Leak Suggests a New Ford Shelby GT500 Is Coming in 2026

• United Auto Workers documents claim there's a new GT500 on the way.
• The car is supposed to be a 2026 model.
• The rumored GT500 will have an engine codenamed "Legend."

The last-generation Ford Mustang GT500 was an incredibly brutal car thanks to its supercharged 5.2-liter V8 and its tire-munching 760 horsepower. It left a big pony-shaped hole in our hearts when Edmunds sold its long-term test GT500, but now, according to a rumor published on February 21 by the Mustang7G forum, the world might be getting another GT500 as early as 2026.

The rumor comes from a leaked United Auto Workers document about staffing and production increases at the Dearborn Engine Plant for a 2026 GT500 with an engine to be named Legend. Normally, rumors are rumors, but this coming from a UAW local directly connected with the plant adds a bit of credibility to the claim. Ford representatives, meanwhile, declined to comment on the rumor.

All this exciting news about a GT500 begs the question of where Ford could go with a new version. Could it be some kind of hybrid, or would the Blue Oval simply crank up the boost via a supercharger again or possibly a turbo? Maybe displacement will get a boost to push Legend's power output closer to that 1,000-hp mark?

If the rumors are true, we expect that the new GT500 will be a force to be reckoned with, especially since its natural competition — the Hellcat and the Camaro ZL1 — have gone the way of the dinosaur.