NZV8

LATEST GT500 REVEALED

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While the automaker is still playing coy with a few of the details of the 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, Ford promises it will crank out over 700hp, thanks to a new supercharg­ed 5.2-litre V8 based on the GT350’s engine package. The alloy block and heads have been strengthen­ed, and the structural sump features active baffles for better oiling. However, the biggest change from that of the GT350’s Voodoo is the change from a flat-plane crank to a more traditiona­l cross-plane crank, as the huge 2.65-litre blower pumps boost through an air- to-liquid intercoole­r meaning the crank doesn’t need to spin as fast. The redline comes down to 7500rpm, though with the projected power output and hum of a supercharg­er, we don’t think people will mind all too much. The power plant is backed by a seven-speed dualclutch automatic, a design unique to the GT500, to cope with the engine package, and is the only gear-swapper on offer. The shifting times of less than 100 millisecon­ds, far smoother shifting, and the fact that it runs cooler than a convention­al automatic, all make it a better choice than a traditiona­l manual gearbox, according to Ford. To match all that go, the suspension geometry has been revised and incorporat­es light spring rates and magnetorhe­ological shocks for a smoother ride. Six-piston brake calipers now grip 420mm rotors up front, with the rear ‘making do’ with four-piston versions. Exterior styling has been hit with added aggression with front wider guards and grille that allows 50 per cent more airflow, not to mention the vented fibreglass bonnet. If that’s not enough, it can be upgraded to the Carbon Fiber Track Pack that offers 20-inch carbon fibre wheels, an even more aggressive front splitter, canards, and a wing patterned after the GT4 Mustang race cars — it goes as far to ditch the rear seat and replaces the standard Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber with stickier Pilot Sport Cup 2. With this package added, Ford claims the GT500 produces more downforce than the Ford GT supercar! The 2020 GT500 is set to go on sale in the USA this September.

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