Yesterday, thanks to a generous tipster, we found photos of what looks to be a new Ford Mustang Bullitt. Ford’s public relations team wouldn’t comment, but considering how production-ready the car looked, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the Mustang Bullitt revealed at next month’s Detroit Auto Show. But thanks to some leaked photos posted on a fan forum, there’s a chance the Bullitt could be joined by another Mustang: the new Shelby GT500.
In a recent thread on Mustang6G, a Ford Mustang fan forum, user “Super Werty” posted two photos. One was a close-up of the car’s engine bay, showing what looks to be the top of a supercharger that’s been stamped with the Cobra symbol and “5.2 L.” The second was of an engine oil requirements document that shows the “5.2L Mustang GT350” being produced alongside the “5.2L Supercharged Mustang GT500.” Assuming the 10/13/2017 date at the bottom of the document is accurate, it’s fairly recent.
Later in the same thread, user “dwalker” posted a photo of an absolutely massive Brembo brake that they believe is also meant for the GT500. They also suggest that there may be a version called the Cobra R that’s meant to take on the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE.
Since these are forum posts, they obviously have to be taken with a grain of salt. Still, based on the admin’s confidence in the information and the forum’s past history of digging up information Ford doesn’t want us to see, we’re willing to bet this is legitimate.
As far as how much power the new GT500 will make, it really depends on how Ford wants to position it. You have to assume it will significantly outgun the GT350 and its 526 hp, but to take on the Camaro ZL1, the GT500 will need at least 650 hp. Then again, Ford may also have its sights set on the 707-hp Dodge Challenger Hellcat. Mustang6G has even heard a rumor that the GT500 might make more than 800 hp. As crazy as that would be, Hennessey already offers a supercharger upgrade for the GT350 that brings power up to a claimed (Dodge Demon-beating) 858 hp and 673 lb-ft of torque.
Regardless of how much power the supercharger adds, based on how awesome the GT350 is, we can’t wait to get our hands on the faster, sportier version.