The numbers alone still haven’t managed to settle in: 650 bhp. 600 lb/ft torque. 200 mph… In a Mustang.
Allow yourself a moment to chew and pause (and then chew a bit more) on those numbers – that’s unbridled Supercar territory a la Pagani Zonda, Ferrari Enzo et al for heaven’s sake..! What is Ford’s thinking behind these monstrous power figures…?! Well, for one thing, they’ve been able to proudly proclaim that this new 5.8L Supercharged V8 is “the most powerful production V8 in the world” and secondly, it loudly trumps its home-based rival; the forthcoming ‘hot’ 2012 Camaro ZL1 with its *ahem* paltry 580 bhp…
The new BMW M5 arrives next year with a faintly ridiculous 562 bhp via a thoroughly complex and capable chassis that can easily cope with all of that power (and hefty weight) yet here Ford is churning 650 bhp through a chassis that can barely contain half of that. Info from Ford on ‘official’ detailed revisions and chassis updates are at this point, a bit on the lean side, but I couldn’t help reminding myself of that prior attempt from Ford a few years ago via stuffing ludicrous power in the Mustang… Remember the 600 bhp Shelby GT500 Super Snake…?
In the case of the forthcoming nutball 200 mph Shelby GT500 you receive a larger, more efficient Supercharger, updated camshaft profiles, cross-drilled blocks and heads and a carbon-fibre driveshaft. In the driveline department you receive an updated clutch, transmission and axle… albeit, still a ‘live’ rear axle. An optional ‘Performance Pack’ offers Bilstein adjustable shocks designed by SVT and a Torsen LSD. Tick off the ‘Track Package’ option as well and you’ll receive an external engine oil cooler along with transmission and rear diff coolers.
At least Ford hasn’t forgotten how to have fun. I smell a forthcoming Supercar (with this engine) in the pipeline from them…
-Blake J.
AutoInjected.com
AutoInjected.com 