Not exactly new news, but I want to share anyway.
Factory-built 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 Mustang achieves 200 MPH top speed for US market
Nice article in the new Car and Driver about it also. Seems to be a real attempt by Ford to do “affordable performance”
Because it’s SO necessary for car to achieve 200 MPH. (Saying this as a HUGE Mustang fan.) The speed limit is 70, TOPS in most areas. I need a car that goes 200 MPH because WHY? I need to chase the bad guy up and down San Francisco hills a la “Bullitt”? C’mon son. Think what Ford could achieve if they put their energy/money into something useful and productive. BAH!
America! Fuck Yeah!!
Well we need to go to the top of Mt Everest for what? Just because it’s there right?
That’s the difference between men and woman -
A woman will ask why, while for a man it’s just because we can… 
Agreed, highly recommend reading the February 2012 print version of the Car and Driver article. The online version is very condensed but also useful.
The first guy, yeah, then…what’s the point? It can be done. And you are?
Your points are well taken.
Counterpoints of perhaps dubious significance:
Some of these 200 MPH Mustangs will spend significant time on a race track.
“Halo cars” such as this generate a lot of interest and discussion among the proletariat which can lead to more *Ford Focus *and Taurus sales.
Theoretically, the technology of the 200 MPH Mustang may one day trickle down to the base models.
The 200 MPH Mustang is a little bit like US Foreign Aid–many think it to be a complete waste of money that should be spent at home but the argument could be made that the dollar amount of the 200 MPH Mustang investment in the grand scheme of things is a mere “drop in the bucket” which does generate positive returns.
Does it still have a live rear axle? If so, the 200mph top speed is more of a theory than a spec. In all but the most capable hands, it’ll be all over the road at more than 150.
If you absolutely have to have an American-made car capable of 200+, then get a Corvette ZR1, since it would be much more track-capable. Of course, if I had that kind of money to blow, I’d get an M3 or an AMG and not worry so much about some fantasy tippity-top speed that I’d rarely (if ever) hit.
Is that technology very widespread among performance cars? First I’ve heard of it.
Road & Track indicates that the live rear axle does indeed carry over. No mention of any wandering during high-speed testing at the Nürburgring.
Different people have different preferences for their cars? Incomprehensible!:eek:
A car that costs 2x the price is more capable? Incomprehensible!:eek: Tell us more about how you don’t understand how suspension works!
My mistake - I was thinking of the Z06. It starts $75k, rather than the ZR1’s $111k (!), and in the last road comparison I could find, blew the doors off the Shelby. I’m figuring, if I’m in the $50k ballpark, I’d be willing to spend another 50% to get a far more enjoyable drive. Rethinking things, I’d probably buy a used GT-R if I had that kind of money to blow.
Have you ever driven a live axle car in anger? It has no nuance - it’s either on the road or off. There’s no breaking point where you can ease off the throttle a bit to keep the rear in line - once the rearend starts coming around, you’ll say hello to your taillights before you stop.
But don’t take my word for it - check out this Top Gear review of the last-gen GT500, with special attention given to the suspension beginning around 4:30.
I want to see The Stig take her around the track on Top Gear.
(The UK version, well, the only version)
That hadn’t occurred to me. Also I remember when I lived in Indiana the state police switched from the usual Crown Victoria as a police car to Mustangs. Yeah, i can see needing to overtake someone in a high-speed chase, but still? 200 MPH? On city streets/highways? ::looks askance::
Paraphrasing Douglas Adams:
“Amazing-looking car though. Looks like a fish, moves like a fish, steers like a cow.”
Sadly, the Euro version is limited to 155 MPH. Ford did, however, remove the top-speed governor for high speed testing on the Nürburgring.
A “gentleman’s agreement” was hammered out in the 70’s, when Germany’s Green Party wanted to impose speed limits on de-restricted autobahns. Mercedes, BMW and Audi all agreed to limit their products’ top speed to 155mph.
Porsche never joined.
For the most part, this gentleman’s agreement still holds true today, with the exception of certain über-fast models.
Top speed governors can be defeated on run-of-the-mill models, but not any shade tree mechanic can do it.
I think that Ford should have just come up with another car to put that 5.8L engine into…resurrect the GT, built a brand new car…something. Although the thought of a Mustang with well north of 600hp is a little frightening (and awesome), this coming from an owner of a 315hp Mustang GT.