The 2013 Shelby GT500. Image: Ford Motor Company
Ford’s 2013 Mustang Shelby GT500 promises to deliver a mind-warping 650 horsepower and a 200 mph top speed, both in stock form. You can’t take delivery of one just yet, but now we know what the pricing on Ford’s latest uber-Mustang will be. The Shelby GT500 coupe will start at $54,995, including the required $795 destination charge, while the Shelby GT500 convertible is priced from $59,995, including the same destination charge.
Ford’s configurator for the new Shelby models is up, too, allowing you to build the GT500 of your dreams. Major option packaged include the $3,495 SVT Performance Package, which gives you a Torsen limited-slip differential, adjustable Bilstein dampers, unique rear springs, unique wheels and a few interior upgrades. If you want navigation, you’ll need to add the $2,340 Electronics Package, which also gives you HD Radio and dual-zone climate control. Get crazy checking option boxes, and you can add about $10k to the base price of a Shelby GT500.
That’s still not bad, and we’d be hard-pressed to name another car that starts from $55k and delivers a 200 mph top speed. While it’s likely that the new GT500 will be faster than the Camaro ZL1, no one has run a side-by-side comparison yet, so it’s still just bench racing. If you’re a Ford guy, the GT500 is clearly superior to the Camaro ZL1 (which starts at $54,095, excluding destination charge). If you’re a Chevy guy, you’ll insist the ZL1 is faster until you personally get beaten by a new GT500. Who’s right? We’ll know for sure in a few weeks.
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.
