2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Hauls Even on Street Tires: Tested (Car and Driver)
Ford's 760-hp Mustang Shelby GT500 accelerates even harder on its standard summer tires than it does on the optional track rubber, and it's no less exhilarating.
A car can only be as good as the tires it's wearing. Those four rubber donuts translate the driver's every intention into acceleration, braking, and cornering. So, it stands to reason that the most powerful Ford ever made — the 760-hp Mustang Shelby GT500 — should be significantly better when it's wearing the stickiest tires available. In the GT500's case, that means plunking down an extra $18,500 for its Carbon Fiber Track Pack, which includes carbon-fiber wheels wrapped in gummy Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires.
However, we've now spent two weeks with the latest mega Mustang on its standard Michelin Pilot Sport 4S and can vouch that it delivers an experience just as exhilarating on these summer tires as when it's fitted with track rubber. We've previously tested the GT500 with its full go-fast outfit, so we have the seat time and the data to draw a complete comparison. Here's the big surprise: The GT500 gets off the line quicker and posts faster acceleration times on its standard street tires. At 3.4 seconds to 60 mph and 6.9 seconds to 100 mph, the Pilot Sport 4S tires are good for two-tenths of a second compared to the Cup 2s.
(photo credit: Michael Simari - Car and Driver)
