2026 GT500 with Manual Trans!?

[agreywolfe]

I would look for a street GT4 or GT3 before I hold my breath on the Shelby.

street GT3: Mustang GTD
street GT4: Dark Horse/Dark Horse S if they ever decide to show it off

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[young at heart]

Ford wants a halo Mustang they don't have to pay Shelby America to license. A street version of the racing car makes the most sense. I would look for a street GT4 or GT3 before I hold my breath on the Shelby.

You‘re right of course.

But Ford also knows that nothing they’ve ever built or ever will build carries the cachet of the Shelby brand, even if the car is built right alongside pedestrian Fords and never touched by anybody at Shelby American. Guys will stand on their heads and line up to pay outrageous ADM for a Shelby badged anything even though they know it’s just a sticker. Specially engineered and built, sure, only with a Shelby sticker. Hey I’m including myself in this group too.

Yes, both iterations of the Ford GT are exceptions to this and no, I can’t say why. I suspect that the cars are so outrageous that they’ve established their own set of rules.

 

[agreywolfe]

nows the best time to make the distinction, Shelby died over a decade ago the name is all thats left of it. The Ford GT is the prime example of Ford being able to separate themselves from the Shelby name. you look at the history of the Ford GT and Shelby is just the guy that helped make the legendary car. the 05 GT was easily able to separate that idea thanks to SVT.

As for the Mustang, Ford couldn't separate the Shelby brand with the S550 because of the GT350 and the leadership at the times desire to stick to retro ideas, hence the bullet and Mach 1.

the S650 is the best time to separate the dependency on Shelby for the top end. New gen car with more than a decade separated from Carroll Shelby. If Ford does a Shelby badged car this generation theyre using the Mustang to boost the Shelby name, not the other way around. not saying we wont see a car in the style of the GT500 this generation, but if Ford really wanted the mustang to separate from the Shelby name and bring back an old moniker, it wont be called a GT500 as thats a Shelby trademark, however something like the SVT Cobra isnt.

but its all speculation until Ford announces if its really going to be a thing anyway

 

[Q6543]

Even in that video his rumor is for a couple years… it may not come until 2028 earliest.

look with the s550… GT comes out in 2015MY…
The GT500 didn’t drop until post mid cycle refresh 2020.

the s650 gt500(or whichever name is chosen) likely won’t be here until 2028-2030.
And plan on 200K FoR a MuStaNg

 

[IceGamer]

Even in that video his rumor is for a couple years… it may not come until 2028 earliest.

look with the s550… GT comes out in 2015MY…
The GT500 didn’t drop until post mid cycle refresh 2020.

the s650 gt500(or whichever name is chosen) likely won’t be here until 2028-2030.
And plan on 200K FoR a MuStaNg

The first refresh is scheduled for 2025 - we haven't heard anything else yet. In addition, the only rumors we have regarding a potential GT500 replacement also said it would arrive around 2025.

S650 released in 2022 (with delay), first refresh after 3 years is about what one can expect these days… Besides, Ford may react to ‘wrong’ design decisions that may or may not influence sales. If we get a refresh for MY26, theS650 would follow suit and do what the S550 did. However, since the S650 is already delayed the refresh might get pushed back a year but I doubt it would be more than that.


One problem that I would have with European customers: they don’t know any other name plates other than Shelby and this is thanks to movies and such. Dark Horse is equally famous as Mach 1, BOSS and Bullitt (has anyone actually watched this movie?? I didn’t, my father and most of my friends didn’t even know the movie exists… It’s a thing in the US and maybe some really old people here in Europe are aware of the movie and its famous car but I doubt that there are many people over here that share this knowledge…) However, since no Mustang before 2015 has ever been officially sold in Europe I doubt that anyone really cares about these names other than enthusiasts. If the GT500 isn’t a hybrid that’s nothing to worry about but I’m 100% sure the car would sell like hot cake, even at an MSRP of over $100K. The starting price of the 2020 GT500 was below $75K but I would expect Ford to drastically increase the price… greedy bastards… I expect nothing south of $95K, excluding destination: D

 

[brianjh20]

The Supercharged 5.2 has been confirmed to be built thru 2028. I anticipate the gt500 (or whatever they want to call it) to come out in 2025.
The Darkhorse is similar to Mach 1. I have a 2012 Boss I don't see much of an improvement here besides IRS but it's also almost 500 lbs heavier.
Give me the Predator engine and a manual!!

 

[Upacurb]

You‘re right of course.

But Ford also knows that nothing they’ve ever built or ever will build carries the cachet of the Shelby brand, even if the car is built right alongside pedestrian Fords and never touched by anybody at Shelby American. Guys will stand on their heads and line up to pay outrageous ADM for a Shelby badged anything even though they know it’s just a sticker. Specially engineered and built, sure, only with a Shelby sticker. Hey I’m including myself in this group too.

Yes, both iterations of the Ford GT are exceptions to this and no, I can’t say why. I suspect that the cars are so outrageous that they’ve established their own set of rules.

This.... the Shelby brand is still considered a step above.......even if you look at the way Ford treats Shelbys- Shelbys tend to have bespoke motors / not a Coyote (not that there is anything wrong with the Coyote- love that motor as well)

But you have to go back to the early 2000s - 20 years ago - to find the last time a Mustang (Cobra- SVT- Mach 1) had a bespoke motor

But even Cobra- I mean the Shelby "Cobra" was the start of it all - on my previous 60s Shelbys- they all had Cobra's plastered all over them

The only pure Ford names in my opinion are Mach 1 - Bullitt - California Special (even the original California Special had Shelby parts on it)

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