2014 FORD SHELBY MUSTANG GT500 662hp

The high-performance variation of the next-generation Ford Mustang, which we believe will keep its Shelby GT500 moniker. In light of the expected return of the Shelby GT350, we hear those in Dearborn are wary of two Shelby-branded offerings in the lineup diluting the badge's equity, and are looking into changing the more powerful car's name to SVT Cobra. Although we don't expect this name change to happen, anything goes with the new Stang, which has yet to be officially revealed in any form. If you're wondering whether this is a GT350, well, that model isn't expected to arrive until a few years after the 2015 Mustang debuts, so it's safe to assume this is a GT500 mule.
Traditionally, in the pony-car wars, horsepower is firepower—and the more you have, the better to thump your competition. The current GT500 comes packing heat in the form of a supercharged 5.8-liter V-8 pumping out a brutal 662 ponies and 631 lb-ft of torque. Code-named "Trinity," the blown V-8 is a double-barreled shotgun to theChevrolet Camaro ZL1's magnum pistol—an 82-hp and 75-lb-ft advantage that cannot be ignored. The Camaro's not going anywhere, and neither is the long-running muscle-car rivalry between Chevy and Ford, so the next GT500 will need to maintain the current car's edge.
The upcoming Mustang will ride on a new rear-drive platform code-named "S550" that's expected to be slightly smaller than the current Mustang's architecture. A big change is in store for the pony car's rear suspension, which for the first time—outside of the limited-production 1999--2004 SVT Cobra—will feature an independent layout. Our guess is that this is where the majority of the development work on the GT500 is centered; the engineers must tune the suspension to handle the Trinity motor's mighty thrust and unique weight balance. As for the car's body, it is clear from the test car in these photos that the GT500 will again wear more-muscular and aerodynamically optimized sheetmetal than regular Mustangs. Check out those beefy rocker panels, pumped-out fenders, and fender vents just aft of the front wheel openings. None of this gear was present on the most recent 2015 Mustang prototypes we spotted.
Whereas the outgoing model wore Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar rubber, the prototype you see here rides on staggered-width Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires. What appear to be carbon-ceramic brake rotors peek through the front wheel spokes, but the rear discs look to be regular steel units. For reference, the outgoing GT500's brakes were steel all around.
We expect the Shelby GT500 will again utilize the 5.8-liter Trinity V-8, and while a power bump is possible, it's not at all necessary. The GT500 today struggles to lay down the power and is plenty quick—with the next-gen Mustang's expected weight reduction, more power would seem superfluous. Once again, the GT500 should get just a single transmission option: a six-speed manual.