All attention is currently on the seventh-generation Ford Mustang, which is completely new for 2024. However, the sixth-gen isn’t going quietly and yes, we mean that literally as well as figuratively. Unleashing 760 horsepower on unrestricted German autobahn is bound to make some noise, and to that end, this new AutoTopNL video doesn’t disappoint. Turn those speakers up and enjoy some American V8 thunder.
For those who need a reminder, the outgoing Shelby GT500 packs a 5.2-liter supercharged V8 cranking out the aforementioned 760 ponies with 625 pound-feet of torque. It spins to 7,500 rpm, sends power to just the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, and is capable of 180 mph flat-out per Ford. And all those data points are put to the test in this video.
Let’s dispense with the top-speed question right now. The GT500’s official speed is a buck eighty, and towards the end of this autobahn blast, we see the digital speedometer sit at 182 for several seconds. It wasn’t a slow climb to the top, suggesting there’s more to be had beyond Ford’s factory speed limiter. And it doesn’t sound bad under full throttle either.
Arguably of greater interest here isn’t the GT500’s top speed, but the ferocity of its acceleration. It’s one thing to look at performance stats on paper, but then you see it go from 70 mph to 125 mph in six seconds. That’s the first acceleration run of the video, but the second could be the best of them all. With a gloriously empty highway ahead, the driver pins the throttle from a 100-mph roll. 15 seconds later, the Mustang is going 170 mph. That’s some serious pulling power.
It certainly makes you wonder what’s cooking for the next-generation Shelby. Details on such a car are wholly unconfirmed at this time, but we have seen some gnarly seventh-gen Mustang prototypes with fat tires and aggressive bodywork trolling the streets of Detroit. We already have a high-output Mustang Dark Horse available with 500 naturally aspirated horsepower, and with Ford CEO Jim Farley being a big fan of performance, seeing a bonkers GT500 with over 800 hp isn’t out of the question.
Until then, there are still 760 reasons to enjoy the pinnacle of evolution for the sixth-generation Ford Mustang.
