The 2018 Shelby GT500 is Almost Here, What Does K&N Have in Store for this Monster?

K&N 57-2571 air intake system added an estimated 53.7 horsepower to the 2007-2009 Shelby GT500

While there was some anticipation that the GT500 might be powered by a version of EcoBoost V6 under the rear hatch of the Ford GT, it appears the Blue Oval folks have gone the cubic inch route, much like Chevy and Dodge.

Word on the street is that a new 7.0L (427!) DOHC V8, code named 7X, developed initially for light truck application, will see duty in both the Shelby GT500 and the next Ford Raptor. It’s part of a $600 million investment Ford is making in the Windsor, Ontario, engine plant.

The other engine that seems to be part of the discussion is to supercharge the existing 5.0L V8. Dodge added 220 horsepower to the 392ci motor to create the Hellcat so it’s a viable path.

Little else is known about the new Shelby GT500. One can take some clues from both its current competitors as well as the last generation Shelby GT500. Horsepower can be expected to be in the range of the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at 650 horsepower and the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat at 707 horsepower. It’s likely that Ford will ignore the Challenger SRT Demon as it’s specifically designed for drag racing only and not all-around performance like the GT500.

From a chassis standpoint, expect a carryover of the existing Mustang four-wheel independent suspension with some heavy tuning to make it instantly track-ready. Likewise, wheels and tires will likely go to 20 inches, which provides for more room for larger rotors and calipers. Exotic pad and rotor materials have been rumored.

All these likelihoods have been on the minds of K&N engineers. They’ve been assessing the engine bay of a Mustang GT to determine the impact of a 7.0L V8, a supercharged 5.0L, or even a twin-turbo V6. Why? Buyers of the Shelby GT500 will want to track the cars as soon as possible, and being enthusiasts will want an immediate edge against other cars and other Shelby GT500 as well.

So K&N is standing by to begin the development process for a replacement filter, cold air intake system, oil filter, or even a cabin air filter regardless of which engine is selected. And don’t forget that K&N developed the 57-2571 performance air intake system that demonstrated in chassis dynamometer tests that it added an estimated 53.7 horsepower to the rear wheels of 2007-2009 Ford Mustang Shelby models. We’re not saying that you can expect 50 additional HP out of the 2018 GT500, but only time will tell!