Ford shows most powerful street-legal Mustang with 760 hp

2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 (Ford)

DETROIT -- The most powerful street-legal Ford Mustang ever built will go on sale this fall.

A 5.2-litre supercharged V8 will crank out 760 horsepower in the 2020 Shelby GT500.

The new version has a beefed-up suspension and brakes. It also has a seven-speed automatic transmission that Ford promises will shift smoothly on commutes and quickly on the track. The engine is hand-built at a Michigan factory and comes with unique pistons and other parts. It can crank out 625 foot-pounds of torque, a measure of rotational force.

The Shelby GT500 can go from zero to 60 miles per hour (97 kilometres per hour) in around 3.5 seconds, although Ford didn't release a precise number. That's slightly slower than the mid-engine 2020 Chevrolet Corvette, which General Motors says will do it in under three seconds.

Performance powertrain engineering manager Patrick Morgan says the new version is aimed at Mustang enthusiasts who also want track performance.

He said the car can go from zero to 100 mph (161 kilometres per hour) and back to zero again in 10.6 seconds.

The car comes with pumps that can send gas to the fuel injectors all the way until the tank is empty. It also takes 11 quarts of oil with an oil pan that can keep the engine lubricated during extreme cornering moves on the track.

The car starts at $73,995 including shipping and a $2,600 gas-guzzler tax. Ford says it hasn't finished fuel economy tests.