The 2010 Ford Shelby GT500 will be in dealers this Spring, packing more horsepower than ever before, along with an increase in highway fuel mileage. the horsepower is being increased to 540 horsepower, and the torque is being increased to 510 ft.-lb.
There are new gearbox enhancements, plus a standard 3.55:1 rear axle ratio. This will actually improve your acceleration and give the 2010 Ford Shelby GT500 improved gas mileage: about 2 miles per gallon better on the highway as compared to the 2009 Ford Shelby. What’s most unique, though, is the improved interior.
According to Ford, “Ford’s Special Vehicle Team used the gains made on the Shelby GT500KR “King of the Road” Mustang as the performance starting point. The design team, with a nod to the original Shelby Cobra from the 1960s, takes those cues even further with nuanced improvements in both the coupe and convertible, each boasting a more-refined interior.
Power comes from a supercharged and intercooled 5.4-liter dual overhead cam V-8 engine that produces 540 horsepower at 6,200 rpm and 510 ft.-lb. of torque at 4,500 rpm. The 2010 Shelby GT500 delivers improved straight-line acceleration, plus fuel savings when cruising on the highway in the top gears.
Gears 1-4 remain the same, but fifth gear changes from .80 to .74 while sixth gear goes from .63 to .50, meaning lower engine RPMs in those gears and improved fuel efficiency. The new final drive ratio, moving from 3.31 to 3.55, enables the improved acceleration in lower gears while complementing the revised fifth and sixth gear ratios.”
The 2010 Shelby GT500 features AdvanceTrac(R), Ford’s stability control system. There are actually several different options for performance. The default “on” mode is for everyday driving, and a Sport mode gives you what you want when putting the 2010 Shelby GT500 through its paces on the track. When turned off, though, the anti-lock brake system and other active safety systems remain in place.
On the inside, all seats are leather seats, there’s aluminum on the instrument panel, and Alcantara(R) suede inserts on the seats. The steering wheel has been changed on the 2010 Shelby GT500. And you can have racing stripes on the seats that match the exterior stripes.
The aluminum finish panels have a unique three-dimensional dimpled texture pattern inspired by racing clutch plates, braided hoses and cross-drilled racing brake rotors. In addition, the GT500 logo has been discretely engraved into the aluminum in front of the passenger as a nod to classic Shelby Mustangs.