Rumormill: 2013 Shelby GT500 to boast over 600 horsepower

[Primalzer]

The golden age of horsepower ended a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, right? Well, no. In reality, it seems that every new model year brings more and more ponies from the likes of the reborn Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger along with the stalwart Ford Mustang.

According to the internet rumormill, that pattern isn't going to change any time soon. Car and Driver reports that the 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 will boast as much as 620 horsepower. Naturally, the powerplant providing all those ponies will be a supercharged V8, in this case bored out to displace 5.8 liters instead of the 5.4 we've been seeing for the last several years.

Car and Driver's math tells us, assuming the power and weight estimates are in the ballpark, to expect a scorching 12.0-second quarter mile time from the 2013 GT500, a top speed that could be as high as 190 miles per hour and a sticker price of roughly $60,000.

For what it's worth, Chevrolet is estimating that the supercharged and intercooled 6.2-liter LSA V8 engine that will power its Camaro ZL1 – the top run (so far) of Chevy's muscle car lineup – will put out around 550 horsepower and 550 pound-feet of torque. Naturally, that's all subject to change.

[AutoBlog]

Click to read more...

 

[Primalzer]

I really don't want to get into another Ford-Chevy pissing match again.

It seems like the GT500's problem isn't necessarily a lack of power, but a severe lack of traction around a road course, and a weight problem (albeit not nearly as bad as the Camaro's) I would rather see Ford drop the weight on the current engined one.

 

[Eagle]

Wow. That's crazy power for a factory vehicle at that price point.

 

[Krash7051]

this makes me happy in pants.

 

[jason05gt]

I really don't want to get into another Ford-Chevy pissing match again.

It seems like the GT500's problem isn't necessarily a lack of power, but a severe lack of traction around a road course, and a weight problem (albeit not nearly as bad as the Camaro's) I would rather see Ford drop the weight on the current engined one.

This is old news for us Ford fanboys. Ford wasn’t going to sit on their thumbs and let Government Motors one up them.

FYI, Ford dropped 120 lbs from the front end in 2011 by going to an aluminum block. The GT500 performance package holds its own on a road course. I’ve read rumors that Ford will be offering a Recaro/Torsen package for the 2012 GT500, so that should help put power to the ground.

 

[Primalzer]

This is old news for us Ford fanboys. Ford wasn’t going to sit on their thumbs and let Government Motors one up them.

FYI, Ford dropped 120 lbs from the front end in 2011 by going to an aluminum block. The GT500 performance package holds its own on a road course. I’ve read rumors that Ford will be offering a Recaro/Torsen package for the 2012 GT500, so that should help put power to the ground.

I know that they dropped weight from the previous model year, but it still quite portly.

I know that the GT500 is no slouch at all. But the last article I read about it was the Motor Trend with it against the Z06 w/ the carbon ceramic brakes and magni-ride and the GT-R. Those two are both much higher dollar cars, but the main point that I brought out of it was the exit speeds for the GT500 were always significantly lower, and I think it was Probst who was doing the testing, said that the GT500 just could not get traction, even in 3rd. Now this may or may not be solved with an IRS, but I think some better weight distribution and dropping of weight would help this issue.

 

[jason05gt]

I know that they dropped weight from the previous model year, but it still quite portly.

I know that the GT500 is no slouch at all. But the last article I read about it was the Motor Trend with it against the Z06 w/ the carbon ceramic brakes and magni-ride and the GT-R. Those two are both much higher dollar cars, but the main point that I brought out of it was the exit speeds for the GT500 were always significantly lower, and I think it was Probst who was doing the testing, said that the GT500 just could not get traction, even in 3rd. Now this may or may not be solved with an IRS, but I think some better weight distribution and dropping of weight would help this issue.

The Torsen diff should help putting down power out of the apex. If I remember correctly, the Z06 had traction issues too.

Ford can’t reduce more weight without increasing the price. The 2014 Mustang will be a lighter all new IRS rear platform. I don’t see Ford investing heavily in the S197 platform to reduce weight for one model year.

I’d like to see Ford upgrade the brakes for 2013.

 

[Lead Pipe]

Do you think the next gen IRS mustang will be lighter than the S197?

 

[Primalzer]

Do you think the next gen IRS mustang will be lighter than the S197?

If they do it right, it should be

 

[jason05gt]

Do you think the next gen IRS mustang will be lighter than the S197?

Yes, it will be.

"To keep rolling, Mulally is requiring new models introduced from 2012 to 2020 to weigh 250 to 750 pounds less than their predecessors. If they can’t achieve best-in-class fuel economy, he won’t approve them.

“Every engineer needs to think about weight as one of the most fundamental elements,” Kuzak says.

 

[Lead Pipe]

This is supposed to be the same basic platform as the Aussie falcon, right? The S197 will be the last platform used exclusively for the mustang? Any other info leaked yet?

 

[Mook]

Here we've got spy shots of the 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 test mule rocking some updated exterior bits -- and a new engine packing what we hear is over 600 horsepower.

Well that didn't take long, did it? It was only last month at the 2011 Chicago Auto Show that Chevy took the wraps off the GT500 besting 550-horsepower Camaro ZL1.

While we've got photos and rumors, Car and Driver seems to have an inside source close to the project who says that the 5.4 will be enlarged to 5.8 liters and that the supercharger will be switched to a four-lobe Eaton TVS -- the same blower model on the ZL1, CTS-V and Audi S4. Oh, and that 620 is the magic horsepower number.

Consider the last time we tested a GT500, with only 540 horsepower, it hit 4.3 and ran the quarter at 12.5 @ 115.3.

Your move, GM. Your move.

 

[Frank Dukes]

sweet camo paint job.

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

Looks like a leopard....or somebody got bored and had a can of black spray paint.

 

[Lead Pipe]

I would think all GM would have to do is slap the 2.3 TVS on the LSA to produce over 600 hp. Interesting times for sure. I wonder if the new GT500 will still escape the gas guzzler tax and I also wonder if the ZL1 will be hit with it.

 

[Dasfinc]

I would think all GM would have to do is slap the 2.3 TVS on the LSA to produce over 600 hp. Interesting times for sure. I wonder if the new GT500 will still escape the gas guzzler tax and I also wonder if the ZL1 will be hit with it.

Its called the LS9, and it has 638hp, and is in the Corvette ZR1.........

GM would be shooting themselves in the foot selling a Camaro with as much horse power as their 'Halo' car.

Ford can dump as much power into the GT500 as it wants since its basically their halo car, this is a loosing game for GM in my opinion. To compete with the mustang, they will hurt their own corvette sales.

 

[Smokinhot]

Its called the LS9, and it has 638hp, and is in the Corvette ZR1.........

GM would be shooting themselves in the foot selling a Camaro with as much horse power as their 'Halo' car.

Ford can dump as much power into the GT500 as it wants since its basically their halo car, this is a loosing game for GM in my opinion. To compete with the mustang, they will hurt their own corvette sales.

soooo, bump the power on both the Z06 to 550-600hp and ZR1 to 700hp so not to compete with each other. Then bump the ZL1 Camaro to 600hp

 

[Primalzer]

I think that they should bump the power of the corvette across the range, and make it in a REAL world beater. Not just a economy "supercar". Make it world class across the board. Get it to compete with the 599 not just in performance, but in build quality, interior, and precision. There is NO reason that GM shouldn't be able to do this. They basically have any resource at their fingertips. Make the corvette an actual halo car.

 

[Yaj Yak]

nothing ever with a chevy badge will have teh build quality, interior and precision of a 599. the end. thats it and thats all.

because at the end of the day, i dont care how awesome it truly is, it is still "just a chevy"

brand name equity goes a long way in any product, especially somethign that is most likely more of a status symbol than a vehicle.

 

[Primalzer]

but why can't GM build to those standards? What does Ferrari have that GM doesn't? Why can't GM get the same materials as ferrari? GM just has led us to believe that they can't do it, and they would have to brand engineer that type of quality. I call bullshit. If the corvette is truly to be a world class car, GM has to step out of the quality hole they think they are in.

 

[Lead Pipe]

Its called the LS9, and it has 638hp, and is in the Corvette ZR1.........

GM would be shooting themselves in the foot selling a Camaro with as much horse power as their 'Halo' car.

Ford can dump as much power into the GT500 as it wants since its basically their halo car, this is a loosing game for GM in my opinion. To compete with the mustang, they will hurt their own corvette sales.

Uhhh no, it's not. An LS9 has a forged bottom end and is hand built with titanium valves and other other exotic materials. An LSA with a 2.3 blower would be just that and would make 40 less HP than the ZR1 in a car that weighs 700lbs. more. It would be much cheaper to build than an LS9 too. They're already planning on selling a Camaro with more HP than a Z06 at 20K less.

 

[Yaj Yak]

but why can't GM build to those standards? What does Ferrari have that GM doesn't? Why can't GM get the same materials as ferrari? GM just has led us to believe that they can't do it, and they would have to brand engineer that type of quality. I call bullshit. If the corvette is truly to be a world class car, GM has to step out of the quality hole they think they are in.

You really need to look at this beyond the world of "car guys", seriously. gm is not making vehicles to please us, they don't need to, they need to please the general public that is it and that is all... that is their bread and butter...

a corvette will never be pricd the same as a lambo or a ferrari because NO ONE would ever purchase one.

if they were to do a high end super car- which is such a huge if- and go after lambo's, porsches and ferraris, chances are it would sport a cadillac emblem on the front of it, because a chevy is a chevy will always be a chevy.

 

[GTwolf]

nothing ever with a chevy badge will have teh build quality, interior and precision of a 599. the end. thats it and thats all.

because at the end of the day, i dont care how awesome it truly is, it is still "just a chevy"

brand name equity goes a long way in any product, especially somethign that is most likely more of a status symbol than a vehicle.

This. I had a guy test drive a mercedes convertible last weekend, he's always bought vettes (21 bought and sold in the past few years). Thought he'd give mercedes a shot. He said he doesn't think he'll ever buy an American product again after driving that.

 

[Yaj Yak]

Uhhh no, it's not. An LS9 has a forged bottom end and is hand built with titanium valves and other other exotic materials. An LSA with a 2.3 blower would be just that and would make 40 less HP than the ZR1 in a car that weighs 700lbs. more. It would be much cheaper to build than an LS9 too. They're already planning on selling a Camaro with more HP than a Z06 at 20K less.

that seems like a dumb marketing plan...

 

[jason05gt]

I think that they should bump the power of the corvette across the range, and make it in a REAL world beater. Not just a economy "supercar". Make it world class across the board. Get it to compete with the 599 not just in performance, but in build quality, interior, and precision. There is NO reason that GM shouldn't be able to do this. They basically have any resource at their fingertips. Make the corvette an actual halo car.

Sounds like a failure right off the start.

If GM wants a Halo car, it should be a Cadillac. You won’t find many people to buy a $150K Corvette.