Significance
Between 2015 and 2020, Ford produced their GT350 variant of the Mustang. It was almost universally lauded as the best-driving Mustang ever for its ability to straddle the divide between fun and comfortable on the street and highly competent on the track. So, as production of the GT350 was being phased out, Ford knew that their follow-up had to live up to the legend they had created with the previous model. Debuting at the 2019 North American International Auto Show, the GT500 was the car to carry the torch as the Mustang halo car. Unlike previous generations of GT500, the engineering team at Ford took the lessons they learned from the GT350 and were able to make this car handle on the track. Thanks to the extreme amounts of power, they could easily build a car that rivals European supercars, many times more expensive than it. Revised bodywork over the GT350 gives the new car a more aggressive look and helps provide adequate engine cooling while remaining slippery enough to achieve a top speed in excess of 190 mph.
About this vehicle
This 2020 Ford Mustang GT500 is finished in Kona Blue with white over-the-top stripes and is fitted with the ultra-desirable Carbon Fiber Track Pack. Showing a mere 776 miles, this car remains an exceptional example of the most capable Mustang built to date. The Carbon Fiber Track Pack was an $18,500 option at the time of purchase and is immediately identifiable by the exposed carbon rear wing and special 20” carbon fiber wheels. Massive extractor vents in the hood send the hot air produced by the radiators over the top of the car as opposed to out the bottom to avoid extra lift, and carbon side skirts keep the air moving down the side of the car in the right direction.
Inside, the GT500 is fitted with a pair of Recaro bucket seats upholstered in Alcantara with leather on the outside of the bolsters. The Carbon Fiber Track Pack also means a rear seat delete to save weight and beautiful gloss carbon trim on the dashboard. Although this car is designed to attack race tracks, it is still fitted with all of the creature comforts you would expect in a modern car, such as cruise control, Bluetooth calling, and stereo controls all on the steering wheel.
Powering the GT500 is a 5.2 liter supercharged V8 known as the Predator. Rated at 760 horsepower and 625 lb-ft of torque, the GT500’s 3.3 second 0-60 time is no surprise. What is surprising, though, is that instead of going with a traditional 6-speed manual, Ford elected to install a 7-speed Dual Clutch gearbox built by Tremec. Given the power of the GT500, it makes sense that anyone using the car for track work would want to keep both hands on the wheel, and according to road tests, this gearbox is in the same league as Porsche’s PDK, which is widely considered the gold standard. This gearbox sends power through a carbon fiber drive shaft and Torsen limited-slip differential to the rear wheels. Enormous 16.5” Brembo brake rotors up front slow the 4,200 lb GT500 down and, although they aren’t carbon ceramic, provide fade-free stopping during even the most serious track driving.
Ford only produced the GT500 for two years, and even with the new S650 chassis debuting this year, the GT500 remains unsurpassed as the ultimate high-performance Mustang. This car is an outstanding example, presented in great colors and with such low mileage, it is bound to be one of the most sought-after Mustangs in the future.