Mustang GT500 to Debut in January

Ford has teased the most capable variant of one of its most iconic models — the Mustang Shelby GT500, which will debut in January at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show.

Leading up to NAIAS 2018, Ford launched a teaser video claiming the new GT500 will arrive with more than 700 horsepower. The automaker was less forthcoming at the actual event, though we at least learned the model was in the works. Since then, camouflaged test mules showed up everywhere and Ford’s marketing team issued a few teasers detailing the Mustang’s new look. But there wasn’t an official reveal date announced until this week.

Those teasers have already given us a pretty good idea of what the model will look like, but we’d be speculating if we told you what was under the hood. Whatever it is, Ford is supercharging it. That’s not much of a revelation, as Ford has been doing so for years. Our best guess is that the manufacturer plans to upgrade the 5.2-liter, flat-plane V8 currently found in the current Mustang GT350 and slap a snake on top.

The unit’s output is also up for debate. After promising at least 700 horsepower at the start of 2018, Ford scaled back its claim to “over” 650 hp. Unconfirmed leaks suggest Ford is still aiming for the moon, though. We’ve heard everything from 670 to 750 ponies and would imagine the truth will be somewhere in the middle. Those same leaks also claimed a hefty curb weight of 4,200 pounds and a top speed just shy of 200 mph. Info on the rest of the GT500’s hardware has been tougher to pin down. While a fully independent suspension is basically guaranteed, we don’t even know if Ford will offer a manual variant.

Fortunately, we should be able to find out in January, when The Blue Oval slaps us in the face with the model at the 2019 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.