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AUTOS: Shelby GT500 Ragtop Unveiled
650-horsepower Shelby convertible at the Chicago Auto Show helps celebrate the 20th anniversary of Ford's SVT performance division.
The 2013 Shelby GT500 convertible gets the same 650-horsepower supercharged V8 as the coupe. (Photo: Ford)
Ford launched the 20th anniversary celebration of its SVT performance division today with the unveiling of the 650-horsepower 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 convertible at the Chicago Auto Show.
Both the new GT500 convertible and the recently introduced coupe will wear lighted SVT 20th Anniversary threshold plates to mark their place in Blue Oval performance history.
Ford first introduced SVT, which stands for Special Vehicles Team, at the 1992 Chicago Auto Show with the debut of the 1993 SVT Mustang Cobra and SVT F-150 Lightning. Since then, the division has produced 210,000 performance-enhanced vehicles, including several versions of the Cobra and Shelby GT500, the F-150 Lightning performance pickup and F-150 SVT Raptor, the SVT Contour sports sedan, and three- and five-door versions of the SVT Focus. Special SVT Mustang Cobra R models were made in 1993, 1995 and 2000.
“In the past 20 years, SVT has engineered world-class mid-engine supercars, front-wheel-drive performance cars, rear-wheel-drive muscle cars and high-performance on-road and off-road pickup trucks,” said Jamal Hameedi, SVT chief engineer. “There is no other performance house in the world that can match that diverse résumé.”
The introduction at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show of the 2013 Shelby GT500 coupe sent shock waves through the supercar world with its 5.8-liter supercharged V8 that generates an astounding 650 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque, making it the most powerful production V8 in the world.
A Performance Package includes Bilstein electronic adjustable shock absorbers and a new Brembo brake system. Just one transmission is available in the GT500, a six-speed manual.
The convertible version of the GT500 is every bit a performer as the coupe, according to Kerry Baldori, SVT Global Performance Vehicles chief engineer.
“The Shelby GT500 convertible is every bit the performer that the coupe is,” Baldori said “All of the significant changes we made in the program were instrumental in delivering a convertible that could really shine on the track but can still be driven on a daily basis.”
Bob Golfen, Automotive Editor for SPEED.com, is a veteran auto writer based in Phoenix, Arizona, with a passion for collector cars, car culture and the automotive lifestyle. SPEED.com fans can email Bob Golfen at
Both the new GT500 convertible and the recently introduced coupe will wear lighted SVT 20th Anniversary threshold plates to mark their place in Blue Oval performance history.
Ford first introduced SVT, which stands for Special Vehicles Team, at the 1992 Chicago Auto Show with the debut of the 1993 SVT Mustang Cobra and SVT F-150 Lightning. Since then, the division has produced 210,000 performance-enhanced vehicles, including several versions of the Cobra and Shelby GT500, the F-150 Lightning performance pickup and F-150 SVT Raptor, the SVT Contour sports sedan, and three- and five-door versions of the SVT Focus. Special SVT Mustang Cobra R models were made in 1993, 1995 and 2000.
“In the past 20 years, SVT has engineered world-class mid-engine supercars, front-wheel-drive performance cars, rear-wheel-drive muscle cars and high-performance on-road and off-road pickup trucks,” said Jamal Hameedi, SVT chief engineer. “There is no other performance house in the world that can match that diverse résumé.”
The introduction at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show of the 2013 Shelby GT500 coupe sent shock waves through the supercar world with its 5.8-liter supercharged V8 that generates an astounding 650 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque, making it the most powerful production V8 in the world.
A Performance Package includes Bilstein electronic adjustable shock absorbers and a new Brembo brake system. Just one transmission is available in the GT500, a six-speed manual.
The convertible version of the GT500 is every bit a performer as the coupe, according to Kerry Baldori, SVT Global Performance Vehicles chief engineer.
“The Shelby GT500 convertible is every bit the performer that the coupe is,” Baldori said “All of the significant changes we made in the program were instrumental in delivering a convertible that could really shine on the track but can still be driven on a daily basis.”
Bob Golfen, Automotive Editor for SPEED.com, is a veteran auto writer based in Phoenix, Arizona, with a passion for collector cars, car culture and the automotive lifestyle. SPEED.com fans can email Bob Golfen at
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