Ford's fastest-ever Mustang makes European debut at Goodwood Festival of Speed

The fastest, most powerful production Ford Mustang has made its first European appearance, at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, south England.
Only recently launched in North America and especially shipped from the US, the supercar was driven up the famous
Goodwood hill-climb by guest race drivers.

Capable of more than 200 mph, the Ford Shelby GT500 has a 5.8-litre supercharged V8 engine producing 671 ps (662 hp) – making it the most powerful engine to feature in a North American production car.

"The Shelby GT500 takes muscle car performance to new heights," said Hermann Salenbauch, Director of Ford Advanced Product Creation. "We encapsulated every aspect of performance in this car – whether it’s 0-60 mph, top speed, racetrack or quarter-mile times."

The annual Goodwood Festival of Speed is a unique combination of hill-climb, rally stage, garden party and motor show that attracts 150,000 fans. First staged in 1993, its centrepiece is the hill-climb - a narrow tree- and wall-lined ascent which rises more than 90 m (300 feet) in just over a mile.

These are conditions in which the Shelby GT500 excels with its Brembo six-piston front caliper brake system, updated gearing for superior traction management, suspension tuning and a user-adjustable launch control that works seamlessly with the engine and chassis control systems.

The Shelby which appeared at Goodwood was also equipped with an optional Performance Package featuring electronically adjustable dampers and a Torsen limited-slip differential, plus an additional Track Package for all-out racetrack performance including three additional coolers.

Downforce-generating front grilles, an aggressive splitter, a new quad-exhaust system and new forged-aluminium wheels differentiate the Shelby GT500 from other Mustang models. It is the most recent Mustang to be developed with input from American racing legend Carroll Shelby who passed away in May, this year.

Posted in: Carroll Shelby,Debut,Europe,Ford,Ford Advanced Product Creation,Ford Mustang,Goodwood Festival of Speed 2012,Goodwood Hillclimb,Hermann Salenbauch,International,Super/Sports Car,V8 Engine