2010 Ford Shelby GT500 @ 2009 NAIAS

Description

FOR MORE DETROIT AUTO SHOW COVERAGE: www.edmunds.com Like the new Ford Mustang GT and V6 models introduced at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show, the 2010 Shelby GT500 to be introduced at the Detroit auto show in January is far from an all-new car. Like its more pedestrian brethren, the GT500 gets a revised look, a vastly improved interior and a bump in horsepower for the 2010 model year. The car goes on sale in early spring 2009. Unlike the meager 15-hp injection given to the GT, the GT500 gets 40 horses more for a grand total of 540. And no, Ford will not change this car's name to GT540. The 2010 model uses the same, basic supercharged 5.4-liter V8, but it's tuned more like the limited-edition GT500 KR. A new cold-air intake draws air from the upper front grille through its own snorkel, and this piece helps generate the increased power. It's so important that the Cobra emblem on the grille has been moved to the passenger side so as not to block the intake. Along with the 540 hp at 6200 rpm, the reworked motor now makes 510 pound-feet of torque at 4500 rpm (a 30 lb-ft increase). The GT500's increased accelerative thrust will be aided by a new 3.55:1 rear end, in place of last year's 3.31. Even so, Ford says that the 2010 model will get a 10 percent improvement in highway fuel economy thanks to taller 5th and 6th gear ratios in its six-speed manual transmission. Figure it should return about 22 mpg highway. In truth, the last thing the GT500 really needs is more power; what <b>...</b>

Keywords

2010, Ford, Mustang, Shelby, GT500, 2009, NAIAS, Edmunds, Inside, Line, muscle, car, Detroit, Auto, show, motor

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