A Ford executive recently revealed that Ford was in the planning stages of a wild ad concept that, unfortunately, did not materialize. The ad would have seen the Shelby GT500 running from 0 to 160 mph and then returning to zero along the runway of an aircraft carrier.
“We made our brochure company reach a decommissioned fleet of ships and we knew mathematically that we could do that,” said Jim Owens, Mustang’s chief marketing officer, recently to the Ford Authority. “So, we wrote it and we really wanted to do it. But we don’t understand. “
It is unclear what sank the announcement in the end, whether it was the global pandemic or something else, but the fact that the concept is theoretically possible is no less impressive.
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Ford itself said the Mustang could complete the feat in just 10.6 seconds. Everything gets more impressive when you realize that the GT500 was timed in 10.6 seconds across the quarter mile with an output speed of 133 mph.
This kind of performance is achieved thanks to Ford’s 5.2-liter Supercharged Predator V8 that produces 760 hp, which is sent to the rear wheels via a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission. This is good enough to bring the GT500 to 60 mph in just 3.3 seconds and 160 mph in 6.7 seconds.
“The range of brute-force acceleration, perfect road changes and incredibly smooth changes to the track further highlights how high the Shelby GT500’s soul is in our most advanced Mustang ever,” said the chief program engineer. from Ford Performance Ed Krenz in 2019. “Dealing effortlessly with 760 horsepower is our first dual-clutch Tremec transmission, with an advanced control system that enhances the GT500’s five driving modes to offer a previously reserved driving experience only for exotic supercars. ”
The brakes, in turn, are 16.5 inches in diameter – larger than the base wheel of a Fiesta 2019. The calipers are made of aluminum and feature six pistons that compress the large discs and are produced by Brembo.