the previous generation model starting with a larger and more efficient supercharger which forces more air into the 5.8-liter V-8. The supercharger design spins faster, the inlet volume has been increased, and the boost has been cranked up from 9 to 14 psi. Ford uses a new Twin Vortices Series 2300 blower that creates 2.3 liters of displacement and is a unique design to the engine.

Other improvements include new cross-drilled block and heads, an all-forged engine rotating assembly, updated camshaft profiles, upgraded head gaskets, a new carbon fiber driveshaft and upgraded clutch, transmission and axle. And with all that extra heat generated from the new supercharger, Ford has to increase the cooling capacity with a new higher-efficiency intercooler to cool the air going in.

The dyno results

On paper the dyno results should have the Shelby GT500 on top by 82 horsepower and 75 lb-ft. of torque. From the dyno test on this day, the Camaro posted 497 hp and 497 lb-ft, which is the kind of driveline losses expected at the wheels. The Shelby GT500 responded by posting 595 hp and 603 lb-ft. That leaves a larger than expected gap of 98-horsepower to the ZL1, and loses a little more torque percentage wise.

While either car would be a great muscle car to own, the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 is a vehicle that offers a complete package for street and track and offers outstanding performance. It's good to know that the performance car wars are alive and well.