The Shelby logo. Image: Ford Motor Company
MustangsDaily and MotorAuthority have been doing some digging through the recent agreement between Ford and the UAW. Buried in the new contract is funding to upgrade Ford’s Romeo, Michigan engine plant to build an all-new, blown 5.8-liter V-8 engine. Better yet, the contract specifically says that the new engine will replace the supercharged 5.4-liter V-8 currently used in the Shelby GT500, eliminating any doubt as to which vehicle will benefit.
While there’s no word yet on how much power the new engine will produce, speculation has it making as much as 600 horsepower, in order to one-up the 2012 Chevy Camaro ZL-1 (which makes 580 hp). Spy shots of the 2013 Shelby GT500 also seem to show bigger brakes and better cooling, so Ford may be leaning towards making the 2013 Shelby GT500 a more competent track animal than it is today. Look for more details as the Shelby hits the auto show circuit later this fall.
The new contract between Ford and the UAW also calls for the creation of 12,000 new hourly-wage jobs, and many of them will come from “on-shoring” jobs previously exported to Mexico, China and Japan. The deal has Ford investing some $16 billion in the U.S. over the next four years, which will certainly contribute to any kind of economic recovery.
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
