Ford has just released official output numbers for the 2013 Shelby GT 500 and the final figures are even better than the automaker had indicated when the car was first unveiled last fall at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show. The SAE-certified numbers for the car’s 5.8-liter supercharged V8 are a staggering 662 horsepower and 631 lb-ft of torque, significantly more than the 650/600 projected minimum stats Ford had been shooting for. Those figures make the GT500’s engine the world’s most powerful series-production V8. Even better news for the Blue Oval team, they also handily surpass the 580 horsepower/556 lb-ft of torque turned out by the GT500’s closest real-world rival, the new 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 that’s fitted with a supercharged 6.2-liter V8.
While the 2013 GT500’s new SVT-massaged V8 makes its biggest power statement at 6,500 rpm, the engine churns out nearly 60 percent of its peak torque – a stout 395 lb ft – at a mere 1,000 revs and 90 percent or more on hand from 2,200 rpm. In the ultimate win-win situation, not only is this new V8 more potent, it’s also more fuel efficient. With EPA city/highway ratings of 15/24 mpg, the 2013 Shelby GT500 is the most fuel-efficient car with over 550 horsepower sold in America. It holds a one-mpg edge on the highway compared to the 2012 Shelby GT500’s 5.4-liter V8 that makes 550 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of twist – and betters the new Camaro ZL1’s open-road number by 5 mpg.
