Just the fastest production Mustang ever, and the quickest, with some serious upgrades from the substantially revised 2010 GT500.
The improvements start under the hood, where the GT500 retains the 5.4-liter V8 developed for the Ford GT supercar, rather than adopting a variation of the new 5.0-liter V8 introduced in the standard 2011 Mustang GT. Horsepower increases by 10 from the 2010 GT500, to 550 hp at 6,200 rpm (peak torque holds at 510 lb-ft), but that's a relatively minor part of the story. The 2011 GT500 gets a new aluminum engine block, cast by Honsel in Germany and finished with a metallurgical process called Plasma Transfer Wire Arc. Steel cylinder liners are sprayed in under extreme pressure at 35,000 degrees Fahrenheit, then machined to a thickness of 150 microns.
As result, the 2011 block weighs 102 pounds less than the previous cast-iron block. Other weight (and fuel) savers include an electric power-steering pump. Charge cooling capacity for the Roots-type supercharger increases 40 percent, thanks to a larger, two-layer intercooler. Bottom line, the GT500's curb weight drops 120 pounds compared with the 2010, to 3,820 pounds. Nearly all of the reduction comes over the front axle in what is a nose-heavy car.
The 2011 GT500 also has aerodynamic improvements and sound-dampening refinements that reduce interior noise levels 20 percent, according to Ford. For the first time, it offers an optional Performance Package developed from the limited-run 2009 GT500 KR. The package includes a limited-slip differential with a shorter 3.73 gear, stiffer springs that lower ride height slightly, forged wheels, Goodyear's latest-gen Eagle F1s (255/40Z-19 front, 285/35ZR-20 rear), and unique, thinner hood stripes.
The 2011 GT500 is available now, starting at $49,495 for the coupe, including the $850 destination charge. Options include the Performance Package ($3,495), a glass roof ($1,995), a navigation/electronics package ($2,340), and Ford's Shaker 1000 audio upgrade ($1,295).
"I think the value here is unprecedented," says Jamal Hameedi, chief program engineer at Ford's Special Vehicle Team. "We're delivering supercar performance for under $50,000."
How's it drive?
The 2011 GT500 drives like ticket bait on the street, and like the fastest Mustang ever on a track. With another short reload on substantive improvements, the big swinging Mustang buries old-school pony-car shortcomings deeper in the past.
Ford's track numbers speak for themselves: 0-60 mph, 4.2 seconds; quarter-mile, 12.3 seconds at 119 mph; skid pad, 1.01 g; 60 mph-0, 106 feet. It's more than five seconds faster than the 2010 GT500 around the full 3.2-mile circuit at Virginia International Raceway. Yet the track numbers only begin to explain how much better the 2011 GT500 is than its predecessor.
The 2011 floats and drifts less readily than the 2010. It understeers less. It's generally better balanced and it has even more grip (thanks, presumably, to Goodyear's latest compounds or construction). In sport mode, its stability electronics seem more progressive.
The GT500 remains a big, heavy, wide car. It takes some familiarity to get comfortable about exactly where its edges are. But it's also quite predictable and easily manageable, even for less-accomplished drivers. Momentum is not necessarily critical in this car. The brakes are strong enough and the torque band so broad that it will cover up a lot of mistakes. You can mess up a corner, scrub off most of your speed and still count on the torque to get you flying again.
Clutch action is definitely not stiff but the pedal isn't resistance-free mush, either. It's just about right. The shifter is firm and tight--one of those single-digit salutes to the pony cars of yore. Steering is probably the element we enjoyed least. It still feels lighter than a lot of European performance cars, with a hint more wanderlust. It's not particularly quick.
On the road, third gear will get you almost anywhere you want to go, once the GT500 is rolling. The flow of torque seems almost limitless. We wouldn't guess many enthusiasts will be chugging around at 2,200 rpm, however. From midrange up, the GT500 sounds fantastic, but never intrusive. We commend SVT for its exhaust tuning.
Ford's performance group seems particularly proud that the 2011 GT500 is the first without a gas-guzzler tax (delivering 15 mpg city, 23 mpg highway, according to the EPA). Of course, top gear in the Tremec six-speed has a way-tall 0.5 ratio. It's good for fuel economy, but few enthusiasts will have the restraint to use it often, unless the day's journey covers a few hundred miles of interstate.
Do I want it?
Who among the Mustang faithful wouldn't want the fastest and arguably best Mustang ever? The 2011 GT500 is fabulously fast, ruggedly handsome and imposingly obvious. It has leading-edge technologies that pony cars aren't necessarily supposed to have. We'd guess, though, that the Performance Package might be a tad stiff on what passes for pavement in places like greater Detroit or eastern Pennsylvania.
As for value, you won't find 550 hp on a new-car lot for less cash. Then again, one might consider a base LS3 Chevrolet Corvette coupe. It has a nearly identical retail price (as of 2010), only a slight power-to-weight disadvantage and even better EPA ratings than the new GT500.
Closer to home, the 2011 Mustang GT 5.0 delivers 412 higher-revving, aluminum-block horsepower hauling 215 fewer pounds than its big brother's supercharged engine, with still better EPA ratings (17 city, 26 highway). And it costs $19,000 less than the new GT500.
Seems like a pretty good deal on the not-quite-the-best Mustang ever.
2011 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500
Price: $48,645 coupe, $53,645 convertible
Available: Now
Layout: Front engine, rear-drive 2+2 coupe or convertible
Drivetrain: 5.4-liter supercharged V8, 550 hp, 510 lb-ft; six-speed manual transmission
Weight: 3,820 lb (coupe)
Performance: 0-60 mph, 4.2 sec; quarter-mile, 12.3 sec @119 mph; skid pad, 1.01 g; 60 mph-0, 106 feet (mfr), 15 mpg city, 23 mpg highway (EPA)
