Showing posts with label gt500. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gt500. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Ford Mustang (6th Gen) Shelby GT500

The long-awaited return of the ultimate Mustang, the Shelby GT500, on the sixth-generation model, has the whole automotive world raving about because with all of the USDA Beef bulking up the current version of America's iconic muscle car, the all-new GT500 promises to be the ultimate GT500 ever made because of what lies underneath its reptilian skin.

2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500

With prices start at a very expensive 72,900 US Dollars plus on road costs, the all-new Shelby GT500 is the ultimate GT500 ever made and from every angle, you can see why everyone's getting jealous on getting their hands on the ultimate road-going Ford car ever built not only because it's the most powerful Ford ever made but it's the most thrilling Ford to drive in an era where crossovers roam back and forth like zombies.

Yes, the GT500 is the ultimate road-going Ford car ever built because the 5.2L Supercharged Cross Plane Crank V8 engine produces a record-breaking 760hp of power output and 625ft-lb of torque, mated to a TREMEC 7-speed Dual Clutch gearbox, which is surprisingly modern for sportscar standards. 760 horsepower means that while it's not as powerful as the ancient-looking but mind-blowing Dodge Challenger Hellcat Redeye, the new GT500 is the most powerful Ford ever made. That's more powerful than the recent Ford GT!

With the power output more than enough to leave everyone driven to tears, the new GT500 is prepared to tear down the road and track with its reworked dynamics not reserved for rookies and debutantes because with such power and handling, you'll need to spend the rest of your lives mastering its bone-crushing performance before challenging it head on. Running on the more hard core Carbon Fiber Track Package, the new GT500 is a mind-blower on the track because with all the track-focused dynamics and the removal of rear seats, it's about as thrilling as a Hollywood action thriller in the cinema and by chasing down the Redeye and the ZL1 1LE on the track, you'll know that such dynamics the new GT500 possesses is the key of winning the race.

Ford has spent a lot of man hours perfecting the GT500 into the muscle car you're seeing it now. On the track, the raw power and dynamics demonstrates how challenging and mind-blowing the GT500 is. On the open road, it's all about getting the job done. And on the city streets, this muscle car is a real swag that can drive bystanders into tears, wishing they just want one.

Despite the outrageous pricing and the fact that it's not quick enough on the straights against a Dodge Challenger Redeye, the new GT500 is the ultimate Mustang for those who are man enough to take on the extremes and once driven in the beginning, you'll be forever smitten until you are fully satisfied.

Photo: Ford Motor Company

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Gran Turismo 6: The Shelby GT500 story



Ever since the Mustang's inception in the 1960's it became well known as the king of muscle cars and with fierce competition from the Chevrolet Camaro and the Dodge Charger, the Ford Mustang still stacks up the competition. The Mustang has been widely known to be starred in different movies and shows. It was once famously appeared in Bullitt starring Steve McQueen, Gone in 60 Seconds, Fast and Furious Tokyo Drift, Drive, Getaway, next year's NFS movie, the unsuccessful TV reboot of Knight Rider, and oh, it was once appeared in an episode of Alcatraz.



If someone complains about a Mustang, then it's got to be Europeans and Asians doing the complaining over the Mustang because even though Mustangs love to prefer the straight line enjoyment, having one in countries outside the USA makes you feel like you're a spokening dollar wearing a stetson, some cowboy boots, drinking too much fizzy pops, wasting some cash on a holiday in Disneyland, eating too much fast foods like McDonald's, Burger King, or Subway, and you're the sort of person occasionally living the fancy life. That's how a Mustang guy best describes himself.

If you're in the land of anime, K-Pop, baguettes, kebabs, tom yum, or Right Honorable Gentlemen, you might think that the Mustang is nothing but a pet peeve. A cog piece for the shorter chap. An equivalent of The Rich Texan from The Simpsons.

This particular Mustang, however, is not like that. This is the Shelby GT500, the pinnacle of the Mustang range. The king of Mustangs. In the US, this car costs $54,995 so it's cheaper than any other supercars five times the price. What surprises me is the engine that powers it, a 5.8L DOHC 32-valve supercharged V8 engine, produces 662HP. That's about a hundred more than a Ferrari 458 or a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. Ford says it's the most powerful production V8 ever made. Yummy.



It maybe heralded as America's most powerful car but there are some downfalls to the GT500. Like all Mustangs, the GT500 is not good on the corners because unlike most modern cars that comes with multi-link, dual-rate dampers, and independent rear suspensions, this Mustang still comes with a live-axle, which is a bit old-school in the handling stakes but still, it's enjoyable as a drifting machine if you got some time to pass.

Reason why the Mustang GT500 didn't come with some modern suspension is because it would have added some pricing to each car. It maybe a ridiculous decision but you can't have a powerful car stuck with some suspension made of wood or a lamppost. What remains is a car that looks great and still performs on a straight line. That's it.







You can't add that much power on a car that still comes with an old suspension system, right? Most modern sports cars are not like the Mustang because even with the added power, they took some time beefing up the suspension to make it more handling-friendly. In the past, power is the top priority but with times changed, sports car makers rely on the handling as the top priority. The Mustang is...well always sticking to the power struggle.



Back in 2011, when Chevrolet launched the ultimate Camaro, the ZL1, Ford got alarmed that the ultimate Camaro got more power than their GT500 so they've responded and in the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show, Ford takes a stab on the Camaro ZL1 with their 2013 GT500, which produces more power than the rival Chevy. The Mustang loves playing catch-up since the advent of the fifth-generation Camaro in 2009 and while the Camaro has been America's best seller, Ford wanted to keep up by giving the 2013 Mustang range a 100-horsepower increase. The previous GT500 has about 550-ish horsepower, don't know but I keep forgetting maths but since it was rated at around 662HP, the 2013 GT500 is once again king of American muscle cars. Not only it outwit the ZL1 but also the Corvette ZR1 in the horsepower stakes. It's kinda shame that even with the 100HP increase, nothing can match the technology and sophistication of its Chevy rivals.

Hmmm...



Unlike most any traditional American V8 engines, this 5.8L DOHC 32-valve supercharged V8 engine is quite sophisticated. The block is German-made, perhaps they all know what they're doing, the crank shaft is made of carbon fiber and hopefully it won't blow in the hands of whatever Brainiacs introduce it to SPEED. 0-60 takes 3.7 seconds and top speed is over 202mph.

What shocks us the most is the 2013 GT500's fuel tank because of its 50L capacity. A 50-litre fuel tank takes about 14MPG, which means at 140 miles, this car has to stop for fuel. Ouch. Well that's a theory worth proving but your actual mileage, both GT6 and reality, may vary.



As the Mustang GT500 continues to chew off the miles, I was wondering how come this immensely powerful car feels so...cheap.



Well, it's not what you called luxurious for a car that some people would call it a luxury car because of its outrageous pricing and it's not quite as refined as sportscars from Europe and Japan.



Despite all this, it's still worth addicting. When you put your foot on the pedal hard, your life gets drunk with speed. Once you're in the GT500, you'll never ever get away with it, it enslaves you for the fun of it. It's a likeable car, a good looking car, and no wonder why I got hooked on this car probably because it's so powerful enough to take on the sophisticated supercars five times the price.



And then, apart from being a likable, you can also expect one thing that stands out: HERITAGE.



This car owes its existence to a legend named Carroll Shelby. He was born in 1923 with a heart condition, meaning that he has to spend the rest of his life fighting for a living so one day, he decided to become a racer. While his racing career never cut the mustard, he heard that somewhere in England, a small company called AC was struggling to find a Ford-sourced engine for its sportscar. Carroll Shelby brokered a deal with Ford Motor Company to supply big V8s and the Cobra was born.



The Sunday Times reported that the coupe version of the Cobra, the Daytona Coupe, reached 190mph on the M1 highway and that sparked an enormous outrage over the safety of motorworks. Because of that, the 70mph speed limit was introduced.

In the USA, the Cobra christened a collaboration between Shelby and Ford, which spawned numerous creations until in 2012, Carroll Shelby died at the age of 89.



Just before his passing, he had to see this and apparently, he liked it. I also like the fact that this Mustang bears some menacing Cobra badges and his name on the back as a tribute to the motoring legend himself. I was going to say this but Mr. Shelby, no matter where you are, even if you are in the Great Racetrack in the Sky, my tribute goes to you but because I am so busy playing Gran Turismo 6 with the 2013 Shelby GT500, I just can't bring myself to say it.



Even though the Mustang GT500 has some ups and downs in terms on how does this car behaves, this car is definitely one of my favorites in the game. Not good on cornering, good on the straights, 50-litre fuel tank, heritage, these traits what best describe this car.









It looks great, tons of character, and goes like a train...well, almost. However, there is a problem regarding this car because the biggest advance on cars in the last century is refinement. You could drive an old banger at around 70mph but it feels like you've been shaken, rattled, and rolled. A present-day Ford Focus makes you feel like sitting in a bathtub while your hands and feet get lubed into something oily when you reach 70 mph.

The GT500 feels like an old banger to us because of the noise, vibration, and the harshness. Perhaps no wonder why American cars are so cheap. They're so cheap, they couldn't pay attention to the details and they simply aren't as sophisticated as the European rivals.

Don't get me wrong. Even though this is no Mustang, this is the exact Mustang that Jeremy Clarkson drove in the Series 19 episode from Top Gear in a Pan-European race from Wembley to San Siro and he lost just after Hammond and May arrived at the bar near the stadium.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Forza Horizon: Honoring America's Heroes

Let Battle Commence...

Now I had to admit it that I am very lucky to drive America's most powerful car and oh, sorry, that position used to belong to the Corvette C6 ZR1 because now, the title holder of being America's most powerful car or the most powerful V8 car in the world is now the 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500.

Question, why the 2013 Shelby GT500 is now America's most powerful car rather than the ZR1 and the SRT Viper combined. The secret of this sheer success is Ford's brand new 5.8L Trinity V8 engine with added supercharger. This resulted the power output of 662HP and 631 lb.-ft. of torque. These numbers don't lie you know. This is real. It's SAE-certified and it's powerful not just it's rival, the Chevy Camaro ZL1, but also the Corvette ZR1 and the SRT Viper GTS. It's really America's most powerful and you will all bow down to the Blue Oval. Yeah, bow down to the might of the Blue Oval because....well, you get the idea.

Tell you what though, thanks to this 662HP power output to the GT500's 5.8L supercharged V8 engine, this will sure enough to convert Camaro fans to Mustang fans...because thanks to the 2013 Mustang GT500, the theory of "Mustangs are better than Camaros" became fruition...well, almost. Ugh...I know that the 2013 GT500 proves that Mustangs are better than Camaros but why does most Camaros are popular than this? Never mind, but still, I'm more than happy to meet up with America's most powerful car.

To conclude, I have to clips of Horizon-ness starring the 2013 GT500 and the Corvette C6 ZR1. Get ready with your spanners...

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Convertible vs. 2013 Shelby GT500 Convertible

2013 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Convertible

This is the new Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Convertible, which on this spec costs 59,545 US Dollars...

2013 Ford Shelby GT500 Convertible

...and this is the new Mustang GT500 Convertible, which in all intentional purposes cost 59,200 US Dollars.

For those who love some speed, power, and a lot of grunt, the GT500 is a better bet because this is now hailed as America's Most Powerful Production Car or better yet, the world's most powerful V8 car, beating out the former V8 king, the Corvette ZR1. On this Convertible version, you'll get the same experiences from the coupe version but with the roof down to enjoy the open air. The GT500 is America's new speed king, meaning that on the straights, the GT500 rules but unlike the GT500 because it relies on such prehistoric suspension even though it was tweaked by SVT, the Camaro ZL1 is much more track-focused thanks to its standard Magnetic Ride Control, standard Performance Traction Management, and standard track-capable equipment such as a rear-differential cooler, brake cooling ducts, and an engine and transmission cooler.

If they were softdrinks, they'll be Coke or Pepsi. If they were girls, they'll be Medaka or Rias....

There's more with these two cars; they're both Americans, they're both muscles, and they're both have roofs made of cloth rather than metal. If you put these two on a drag race, rest assured that thanks to its supercharged 5.8-liter V8 aluminum-block engine produces 662 horsepower and 631 lb.-ft. of torque, the GT500 trounces the ZL1 and its all-aluminum 580HP 6.2L supercharged engine. Even if you switch drivers and do the race again, the results remain the same. It's like Bumblebee being fragged by Eleanor.

Truth be told, the GT500 Convertible is quicker than the ZL1 convertible on a straight line but when placed on racetracks, the results are highly different. Thanks to its SVT-tuned suspension and an additional Track Package that costs them more, the handling feels much more dynamic than the old model. So dynamic, you may found out that this muscle's highly challenging if you're not paying attention. It takes a lot of skill and time to master the GT500's dynamic handling and if you do, you'll find it even more rewarding.

On the ZL1 though, it's still a "Dynamic and Dangerous" muscle car but because of its sophisticated computer wizardry or probably thanks to its standard Magnetic Ride Control or Performance Traction Management, the ZL1 tries to tame its dynamism a little bit further. Despite the ZL1's power output less than the GT500's, I can brake later than the GT500, I can turn harder than the GT500, and that's it. The ZL1's a track-focused muscle car with some added dynamism on it. Let's remember, the coupe version of the ZL1 lapped the Nurburgring at 7:41.27, quicker than the Lamborghini Murciélago LP670-4 SV or even the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG.

On the subject of muscle car convertibles though, thanks to some strengthening needs, both of these cars are heavier than their hardtop coupe equivalents. A trivia though that with no roof, it all ends up with the engine on the front connected to its steering and suspension goodies by just a floor, just like two volumes of encyclopedias and a piece of paper. It's too wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff if you know what I mean.


2013 Ford Shelby GT500 Convertible

The 2013 GT500 Convertible though, I believe that this is much better than the old GT500 Convertible. I'm just saying because there are so many stuff to do better than this includes...late night television, working at a fast-food restaurant, or go on a strike with your officemates. Stuff like that. Even though with major improvements, the convertible GT500 is a lot heavier than the hardtop equivalents and it spoils a lot.

2013 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Convertible

The hardtop ZL1 is one of the best Chevrolets I've experienced a few months ago but with the convertible ZL1, this is even better. With no roof, you can clearly hear the sound of the 6.2L supercharged engine even better. It sounds like there was a dirty brawl between Nina Williams and Miki Hoshii. That sounds better than this but with such noise, it's hard to notice it and you can't even feel the ZL1 convertible's extra weight. On the race track, both are good but for everyday use, I think the ZL1 is the better bet because on bumpy roads, the ZL1's suspension counterattacks the vibration more than the GT500's.

For a real treat on those convertible muscle cars, get a girl who spend her money on hair rebonding and do some experimenting. Unless your girl had used Rejoice shampoo, your muscle car convertible may end up turning her into a mohawk. Worse, you'll arrive in a black eye...

And that concludes my impressions to the ZL1 and GT500 cabrios. Naming a winner on these two is not that all fun and games because sadly though...well, sorry Mr. JCR Clarkson Esq. for saying your lines...THEY BOTH LOSE.

Photo: General Motors, Ford Motor Company