MotorMouths

It isn’t that tough to build a 200 mph car anymore, but frankly, doing it at the GT500’s price and still including all the safety features, creature comforts, styling cues, and a full factory warranty—so far, it’s the automotive achievement of the year.

662 horsepower. 200mph. $54,995. Mustang. If that’s not enough for you to make up your mind about the 2013 Shelby GT500, then you’re one of few non-partisans in the ongoing battle between Ford’s refreshed Mustang and the entire known world of performance cars.

With enough power to corrupt the most virtuous among us, at a price that is not so far out of reach, the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 will likely be one of the most memorable Mustangs of all time.

While it is one potent beast, the 2013 GT500 is also more livable and drivable than ever before. SVT has improved this steed in every way.

The 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 is an absolutely insane vehicle. An absurd amount of power, a ludicrous amount of engineering, and a horsepower-to-money ratio that can only be measured on the metric batshit scale. Weirdly, my biggest complaint is how utterly sane it feels.

The 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 is clearly one very special Mustang that every member of our staff would love to own. It’s a heart throbbing tribute to one amazing car guy.

When is enough enough? For Ford’s SVT performance-vehicle team, the 2013 Shelby GT500 provides the answer, and it’s a resounding “never.” It is an unruly beast, an automotive hooligan — and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Even with all this newfound power, the 2013 GT500 is more livable and user friendly than it ever was before. Ford has improved its monster Mustang in every way possible — better handling, more technology, increased power.

So, how does it feel to drive the 2013 Shelby GT500 on the street every day? In a word, awesome. We can’t imagine anyone could possibly keep his or her foot out of the throttle whenever a clear path of road lies ahead, but we found it surprisingly easy to drive in traffic.

People buy GT500s for overkill, and this car is no exception. No matter how you slice it, you’re getting a blue ton of horsepower for less than $60,000, and that’s a feat to be applauded.

The 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 is an obvious attempt to be all things to all Shelby Mustang fans. It does everything it needs to wear the Shelby name proudly. In fact, we can’t think of a finer tribute to the man who created the first Shelby Mustang back in 1965.

The GT500 is the drag-racing hobby in a box, a splendid, demented way to demolish boredom one quarter-mile at a time. But if you don’t have a drag-strip at the end of your driveway, the GT500 tends to conceal rather than reveal its greatness.