Recently in 2010 Category

It's pretty clear that Ford Motor Company is very proud of the 2010 refresh of the Ford Mustang - even though the Mustang has not yet received the "big motor news".  Since launching the 2010 Mustang at the LA Auto Show last year, Ford has been showing off their proud new baby like any good doting parent and the 2009 SEMA Show was virtually an alter to the fabled pony car.

 

This is nothing new, as the gigantic Ford display at SEMA is never without a nice spread of modified Mustangs, and models like the new Cobra Jet and the RTR-C Mustang fit the SEMA mold nicely.  However, this year featured the first for Ford as they debuted the first ever Ford Mustang stock car for NASCAR along with a pair of beautiful Shelby Mustangs being raffled off to help with veterans charities.  Also, Ford offered up a handful of production 2010 Mustangs showing off the latest and greatest 'aftermarket' additions available from Ford Racing.

 

Exterior
The 2010 Mustang is more of a refresh than it is a new Mustang, and while the 2010 Ford Mustang GT and the 2010 Ford Mustang Shelby GT 500 both clearly reflect those changes, the GT 500 adds an aspect of functionality to the aggressive new look.  The most obvious difference between these two Mustangs is the front fascia.  The 2010 Mustang GT has a front end design similar to the previous generation, with two massive driving lights mounted in the flat black grille, flanking the running pony that was also redesigned for 2010.  Along the bottom of the 2010 Mustang Shelby GT 500's front fascia, there is a large cooling opening also finished in flat black, and that trim wraps around to the wheel openings.  The 2010 Mustang Shelby GT 500 puts function before form, making sure that the 540 horsepower engine is kept as cool as possible. 

The Mustang Shelby GT 500's driving lights have been moved to the lower fascia area directly below the headlights, and in their absence the upper grille area features a shape that helps to funnel cool air into the engine bay.  The only obstruction on the grille of the Ford Mustang GT500 is the silver Cobra badge, as the Shelby model doesn't feature the running pony.  The lower fascia area also has a design to help funnel air through the Mustang GT 500's large front mounted intercooler, and the unique GT 500 hood contains large vents to help channel the hot air out of the engine bay.  Along with channeling the air, the upper grille design offers better aerodynamics than the 2010 Mustang GT, as the Ford Shelby GT 500 grille comes to the top of the front fascia and the hood meets the back of the fascia, where the Mustang GT hood hangs out over the sunken-in grille and driving lights.

The 2010 Ford Mustang debuted at the Los Angeles Auto Show in 2008 showing off a new, sleek exterior, and Ford unveiled the 2010 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 at the Detroit Auto Show a few months later.  The 2010 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 received similar changes in styling as the Mustang GT, but Ford's Special Vehicle Team (SVT) took the refresh a step further but inside and out.  The 2010 Mustang GT is expected to have an MSRP around $33,000 and the Shelby GT500 will likely cost around $45,000, so what differences account for that price gap?





Drivetrain
The Mustang faithful hoped for a big jump in power from the 2010 Mustang GT to accompany the aggressive new look, but with only 315 horsepower and 325 lb-ft of torque the 4.6L V8 received only a minor improvement.  The 2010 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, like the previous GT500 models, boasts of being the most powerful production Mustang ever made.  That claim is backed up by the 540 horsepower supercharged 5.4L V8, using tuning improvements from the 2008 Ford Mustang GT500 King of the Road.  The 2010 Mustang GT offers a five-speed manual or automatic transmission, while the Mustang Shelby GT500 returns an improved 6-speed manual transmission.  Although there are optional differential choices, a 3.31 rear-end is standard in the Mustang GT.  The 2007 Mustang GT500 offered the same 3.31 ratio, but thanks to the improved transmission, the 2010 Mustang GT500 now has a 3.55 gear, giving the car better low end acceleration without hurting fuel economy.

Exterior
Ford was able to redesign the 2010 Mustang lineup to give it a far more aggressive look and many of those styling cues extend into the 2010 Shelby GT500.  Ford also shaved 20 lbs off the 2010 Mustang Shelby GT500 compared to the 2009 Mustang.  The weight has dropped from 3,944 to 3,924 lbs, giving the 2010 models a power to weight ratio of 7.26 lbs per horsepower compared to the 7.88lbs/hp  of the previous GT500s.  The exterior of the 2010 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 is nearly identical to the 2009 models in almost every dimension, but with the help of the new 'King of the Road' suspension tuning the 2010 sits over an inch lower than the previous models.

Exterior Dimensions of the 2010 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 (2009 Dimensions)
•    Height, Overall: 54.5" (55.7)
•    Length, Overall: 188.2" (188.0)
•    Tread Width, Front: 61.9" (61.9)
•    Tread Width, Rear: 62.5" (62.5)
•    Wheelbase: 107.1" (107.1)
•    Width: 73.9" (73.9)
•    Turning Circle: 37.0' (37.0)

The 2010 Ford Mustang galloped into the public eye with an aggressive new appearance, but the 2010 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 has received mechanical improvements to make this new Cobra better than the last.

Engine
When the Shelby GT500 moniker returned to the Ford Mustang in 2007 with 500 horsepower, it was the most powerful production Mustang ever sold, and the 2010 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 builds on that.  The Ford Mustang Shelby GT500's 5.4L Dual Over Head Camshaft V8 makes use of a similar supercharger and intercooler setup as the 2009 models which made 500 horsepower and 480 lb-ft of torque.  However, using tuning adjustments that Ford's Special Vehicle Team (SVT) developed when building the 2008 GT500 King of the Road, the 2010 GT500 makes a whopping 540 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque.