2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 to Debut at L.A. Auto Show

Occupy Horsepower seems to be the sentiment at Ford these days as the Blue Oval seeks elite output for everyman. Earlier this year, we told you the next GT500 was going to produce north of 600 hp, but even we weren’t prepared for the 650 hp and 600 lb-ft of torque announced as the car debuts at the Los Angeles auto show. Is that “God Bless America” we hear?

Engine Overhaul

While punching out the old 5.4-liter aluminum block V-8 out to 5.8 liters, the GT500’s powertrain crew also updated the heads for better cooling, changed the camshaft profiles, added piston squirters and higher-flow fuel injectors, swapped the old supercharger for a larger and more efficient TVS unit that ups boost from 9 to 15 psi, and fitted a larger intercooler. The result is an extra 100 hp and 90 lb-ft compared to the 2012 model. The cooling system was upgraded to dissipate the excess heat, and a carbon-fiber driveshaft, upgraded clutch, strengthened transmission (with revised gearing), and sturdier rear axle were deemed necessary to cope with the extra grunt. To help the driver cope, the GT500 is equipped with an adjustable launch-control function.

Despite the GT500’s barbaric output, Ford has come a long way from the muscle cars of yesteryear, wherein engineers fitted a bigger, more powerful engine and called it good. A new front fascia is home to the same revised headlights as the other ’13 Mustangs, and there’s a new front splitter. That last bit is important, as Ford says the new GT500’s top speed is in excess of 200 (!) mph. Chew on that, Camaro ZL1. Heck; chew on that, Corvette Z06, with your piddling 198 mph. Overall, Ford says the 2013 GT500 has 33 percent more downforce at 160 mph than its predecessor. With a Mustang joining the 200-mph club, drivers will appreciate standard Brembo brakes with six-piston calipers in the front and larger rotors and new pads at all four corners.

For Corners, Too

With 650 hp, no bend in the road will be far away. To address those curves, the new GT500 gets optional electronically-adjustable Bilstein shocks. Part of the Performance package—which also includes a Torsen limited-slip differential and Recaro seats—the Bilstein dampers offer drivers a choice of Normal and Sport modes. If you intend to unleash your Shelby on a closed course, you might want to also opt for the Track package. It adds supplementary coolers for the engine oil, rear differential, and transmission.

The GT500 receives the same exterior revisions as the rest of the 2013 Mustangs and the Boss 302. Those updates include the aforementioned headlights, new LED taillights set in a blacked-out tail panel, and body-colored rocker extensions. A quad-tipped dual-exhaust system and two new forged-wheel designs are unique to the Shelby GT500.

While we have no official word yet on pricing, we’re expecting a hearty bump from the GT500’s current base of $49,605. Considering how much more grunt it has than the 580-hp Chevrolet Camaro ZL1—not to mention its 12-horse edge on the $113K Corvette ZR1—even $60,000 for the new GT500 would be one helluva bargain.

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Giddy-Update: 2013 Ford Mustang Debuts at L.A. Auto Show

PATRICK M. HOEY AND THE MANUFACTURER

A new volume knob on the radio represents big news to Mustang loyalists, and so we are preparing for a virtual meltdown in the online Mustang community. Ford is debuting the 2013 model at the Los Angeles auto show this week before the car hits dealerships in early 2012, and it has undergone some significant changes.

Most important for aesthetes, the Mustang gets a nose job. There's a more-prominent grille, an aggressive front splitter, new headlights with outboard LED light pipes, and a new hood with functional heat extractors. The rocker panels are now body color, and out back, the signature sequential taillamps also are ringed in LED light "ropes," with the lenses themselves tinted. A gloss-black panel spans the width of the rear and encircles both taillights. Also look for new wheel designs in 17-, 18-, and 19-inch sizes, including mean-looking gloss-black 19s only available on the GT. Two new paint colors join the lineup for 2013: Deep Impact Blue and Gotta Have It Green, and those with the itch for kitsch will be thrilled with the inclusion of "pony projection lights" that cast the Mustang logo on the ground below the mirrors when the doors are unlocked.

Proper Priorities: Recaros and Track Apps, but No MyFord Touch

Inside, the Recaro front seats currently found inside the GT500 and the Boss 302 are available on the rest of the lineup, too, with either cloth or leather upholstery. Thankfully-and unlike most recently refreshed Ford products-the Mustang does not adopt Ford's maligned MyFord Touch controls. Its infotainment system does incorporate a version of Ford's Sync system, however, which is operated via steering-wheel controls and spoken commands. Two new sound-system upgrades also are available for 2013.

Even bigger news is the addition of a new Track Apps option for versions of the V-6, GT, and Boss 302 that are equipped with the Premium package. Like the Performance pages offered on Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep SRT8s but with richer presentation, Track Apps shows various performance data on a digital display tucked in the IP. Specific screens present acceleration times, lateral-acceleration information, and braking performance.

And of Course, More Power

Ford claims that lessons learned during the development of the Boss 302 allowed engineers to squeeze a few more ponies out of the GT's 5.0-liter V-8. The new total: 420, up from 412. Buyers who option their Mustangs with automatic transmissions can now shift gears manually, but we don't know why they would. Shifts are actuated with a button on the shifter, rather than by slapping the shifter around or pulling on paddles behind the steering wheel. In manual mode, the automatic won't upshift at redline, but we hardly care, given that the manumatic function as a whole seems utterly unsatisfying.

Mustang GT customers have the option of a new Track package. Available on manual GTs with the 3.73:1 rear axle, it includes an oil cooler, the upgraded radiator from the Boss 302, high-performance brake pads, and the same Torsen rear differential as is available on the Boss. It also includes the contents of the current model's Brembo Brake package that brings 14-inch front rotors, 19-inch wheels, and summer tires. (The Brembo package is available as a standalone option on 2013 GTs as well.)

The current generation is perhaps the best Mustang ever. (We voted it to our 10Best list for 2011.) While we wouldn't get too geeked over tweaked radio controls, Ford's updates for 2013 should only strengthen what is already its best car.

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2013 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Does Its Best Impression of the 1970 Model, Gets New Color Schemes

Set your time machine to 1970. Mirroring the differences between the 1969 and 1970 originals, the changes Ford makes to the 2013 Mustang Boss 302 will be mostly cosmetic. We’re okay with that, since we called both the original and its 2012 redux the best-handling Mustangs Ford had produced yet.

Differentiating between the 2013 and 2012 will be just like separating the 1970 Boss from the 1969. The first-year cars wear C-shaped side striping and large black-out hood panels, while the 1970 and 2013 have “hockey stick” side markings and a center stripe on the hood. Like those on the original Boss, the 2013’s decals will be reflective.

Along with the rest of the Mustang lineup, the Boss gets revised front and rear trim for 2013. Those are functional vents on the bulgier hood, which terminates at a larger, more-GT500-esque grille. Whereas last year’s in-grille fog-lamp covers were molded in and just for looks, the 2013 piece has removable caps that open up to provide better engine cooling. They’re flanked by standard HID headlight units, which have faux slats that recall the outboard vents on the 1970 model. The taillights now are recessed into the sheetmetal, with LED surrounds and a gloss-black panel bridging them.

As another nod to the car’s past, Ford will offer School Bus Yellow paint that matches the color on Parnelli Jones’s 1970 Trans-Am championship car. Color options for the regular Boss 302 include that hue, Grabber Blue, Gotta Have It Green (which we’re told is an electric/neon shade), Performance White, and Race Red. The Laguna Seca will be available in SBY or black, both of which will have gray-trimmed spoilers, mirror caps, grilles, wheels, and interior cross-braces instead of last year’s garish red accents. Both the Boss 302 and Laguna Seca lose their contrasting-color roofs for 2013. We’re okay with that, too.

There are no chassis or powertrain changes for 2013, which, again, is just fine with us. Sync, which wasn’t available in last year’s Boss, is now standard. A wrench to remove the side-exhaust restrictors is not, but it’s the only entertainment-system-adjustment tool required in the Boss. It produces this sound. You’re welcome.

The current Boss 302, like the original, will only have a two-year run; 2014 will bring a new Mustang to coincide with the car’s 50th anniversary. That does, however, pave the way for a Boss 351 in the future. We’d be cool with that.

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