Ford ponies up 650 hp for '13 Mustang
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Ford Motor finally has an answer for those passionate Mustang fans who felt the 2012 Mustang GT500 was a wimpy, underpowered muscle car pretender at a mere 550 hp and 510 pounds-feet of torque.
The 2013 Shelby GT500, unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show, ups the ante with a 5.8-liter V-8 that will crank out 650 hp and 600 pounds-feet of torque.
Sheer, brute horsepower and torque aren't all that separate the 2013 from the 2012 model. The 2012 came with an electronic speed limiter that kept the car from going faster than 155 mph. The new car, which goes on sale next spring, loses the limiter.
Jamal Hameedi, chief engineer for Ford's SVT performance team, says some major changes in the pony car's suspension and aerodynamics will allow the 2013 GT500 to accelerate up to and beyond 200 mph. Asking why Ford felt the need to add horsepower to an already powerful car was like asking Hameedi why people climb mountains. His response: "We thought we could make a big step in performance."
