You can’t be a Mustang enthusiast without wanting to own one of these things. The 2020 Mustang Shelby GT500 is the fastest Mustang to leave any Ford factory assembly plant. With powerful performance numbers and track times, Shelby proves once again that the “Cobra is a Contender.”

The Mustang Shelby GT500 nameplate hasn’t been used since 2013 and 2014. The nameplate was originally introduced in 1967 on a Mustang that was just as bad to the bone as the 2020 Shelby GT500 it’s placed on this time around.

Drivetrain and Performance These Mustangs are performance-packed, and for good reason. Their competition comes just as performance packed. The 650 horsepower Camaro ZL1 and the 797 horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye bring some stiff competition.

The Shelby is a 7500 RPM high-revving machine that has a rough time keeping the wheels from spinning with all the power going all to the rear wheels, but a track kit can be optioned up for better traction. For $18,500 you can get a carbon fiber track kit that includes rear seat delete, carbon-fiber wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 track tires, signature seats, a larger rear wing, carbon-fiber interior trim, an oil catch can, splitter wickers on the front fenders, and adjustable strut top mounts.

This kit may not help you achieve much better drag strip times, but road course times should improve sufficiently. Curving corners and pulling Gs will be easy for this 4171-pound sports car with very efficient weight distribution.

Tight hugging cornered cars usually mean a rough ride while feeling every bump in the road. But Ford has it figured out with this Mustang. The magnetorheological dampers keep the body under tight control while still making hard impacts feel almost non-existent.

Exterior Looks
As if the Mustang needed any help looking like a superior sports car – the Shelby GT500 package really puts out a statement. The big black front grille with the Cobra badge easily seen is enough to scare off competitors. But if that doesn’t do it, maybe the mean vented hood or the functional rear wing will keep competitors from even bothering to race this beast.

The 20-inch rims with the red Brembo calipers and massive vented rotors are another scare factor to competitors on and off the track. With an exhaust system audio bark loud enough to set off car alarms at full throttle, this Mustang GT500 was surely designed to turn heads.

Interior Comfort
One of the greatest things about owning a newer sports car is you get all the power and creature comforts you just wouldn’t get with an older sports car. A comfortable suspension, efficient heat and A/C, a radio system that jams, and much more.

The GT500 has an infotainment center with an 8-inch touchscreen and run Ford’s Sync 3 system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability. Also included are standard USB ports SiriusXM radio, and a rearview backup camera.