GT500 marks new performance era for Ford

Shelby Cobra GT500 (photo : Ford Motor Company)

Just as the original Shelby GT500 was the ''step up'' to big-block power from the GT350, the new Ford Shelby Cobra GT500 steps up to Ford's 5.4-liter ''MOD'' V-8. The result is an engine that can deliver more than 450 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque. For those keeping score, that is the highest horsepower rating of any factory Mustang in history.

The four-valve engine with a cast-iron-block is force-fed an air-and-fuel mixture via a screw-type supercharger at 8.5 pounds per square inch of boost, explains Jay O'Connell, SVT chief vehicle engineer.

Aluminum cylinder heads, piston rings and bearings sourced from the Ford GT program bring a high level of proven durability to the drivetrain, while upgraded cooling components promise longevity. ''Powered by SVT'' camshaft covers are the finishing touch to the engine.

O'Connell says the engine has been further tuned from its first application in a Mustang, the 2000 SVT Mustang Cobra R, a limited edition model of 300 units.

Helping to put the power of the GT500's supercharged V-8 to the pavement through the rear wheels is a T-56 six-speed manual gearbox. O'Connell says ''The evenly spaced gears mean less stirring is needed to find the sweet spot in keeping the revs 'on cam' for power to pass, while at the same time making the most of the engine's broad torque curve.''

The heavy-duty transmission has proven itself a willing companion to V-8 power in Mustangs in both road and track environments, O'Connell notes, including the 2000 SVT Mustang Cobra R, 2004 SVT Mustang Cobra and the new Ford Racing Mustang FR500C.

With great power comes great responsibility, the old saying goes, and that applies very strongly to a car with this much grunt and that means an upgrading of the other mechanical bits.

Shelby Cobra GT500 (photo : Ford Motor Company)

''Using real-world experience gained during more than 12 years of building great-handling SVT Mustang Cobras,'' says O'Connell, ''SVT engineers retune and upgrade key chassis components. Improvements such as revised shocks, spring rates and upgraded stabilizer bars help the GT500 stop and turn with the same authority as it goes.''

The GT500 features a MacPherson strut independent front suspension with ''Reverse L'' lower control arms, and a solid-axle, three-link rear suspension with coil springs and a Panhard rod for precise control of the rear axle.

Though a solid axle is more than a little passé in modern vehicles, O'Connell says the Mustang's rear suspension design has been validated on the track by Ford Racing. The race-prepared Ford Racing Mustang FR500C was purpose-built from the base 2005 Mustang body structure and suspension geometry to run in the Grand-Am Cup series, he explains, and it won its first ever race in the season-opener at Daytona International Speedway in February 2005.

''SVT and Ford Racing will be working closer than ever as we go forward on future projects,'' says Thai-Tang, but ''especially Mustangs.'' He is himself a racing veteran, having served as the race engineer for the Newman-Haas Racing team in 1993.

To match this power and handling ability, SVT fitted some of the biggest brakes in the business to the GT500. Fourteen-inch cross-drilled Brembo rotors up front and 13-inch discs in the rear ''continue SVT's legacy of great-braking Mustangs.'' On top of that, ''secure footing'' is provided by 19-inch wheels wrapped in high-performance tires.