Shelby GT500 Code Red: The Most Extreme Ever

For years you can knock on Shelby American’s door for a Ford Mustang that has been lifted to a higher level and you can bet that the same will apply to the next generation. While Shelby can’t wait to go wild on that one, it won’t happen until the current Mustang goes out with a bang. The Shelby GT500 Code Red is by far the strongest Shelby Mustang ever. It delivers power that makes even the 900 hp Shelby GT500-H turn white.

In the nose of the Shelby GT500 Code Red is a hand-built 5.2-biturbo V8 that is good for no less than 1,300 American horsepower and 1,366 Nm of torque. There is a small side note: that is if you run it on E85 petrol. On regular petrol, it produces around 1,000 hp and 1,057 Nm. Still insane a lot. Shelby managed to get this out of the V8 thanks to, among other things, modified pistons, a new fuel system, a new intercooler and modified engine management.

What all that power triggers for performance is not yet known. In any case, Shelby has done everything to keep the most extreme GT500 under control. The wide-body Shelby GT500 Code Red features a modified chassis with height-adjustable front and rear suspension, a recalibrated MagneRide suspension with multiple riding modes and modified axles. It stands on special 20-inch Shelby wheels made of forged aluminum. In terms of visual distinction, Shelby keeps it ‘simple’ with Code Red decals along the sides and a red Shelby logo in the grille. In the interior you are welcomed by more red accents.

A more than 1,000 hp strong Shelby must remain a rarity, according to the company. That’s why only 30 of them are made. At least, ten Shelby GT500s per year of construction of the 2020, 2021 and 2022 models will be adapted to a Code Red. The price for the conversion is, as you undoubtedly expected, far from tender. Converted to more than €211,000, a Code Red must cost. Please note: that is in addition to the converted €80,000 GT500 that serves as the basis.