For most of the past decade, the uncontested King of the Road has been the Shelby GT500. There were no cars to compare it with, and as it currently stands the 550 horsepower GT500 is unmatched. Well, except for the upcoming Camaro ZL-1, which has been designed to take down the Shelby and establish itself as the new King.
But not if Ford has anything to say about it. Mustangs Daily delved into the new UAW contract, and came across an interesting tidbit about the next Shelby motor. It will be a 5.8 liter, 600 horsepower supercharged V8, as rumors suggested.
The UAW and Ford have announced that they have reached a tentative contract agreement that must be ratified by Ford plant workers. The contract is more generous than the one worked out with GM, giving Ford employees more cash for signing bonuses and whatnot. Still, the contract keeps Ford competitive, according to management and UAW leaders.
The contract detailed a $6.2 billion investment into U.S. factories, including $50 million to the Romeo Engine Plant, which currently produces the 6.2 liter V8 for Ford pickups. The investment will help retool the plant to build a 5.8 liter (351 cubic inch!) supercharged V8 for the 2013 Shelby GT500. This engine should make in the area of 600 horsepower, topping the ZL-1. Another interesting tidbit; Ford Fusion production will be moved to the AutoAlliance plant where the Mustang is currently assembled.
A 600 horsepower Shelby? Sounds about right to us, don’t you agree?