With the Camaro ZL1, Chevrolet delivered the knock-out blow straight to the Blue Oval's jaw. See, 580 horsepower does that to you. What the Golden Bow Tie didn't know, however, is that bullying never pays off. The Mustang now has a bigger brother coming to the rescue, in the form of the new 2013 GT500. Oh, and it's bringing 650 horsepower. Run Camaro, run!
This is the ultimate Mustang, with the ultimate name tag: Shelby GT500. The old model that it replaces was twitchy and wild at best, and darn-right murderous at worst. So what in the world will the 2013 car be like with a hundred more ponies giddying up below that domed bonnet? Actually, a lot friendlier, says Ford.
Dearborn raised the stakes with every facet of the new GT500, massaging the aluminium5.8-litre supercharged V8 to not only produce 650bhp, but also 813Nm of torque. Ford is adamant this is the most powerful production V8 in the world (is a Koenigsegg Agera produced or does it just appear from thin air?), and its frame-flexing grunt is harnessed by a much-improved chassis, too.
Nearly every vehicle system has been fettled with, including the brakes, suspension and transmission.
Just as well, because did we forget to mention that this muscle car breaks the 300kph barrier? That's right, and it only hits a brick wall at 320kph. Oh yes, straight-line performance still lives on in Detroit.
But the Shelby GT500 also promises serious cornering talent. Despite the live axle out back compared to the Camaro ZL's independent set-up, the 2013 Shelby gained significant aerodynamic optimisation, improving cooling, adding downforce and reducing drag. Splitters in the front handle load at 320kph, and the unique GT500 spoiler helps with 33 per cent more effective aero loading at over 250kph.
Ford also tuned the AdvanceTrac settings and the steering feel, and stuck on a set of 19in (front) and 20in (rear) aluminium wheels wrapped with track tyres.
If you opt for the optional Performance Package, the GT500 comes with Bilstein electronic adjustable dampers, a Torsen LSD, plus you can tick the boxes next to an external engine oil cooler, rear differential cooler and transmission cooler. Track day, anyone?
To goad all those horses to come out and play, Ford's engine guys have fitted a new supercharger, new cross-drilled block and heads, updated camshaft profiles, and then channelled the lot through a new carbon-fibre driveshaft and upgraded clutch, transmission and axle. The six-speed manual tranny features a final drive ratio of 3.31:1 to complement the torque figure, and the clutch promises not to melt with the first launch thanks to its dual-disc design.
Now, anybody feel like taking back that old saying about a Camaro being a small, vicious animal that eats Mustangs?
Hurry up, 2013
The wheels office is buzzing with excitement at the prospect of a 650bhp, 320kph muscle car and that means we kind of forgot to tell you about the updated 302 Boss and 2013 ‘Stang. So here's the info, squeezed in at the last minute…
Your run-of-the-mill 2013 Mustang gets a slightly updated exterior design with a new grille, LED lighting, new SelectShift automatic transmission and a 4,2in LCD screen with a G-meter. As for the Boss, even though it's still pretty much showroom-fresh, Ford's lined up a boxful of changes for 2013, such as new, reflective hockey stick graphics (commemorating the original 1970 model), the Ford Sync connectivity system as standard equipment, and a couple of new paint options.
