Ford Prepares High-Performance Mustang to Rival Hellcat and Camaro ZL1

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Ford prepares high-performance Mustang; could get power from the 5.2-litre twin-turbo version of the GT350 to make over 650 hp

In the American muscle car market, the Dodge SRT Hellcat is a highly attractive proposition for the quarter-mile obsessed customers but Ford could deter its dominance by introducing a beefed up version of none other than the Mustang pony car. It will compete directly against the high-performance Dodge SRT Hellcat and the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 according to a news emerged on MotorAuthority.

Spy images of the heavily-clad new Mustang could rightly possess a highly possible range-topper hidden underneath. It could appear sometime in 2018 and bring along the Shelby 500 designation or revitalise the Mach 1 nomenclature, said the report.

Also Read: Ford Mustang GT Launched in India; Priced at Rs. 65 Lakh

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The massively powerful Shelby GT500 with 662 ponies bowed out from production after 2014 and created a gap in the Mustang lineup that is yet to be filled. Currently the GT350 produces a maximum 526 horsepower and 582 Nm of peak torque but the Challenger Hellcat is a country mile apart by developing 707 hp. Compared to the Chevy, it is more than 100 hp down as the Camaro ZL1 pumps out 650 hp.

While little can be said from the spy images, as an aggressive front end seems to have a wider track and looks planted on the road, the Blue Oval doesn’t like playing second-fiddle as we have seen from the F-150 series and other pickup lineups with power-against-power the core mantra. The Super ‘Stang could get the twin-turbocharged version of the GT350’s 5.2-litre V8 engine as its power source.

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The transmission is likely to be a ten-speed automatic unit developed in collaboration with General Motors. It already does job in the ZL1 and is stated to be quicker than Porsche’s PDK automatic. Ford needs to get better of the Camaro ZL1 at least in terms of the power output, at over 650 hp, to challenge the mighty Hellcat as the competition heats up to a new level.

The American brand launched the GT variant of the mustang with a 5.0-litre V8 for Indian market recently and it has received tremendous response. May the Hellcat rivalling Super ‘Stang arrive here with all its glory in the future!

Also Read: Ford Mustang Outsold German Sports Cars in Germany