Two icons are totally revamped for 2020.
By now, we’ve actually seen the 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 and the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray in the flesh. One is still front engined, while the other is now mid-engined. One is supercharged, while the other is naturally aspirated. They both share big, burly V8 engines, as two of the remaining American powerhouses that have bucked the downsizing trend so far. But which slice of V8 Americana is better? Roman heads out to dive deeper into the details of the 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 to work it out.
Here are the details on the 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500. Under the hood is a supercharged 5.2-liter V8 engine. To date, it’s the most powerful production car Ford’s ever built, producing 760 horsepower and 625 lb-ft of torque. That’s 113 horsepower more than the already wicked fast Ford GT, and nearly 100 horsepower more than the old Shelby GT500. This one mates up to a Tremec seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, unlike the old car’s six-speed manual.
One other important number with the 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 is 10.6. That’s the amount of time it takes the new GT500 to get from a standstill to 100 mph and back to a stop again. While that is impressive, the official 0-60 time on this car remains to be seen, though it should be in the mid 3-second range.
How does it compare to the Corvette?
Naturally, the 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 is meant to square off against heavyweights like the Dodge SRT Challenger Hellcat Redeye. To that end, it is a lot more powerful than the Corvette Stingray we saw in July. Although, there undoubtedly will be more powerful mid-engined Corvettes in the near future. As it stands, the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray produces 495 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque courtesy of its 6.2-liter naturally aspirated LT2 V8. Like the Mustang, the new Corvette’s engine mates exclusively to a dual-clutch transmission — this time an eight-speed unit.
Where these two cars also diverge, at least by the numbers we currently have, is on price. Spec out a 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 and you’re pretty easily touching the six-figure mark. As you’d expect, it’s a hefty premium on the GT350 and GT350R. The Corvette, on the other hand, should have a starting MSRP less than $60,000. Although, in practice it will likely be more expensive, as well the Mustang.
So which one would you choose? Which one will actually be the better car? We’ll get up close with each when the opportunity comes to drive them. Until then, stay tuned to TFLcar.com for more of the latest news, views and real world, Mustang Shelby GT500 and C8 Chevy Corvette reviews.
