662 Horsepower 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 Debuts, Fastest, Most Powerful Mustang Ever
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DEARBORN, Mich., May 17, 2012 – The 2013 Ford Shelby
GT500 is about to go where no Mustang has gone before, with a complete
package for everyday drivers and track-day enthusiasts alike, 662
horsepower and top track speeds of more than 200 mph.
“SVT keeps the Shelby GT500 on the cutting edge of technology
and takes muscle car performance to new heights,” said Hermann
Salenbauch, director of Advanced Product Creation. “We
encapsulated every aspect of performance in this car – whether
it’s 0-60 mph, top speed, racetrack or quarter-mile times. Beyond
that, the daily driver also will find this car perfectly fits his or her
needs.”
The 5.8-liter V8 aluminum-block engine produces 662 horsepower and 631
lb.-ft. of torque, making it the highest-horsepower engine ever produced in
North America. Nearly every part of the powertrain has been optimized for
producing the additional horsepower, including a new supercharger, new
cross-drilled block and heads, an all-forged engine rotating assembly,
updated camshaft profiles, upgraded head gaskets, a new carbon fiber
driveshaft and upgraded clutch, transmission and axle.
A larger and more efficient supercharger helping flow more air through
the engine is key to producing the 662 horsepower. The new Twin Vortices
Series 2300 blower creates 2.3 liters of displacement and is a unique
design to the 5.8-liter engine.
The entire cooling system has been significantly updated on the new
5.8-liter engine. It now includes a high-capacity cooling fan, fan shroud
with high-speed pressure-relief doors, a more efficient charge air cooler,
a higher-flow intercooler pump and an intercooler heat exchanger whose
volume is increased 36 percent. These components harmonize to consistently
dissipate heat under extreme-use conditions.
“Every change we made is an improvement in horsepower and in
airflow,” said Jeff Albers, SVT Powertrain team leader. “The
other changes are about making sure the parts can withstand the pressures
when the engine is making that power.”
The supercharger design includes four lobes with a 160-degree twist
and has a drive ratio that spins 2.64 times faster than the previous model.
The inlet air volume also has been increased 33 percent. Boost has been
increased from 9 to 14 psi.
Other modifications for improved power include an upgraded camshaft
profile, similar to the Ford GT. The cam lift for the intake and exhaust
has been increased for improved airflow. Additionally, the redline is held
at 6,250 rpm continuously, but allows for an over-rev to 7,000 rpm for
eight seconds to extend the time to shift so that acceleration is higher
and 0-60 mph and quarter-mile times can be faster.
The diameter of the bore has been upped from 90.5 to 93.5 millimeters
to increase displacement and the fuel injector flow has been increased
nearly 10 percent to get an equivalent amount of fuel to accompany the
extra air.
Once the engine was able to make the power and pressures were
increased, SVT made changes to ensure the engine was durable under those
conditions. The connecting rods have been redesigned with a tapered, small
end where they attach to the pistons. This improved design supports the
load on the dome of the piston more efficiently.
Cooling fan capacity has been increased and a higher-efficiency
intercooler added to keep the air entering the engine as cool as possible.
An efficient, high-capacity flow pump has been added. These measures manage
temperatures under extreme conditions.
To ensure the coolant flow is well balanced cylinder to cylinder, the
block and heads have been cross-drilled for water to flow through.
A single-piece carbon fiber driveshaft has been upgraded from the
current two-piece steel design, which is lighter and stiffer and offers a
higher torque capacity and improved NVH (noise, vibration and harshness)
qualities.
“With the driveshaft we were able to eliminate a joint and add
enough stiffness and drive capacity to get us to our top speed and handle
the torque,” said Jamal Hameedi, SVT chief engineer. “The car
makes so much power and torque that we needed to go through the entire
driveline system to ensure it moves to the wheels in a manageable
way.”
The clutch has increased torque and rpm capacity and uses a dual-disc
design. The diameter and clamp load have been increased and the
clutch-facing material has been revised for additional resistance to burst
and improved transfer of power.
Another key piece of the driveline, the transmission, offers upgraded
gears, bearings and housing so it can properly manage the torque. The final
drive ratio has been changed to 3.31:1 for optimized overall vehicle
gearing to complement the high-powered torque produced. Every gear besides
fourth has been optimized for competing performance metrics.
The engine also carries over the use of the state-of-the-art Plasma
Transferred Wire Arc liner coating, a process that applies a 150-micron
composite coating that contains nanoparticles on the internal surfaces of
engine cylinder bores, replacing cast-iron liners typically used in
aluminum engine blocks.
The new engine also continues to be exempt from the gas-guzzler tax,
delivering a projected 15 mpg city, 24 mpg highway. That is 5 mpg better
than the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.
Functional, stylish enhancements
Design enhancements for 2013 include all-new signature lighting with
two LED bars that command attention in the front and rear. The rocker
panels running along the car are now body-color, adding a more premium
look. Additionally, the rear end has a new high-gloss black panel between
the taillamps and a diffuser that surrounds a new quad-tip exhaust.
The 2013 Shelby GT500 offers two new sets of forged-aluminum wheels,
including a unique wheel for cars with the optional packages. The 19-inch
front and 20-inch rear wheels are coupled with Goodyear
Eagle® F1 SuperCar G: 2 tires on all
configurations.
Freshened with the dark finish and updated spoke designs, the wheels
appear even more sinister and aggressive but offer the benefit of being
extremely lightweight.
To commemorate the 20th anniversary of SVT, badging will be used
throughout the interior and exterior of the car to celebrate the many years
of performance vehicles. The official launch of SVT came during the 1992
Chicago Auto Show with the unveiling of the 1993 SVT Mustang Cobra and SVT
F-150 Lightning. The 1993 SVT Mustang Cobra offered a 235-horsepower
5.0-liter V8 engine, showing just how far the products have come over 20
years.
Significant work has been done in aerodynamics to ensure the Shelby
GT500 has proper downforce for performance at all speeds. Using high-tech
computational fluid dynamics (CFD), engineers were able to determine
exactly where the air was going, to optimize cooling. The result is a car
that tracks more securely and feels more planted to the road at higher
speeds.
A new front splitter and black-painted upper and lower grille inserts
that expose the radiator drive the functional style changes to the Shelby
GT500. The exposed radiator helps funnel air and cools the internals of the
vehicle systems. The larger splitter helps create downforce when the car
hits top speeds.
Engineers faced competing goals of top speed, racetrack performance,
cooling and fuel economy, and worked to find a balance that meets all
needs. To reduce lift, the team reworked the front upper and lower grilles
and developed an integrated air dam. In the rear, a high Gurney flap helps
reduce lift.
By reducing drag and creating downforce, the loads and moments on the
front fascia increased. CFD pressure maps indicated how much load would be
put on the front body and helped confirm that plastic wasn’t
deforming, the fasteners could handle it, the body structure could support
it and the front end wasn’t sagging.
Superior ride
The new Shelby GT500 driving dynamics have been overhauled, now
working in concert with Goodyear tires. New
Brembo™ brakes with six-piston calipers in
front and the new wheels also required unique suspension tuning to ensure
everything works harmoniously.
Handling, all AdvanceTrac® The previously available
unique traction control system and electronic stability control settings
help drivers achieve maximum performance whether on the street or the
track. settings and steering assist levels within selectable steering
also have been tuned to account for the updated content on the car.
Both systems can be completely disabled in controlled track situations
where maximum driver skill is utilized, or fully engaged for safety during
normal driving or in less-than-ideal traction conditions. Intermediate
sport mode allows drivers to push their cars hard at the track without
completely disabling the safety systems, permitting more aggressive driving
before the traction control and electronic stability control systems
intervene.
The upgraded Brembo brake system complements the other changes on the
2013 Shelby GT500 for control and fade-free stops in road and race
situations. The new system has 380-millimeter front rotors. The rear comes
with 350-millimeter rotors. Both are larger than the previous model.
A high-tech, user-friendly launch control system is part of the new
functionality on Shelby GT500. The system lets drivers set the tach needle
to a desired launch rpm depending on the tire temperature, street surface
or other conditions. Floor the throttle and the engine will rev to the
preset rpm until the clutch is released, helping with acceleration and
vehicle control from a standing start.
Going further
Sometimes Ford Shelby GT500 customers want to enjoy their car on
surface streets. Other times they just want to let loose on the track. Two
new optional packages on the 2013 car give them the choice.
“The adjustable dampers let us develop our car on the track
without any compromise,” said Kerry Baldori, Ford SVT Global
Performance Vehicles chief engineer. “Before, we had to tune the car
with street implications in mind. Now we can go as extreme as we want on
the track setting and still offer the customer a comfortable ride on the
road.”
Available as part of the optional Performance Package, the feature is
accessed on the dash with a simple push of a button. Normal mode gives
customers a comfortable ride over road irregularities. Sport mode is all
about performance, delivering improved response time on the track, and less
body roll while cornering and pitch under braking. A
Torsen® limited-slip differential also comes with
the Performance Package, which helps the rear suspension deliver torque and
traction under the most demanding conditions on the track.
The monotube damper is key in giving drivers fade-free performance for
extended hot laps. Typical dampers will fade and soften, so they
don’t handle as well – the monotube design prevents that from
happening.
SVT worked with Bilstein™ for nearly a
year to fine-tune the technology for Shelby GT500, the first production
application of the product in North America.
The Torsen limited-slip differential with a 2.8:1 torque bias ratio
helps the rear suspension deliver torque and traction under the demanding
conditions encountered on the track. The differential is instrumental in
improving torque bias so that the level of traction is increased.
Enthusiasts can upgrade their Performance Package with an additional
Track Package for all-out racetrack performance. The option comes with an
external engine oil cooler, rear differential cooler and transmission
cooler for further durability. The cooling package also circulates air from
an area of high-pressure stagnation with a low impact to drag and lift. The
coolers play an essential role in preventing crucial components from
overheating under high-speed conditions.
“The standard cooling systems are more than adequate for
spirited driving, but for avid racers or track-day fans, we’ve
provisioned for an upgraded cooling package,” said Albers. “It
will cool the car in almost any condition and let it live up to its
performance capabilities.”
SVT engineering focused on making the coupe with the Track Package
completely geared toward racetrack performance. That meant making the
suspension have superior control in high-speed turns and dips.
Information at your fingertips
Key to helping Shelby GT500 customers take advantage of all the
capability is the new productivity screen. The screen offers menu options,
giving the customer important information related to vehicle performance.
The menu is navigated through a five-way control button located on the
steering wheel. The LCD is positioned between the tachometer and
speedometer; the SVT logo greets the customer at key-on.
A dashboard screen provides vehicle status information for important
driving parameters such as launch control, AdvanceTrac, selectable steering
or the Bilstein damper setting. There’s also a shift light that
appears as the SVT logo that illuminates and chimes when the rpm shift is
reached.
Also unique to the productivity screen is Track
Apps™, which delivers performance metrics for drivers who
want to put their car through its paces on the track.
An accelerometer shows the g-force the car is pulling from left to
right. Drivers also can track their fastest times with the acceleration
timer screen, which offers options including 0-30 mph, 0-60 mph, 0-100 mph,
eighth-mile and quarter-mile. Both an automatic start and countdown start
complete with a drag racing start light are available.
The brake performance screen indicates stopping time and distance for
speeds of 60-0 or 100-0. The view/clear results screen lets drivers take a
look at their top times, including their all-time best. They can also
review their last results and saved results from the acceleration timer and
brake performance screen.
A closer look at the base menu options, each of which can be
customized by the customer:
Settings: Drivers are able to
- Turn on and set launch control feature
- Select Bilstein damper mode
- Access AdvanceTrac settings
- Set steering feel – sport, standard or comfort
- Update MyColor®
Gauge mode: Checking temperature/engine operation
- Air-to-fuel ratio
- Cylinder head temperature
- Inlet air temperature
- Oil temperature
- Transmission temperature
Trip computer: Counting the miles
- Information on two trips available
- Trip time and mileage
- Gallons of fuel used and miles per gallon
- Set oil life percentage
Information: Navigate and view warnings
- The system check screen displays information such as oil life, engine hours, engine idle hours and open doors
- Warnings, such as “Left door ajar,” can be displayed graphically
Fuel economy: Up-to-the-second information
- Fuel history can be broken down to three time periods
- Five resets are available to track fuel history
- Fuel economy displays miles to empty, as well as average and instantaneous miles per gallon
- View/clear results
Cluster-specific
The 2013 Shelby GT500 also includes upgraded cluster features to give
drivers even more information. The speedometer is now set to 220 mph and an
over-rev feature allows the engine to operate up to 7,000 rpm for eight
seconds before decreasing back to 6,250 rpm.
Coupled with that feature is a dual-color tachometer that provides
amber warning at redline, when the over-rev feature is engaged. Once the
over-rev times out, the redline returns to red.
The 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 is built at AutoAlliance International
Plant in Flat Rock, Mich., and is available now.
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