With competition heating up over the Hellcat and Demon spawned in Mopar’s 8th circle of Hell and the new ZL1 pumping out more than 650 horses in Chevy’s secret labs, Ford decided to crank up the heat with the 2018 Shelby GT500. Will they deliver?
source: Ford.com
By looks alone, certainly: The front fascia continues to pay homage to that legendary cobra stare. The hood sports mean (and functional) scoops to cool those hot heads. The fender wells barely tuck away fatter, thicker tires. Plenty of “Ford-first” goodies are said to be hidden beneath the glossy striped body.
Ford Firsts: So, what exactly is new and never before seen here? In addition to offering a traditional 6-speed, Ford is optioning a hyper-efficient, 10-speed automatic transmission. Strangely, it’s been developed alongside the engineers at GM. That is, the same folks who helped build the ZL1. For a platform that’s competed against the Camaro for over 50 years, this is odd, if not a faux pas against Mustang customers.
Motor Rumors: Rumors abound when guessing which powerplant will push the new 2018 Shelby GT500 through the turns. Two possibilities have been borne of popular opinion and informed insiders. The first likely choice is a rumored-to-be-revamped 5.2L V8 stolen from the Shelby GT350’s engine bay. If that’s the case, Ford isn’t being lazy here. Big changes are supposedly coming to the motor’s configuration: Flat plane crank lovers can wave goodbye to a Ford-first and greet a 90-degree block with direct fuel injection. Although ditching the fast-revving benefits the flat plane crank offers, this new Voodoo motor will purportedly be outfitted with twin turbochargers or a conventional blower (we’re leaning toward the latter for the instant power band). If this is the case, we expect the new Shelby will easily surpass its 5.0L predecessor’s 662 HP.
The other powerplant being teased is a tad crazier. It departs from Ford’s EcoBoost branding and power logic, but Ford Performance sources are the ones supporting this rumor: A massive 7.0L, naturally aspirated V8. If that’s the case, it’ll be one of the biggest motors Ford has ever shoved in a car. This is bigger than the Demon’s 6.2L Hemi. We’re jittery just thinking about seeing this much displacement in a modern two-door Ford body. If the Shelby ends up coming to market with so many cubic inches, we’ll be eagerly waiting to see who’s brave enough to top it with a blower. We expect 4-digit figures to come from the GT500 if this pans out. Exciting, to say the least.
Drivetrain: Power alone does not get the Shelby shaving seconds off track times and edging out the competition from Mopar and Chevy. Ford knows this and mated its independent rear suspension found on new S550s with the Shelby’s powertrain. Poking out from the hubs are massive 305/30ZR-20 Michelins, adding some extra grab in the corners. To be sure, the 2018 Shelby GT500 is shaping up to be a track star. Even with a big motor like the 7.0L, a straight-line drag car, this will not be.
Track Day: If all these upgrades aren’t convincing enough that Ford is getting ready to attempt some records on some very well-known tracks (looking at you, Germany), check out the aggressive rear spoiler crowning the fat rear end, which is playing host to a rather exotic rear diffuser. Coupled with functional brake vents in the front and rear, it’s no question the new 2018 Shelby GT500 will be so much more than just a powerplant attempting to make bigger numbers than the Hellcat and Camaro.
