All the Times We Raced Our Long-Term Ford Mustang Shelby GT500

In which we fondly remember our track star, the Shelby GT500

2020 Ford Shelby GT500 Picture

written by Kurt Niebuhr^{Senior Vehicle Test Editor
Kurt Niebuhr has worked in the automotive industry since 2005. A automotive photographer by trade, Kurt is now one of Edmunds' high-performance test drivers. He's driven and photographed hundreds, if not thousands, of vehicles all over the world, so Kurt's library of automotive experiences would certainly make for a good book. When not dreaming about getting his racing license or trying to buy out-of-date film for his cameras, Kurt can usually be found cursing at his 1966 Mustang.}
edited by Steven Ewing^{Director, Editorial Content
Steven Ewing has worked in the automotive industry since 2003. In that time, he's written thousands of articles and tested just as many vehicles. Steven is Edmunds' director of editorial content and has previously been on staff at Winding Road magazine, Autoblog, Motor1.com, CNET, and was the U.S. correspondent for Top Gear magazine. Steven has also contributed to Automobile magazine, Car and Driver, The Drive, Jalopnik, Porsche Panorama, and dozens of other publications. In his spare time, Steven loves to play the drums, cook, and drive his 2000 BMW M Roadster.}
6/27/2024
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We made a compilation video of our long-term Shelby GT500's many, many drag races.
The Shelby didn't always win, but it was always fast.
It was aruguably the best-sounding long-term vehicle we've ever had.

We recently said goodbye to our beloved 2020 Ford Shelby GT500 long-term tester. In the four years we owned the Orange Menace, we piled on 30,000 miles, burned a ridiculous amount of fuel, laid down copious amount of rubber, and yeah, we drag raced it. We have a lot of other memories tucked away, but we've got the drag races on video. Join us while we look back at all the havoc wreaked and the noise we made racing it against nearly ever car we could get our hands on.

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Writer, producer and star

Before we created our now legendary U-Drags concept, we put our Shelby up against everything from a BMW M8 to our (also dearly departed) long-term Chevy Corvette Stingray, to a Porsche 911, a Tesla Model Y and even a Ford Mustang Mach-E — you know, just to show the new guy who's boss. While loud and fun, results were mixed, and our drivers lamented the one-dimensional nature of the straight-up drag race when the GT500 was built for so much more.

When U-Drags was undergoing feasibility testing, the GT500 was used as the primary test vehicle. With it, we determined the best locations, possible speeds, layout, and measurements for the course. So not only did the GT500 play an entertaining, recurring role in U-Drags, it helped shape the entire concept.

Drag races with our Shelby GT500

U-DRAG: Shelby GT500 vs. Dodge Challenger Black Ghost

Drag Race! Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 vs. Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing | 0-60, Top Speed, U-Drag & More

Drag Race! Ford Mustang Mach-E vs Shelby GT500 | Which Mustang Is Faster? | 0-60, Horsepower, & More

Drag Race! BMW M8 vs. Ford Shelby GT500 — Sport Coupe Drag Race — 0-60 Performance, Specs & More

Edmunds says

Even with all the speed we experienced from behind the wheel of our Shelby GT500, some feel we still didn't get the most out of our time with the fast Ford. But after watching that video, you can't say we didn't try. Godspeed, you hooligan.

Shelby GT500 vs. BMW M4 Competition

Kurt Niebuhr

by Kurt Niebuhr

Kurt Niebuhr has worked in the automotive industry since 2005. A automotive photographer by trade, Kurt is now one of Edmunds' high-performance test drivers. He's driven and photographed hundreds, if not thousands, of vehicles all over the world, so Kurt's library of automotive experiences would certainly make for a good book. When not dreaming about getting his racing license or trying to buy out-of-date film for his cameras, Kurt can usually be found cursing at his 1966 Mustang.

Steven Ewing

edited by Steven Ewing

Steven Ewing has worked in the automotive industry since 2003. In that time, he's written thousands of articles and tested just as many vehicles. Steven is Edmunds' director of editorial content and has previously been on staff at Winding Road magazine, Autoblog, Motor1.com, CNET, and was the U.S. correspondent for Top Gear magazine. Steven has also contributed to Automobile magazine, Car and Driver, The Drive, Jalopnik, Porsche Panorama, and dozens of other publications. In his spare time, Steven loves to play the drums, cook, and drive his 2000 BMW M Roadster.

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