Page 39 - Motor Trend (February 2020)

FIRST DRIVE
THE GT500R IS ONE OF THOSE CARS THAT LEAVES FOLKS LIKE ME SPEECHLESS.
11.12-second pass. So close!
My quickest? “ET: 11.287 MPH: 130.19.”
For comparison, the last 650-hp Camaro
ZL1 1LE with the 10-speed automatic I
ran did an 11.5-second quarter mile at
124.0 mph on an unprepared surface, and
my quickest time in the 797-horsepower
Dodge Challenger Hellcat Redeye was
11.8 seconds at 128.0 mph.
A couple tricks Drag mode performs
are to soften the rear dampers for better
weight transfer to the rear and what the
Tremec engineer called “over-torque”
shifting, which is a lot like a no-lift
shift in a manual transmission. Unlike
the 80-millisecond shifts in Sport or
Track modes, which briefly pause the
throttle/engine inertia before seamlessly the dash, trans tunnel, and shift paddles.
engaging the next highest gear, over-
torque maintains wide-open throttle
and slurs two shifts together to exploit
the surge of inertia, and you can feel it
in the small of your back. They’re not
the quickest shifts, but they do produce
better ETs at the dragstrip. We can’t
wait to get a loaner and experiment with
launch techniques. I bet there’s a 10 in it. the base car is what I expected of the
Honestly, the only letdown is the
GT500’s interior. The seats, both the
base units and the optional Recaros, are
fabulous and supportive. The faux suede
SPECS 2019 Ford Shelby 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500
GT350 Mustang (Carbon Fiber Track Pack)
BASE PRICE $61,535 $73,995 ($92,495)
LAYOUT Front-engine, RWD, Front engine, RWD, 4(2)-pass,
4-pass, 2-door coupe 2-door coupe
ENGINE 5.2L/526-hp/429-lb-ft 5.2L/760-hp/625-lb-ft supercharged
DOHC 32-valve V-8 DOHC 32-valve V-8
TRANSMISSION 6-speed manual 7-speed twin-clutch automatic
CURB WEIGHT 3,825 lb (53/47%) 4,200 lb mfr est (4,000 lb MT est)
WHEELBASE 107.1 in 107.1 in
L X W X H 188.9 x 75.9 x 54.2 in 189.5 x 76.6 x 54.3 (53.7) in
0-60 MPH 4.0 sec 3.0 sec (MT est)
QUARTER MILE 12.3 sec @ 117.0 mph 11.0 sec @ 130.0 mph (MT est)
EPA FUEL ECON 14/21/16 mpg 12/18/14 mpg
ENERGY CONSUMPTION, 241/160 kW-hr/100 miles 281-187 kW-hr/100 miles
CITY/HWY
CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB 1.18 lb/mile 1.37 lb/mile
ON SALE Currently Currently
steering wheel is perfect. The full-color lateral forces the R can generate. There’s
LCD dash is clear and easy to navigate. more body motion, so it feels alive and
The rest of it, though, looks, feels, and feisty and just plain fun. It’s also pleasant
functions just like a $43,000 Mustang on the road, quiet enough for conversa-
GT Premium. There are hard plastics on tion but with power and noise in reserve.
The GT500R, on the other hand, was
The new rotary shifter doesn’t look racy completely unexpected. It’s one of those
or feel particularly robust or substantial. cars that comes out of nowhere every few
Slapping some carbon fiber on the dash- years that leaves folks like me speechless
board isn’t enough. The sense of occasion until I have time to absorb the experience
one feels when driving the car or looking and reflect on what it means.
at it doesn’t carry into the interior. What it means is that American muscle
I realize this review largely ignores the has arrived on the European supercar
base car. The reason for this is because scene, and it means business. I can’t help
but think of those early Shelby Cobras
GT500: Come for the power, stay for the and, later, the Ford GT40s grabbing the
slides. On the same racetrack, the GT500 podium at Le Mans. This isn’t that, but in
was brilliant in the way it does not have the civilian world, something like that is
enough grip to control the power or the happening right now. Q
FEBRUARY 2020 MOTORTREND.COM 39