The Ford Mustang has always been an iconic muscle car, but the sixth-gen model that debuted for the 2015 model year just so happens to be the most iconic of all. The sixth-gen model brought about an all-new design language, a brand-new platform with independent rear suspension, and more importantly, it became the first generation of Mustang to find itself in Ford dealerships over in Europe. So far, Ford has launched the first performance variant of the sixth-gen Mustang – the Shelby GT350 – but we’ve seen spy shots of an even more aggressive version, telling us that a Shelby GT500 is likely in the books. So far, we’ve been expecting to see it for the 2018 model year, but it looks like Ford just might bring that bad boy out for the 2017 model year.
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No word has come down from for, at least not directly, but if you do a quick Google search for “gt500” one of the first results is Ford’s website with the listing: "2017 Ford Mustang Shelby GT 500 |
The Cobra of Performance Cars…” The URL is even “www.ford.com/cars/mustang/trim/shelbygt500.” When you click on the link, it takes you straight to the 2017 Mustang model page, but the URL remains the same, indicating we may see the most powerful version of the Mustang much sooner than we expected. |
If the Shelby GT500 does really go on sale as a 2017 model, then Ford needs to get this baby into the public view as soon as possible. That means we could see it in the metal as early as the 2017 Detroit Auto Show, and if not there, the 2017 Chicago Auto Show. At this time, there’s no word as to what will power the beast, but rumors have suggested a twin-turbo V-8 (a big departure from the supercharged mills of the past) that could boast anywhere between 700 to 800 horsepower. It would also sport a performance braking package from Brembo, a race-bred suspension, and probably Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires. More importantly, it should be powerful enough to take on models like the Chevy Camaro ZL1, and anything with a Hellcat badge.
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Subtle Hint or Marketing Scheme?
Right away, it’s important to remember that this could just be Ford’s way of making sure they get as many people to the Mustang landing page as possible. The GT500 will be a hot commodity, so it’s only natural that Ford would want to get in on the ground floor when it comes to traffic surrounding that keyword. That’s exactly what this could be. Then again Ford could be using the metrics from site traffic to that specific URL to gauge the public interesting the upcoming model.
At this point, it’s really hard to say, but it is pretty interesting to see that there is a URL in place, as well as a listing for the 2017 Shelby GT500. One thing is for sure; we’re looking forward to possibly seeing it in the next couple of months. Until then, you can check out our speculative review on it here.
Read our full review on the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 here.