2021 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Updated With Bold New Colors, Options
Feb 09, 2021 at 12:06pm ET ++
Update: This story has been updated with official information and images from Ford.
Details of the 2021 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, along with the entire next model year lineup, officially
and accidentally came out as early as September last year. While the biggest addition to the 2021 pony car lineup was the Mustang Mach 1, we also learned that a new Carbon Fiber Handling Package, which marries the $18,500 Carbon Fiber Track Pack and the $1,500 Handling Pack, will be added to the options list for the supercharged Stang.
We didn t know the pricing back then, but we now have a definite number thanks to an order form shared by Ford. According to the company, the Carbon Fiber Handling Package is a $10,000 option, right in between the aforementioned Track Pack and Handling Pack. The 2021 Mustang configurator isn t up on Ford s website as of this writing, but we already know that the
Ford
We all know that power-to-weight ratio is one of the most crucial stats when it comes to straight-line acceleration, and the two cars obviously have the same power output and gearing, so exactly what is going on here? The publication reached out to Ford to find out what s behind the counter-intuitive GT500 pecking order. It s not atypical to see a PS4S equal the Cup tire or go a bit faster, Lead Shelby GT500 Development Engineer Steve Thompson revealed.
To put it simply, the Pilot Sport 4S was developed with street use and the occasional drag race in mind, where the Pilot Sport Cup 2 was built for optimal road course performance. To those ends, the standard Pilot Sport 4S has thicker center tread blocks that can better retain heat, which helps with launch traction, and the internal construction of each tire is markedly different.
Ah, track performance, the be-all and end-all of sports cars. Even if the majority of owners won’t engage in such activities, it makes for great marketing. However, sometimes surprises pop up – such as Car and Driver’s recent test which showed that the GT500 is quicker to 60 mph with street than track tires.
That’s right; if you’re in a GT500 with the $18,500 Carbon Fiber Track Pack and you pull up next to a GT500 without it, you’re better off not racing from light to light. First of all, because street racing is dangerous and illegal.
But also because, according to Car and Driver, the GT500 with the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S is 0.2 seconds faster to 60 mph than with the optional Pilot Sport Cup 2. Ford’s lead development engineer, Steve Thompson, isn’t surprised.