2012 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500

2012 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Coupe 2-Door Description

The 550-hp Mustang Shelby GT500 gets minor changes this year. Newly standard on all Shelby GT500s are three driver selectable steering modes. The three modes are Comfort, which lightens steering effort and lessens road feel, Sport which gives the driver the most steering feel and requires the most effort, and Normal, which balances the other two. Newly available for 2012 is the interior upgrade kit. The interior upgrade kit includes leather-wrapped Recaro seats to help the driver stay in place during aggressive driving.
The retro-themed Mustang Shelby GT500 shares most of its features with the other models of the Mustang lineup. To differentiate the Shelby GT500 from the rest of the Mustang lineup, the GT500 has a unique front bumper, grille, hood, wheels, and spoiler. The GT500 also features contrasting hood and side stripe options available in most colors. Standard GT500s ride on 19-inch aluminum five-spoke wheels, while those with the SVT Performance Package get mean looking black 19-inch front, and 20-inch rear forged aluminum wheels.
With a two-plus-two seating arrangement and stylish, retro touches, the interior of the Shelby GT500 is the standard affair. The optional interior upgrade kit is new for 2012. The interior upgrade kit includes Recaro racing seats from the Mustang Boss 302 to help the driver stay in place during aggressive driving. Unlike in the Mustang Boss 302, the Recaros in the Shelby GT500 are available in leather, with color coordinated stripes to match the Shelby GT500's exterior paint color.
With its 550 hp supercharged 5.4-liter V-8, the Shelby GT500 is certainly the most powerful Mustang on the block, although not necessarily the fastest. In our testing, the Shelby GT500 took 4.1 seconds to hit 60 mph, while the Mustang Boss 302 took only 4.0 seconds for the task. Since the Shelby is so powerful, it's a struggle to avoid bogging down, or turning the rear tires into wisps of smoke. The Shelby GT500 takes 12.4 seconds at 115.8 mph to tackle the quarter mile, and is capable of coming to a dead stop from 60 mph in just 103 feet, thanks to its Brembo brakes. The Shelby GT500 is also capable of pulling 1.01 g during lateral acceleration, making it easier to tackle corners.
To help novice (and distracted) drivers avoid driving the high-horsepower Shelby GT500 into trees, Ford's AdvanceTrac electronic stability control system is standard equipment on this Mustang. The Mustang Shelby GT500 also comes from the factory with dual front airbags, and front seat-mounted side airbags. Like all Mustangs, the Shelby GT500 comes standard with Ford's SOS Post-Crash Alert System which will flash the GT500's signal lights and sound its horn in the event that the vehicle is involved in an accident.
Ford Mustang Shelby GT500: 15 mpg city/23 mpg highway