The Shelby Mustang CODE RED just raised the bar for road-going brawlers, jackhammering 8.593 seconds to 161.81 mph (260.40 kilometers per hour) in the standing quarter-mile. At this point, the Demon 170, Tesla Plaid, Lucid Air Sapphire, and pretty much everyone else in the industry from Ferrari to Hennessey (minus Rimac) can get out their notebooks and start writing the recipe.
The ingredients are pretty boring at first: a simple 5.2-liter V8, forced induction, and an upgrade list long enough to cover a quarter-mile strip twice (see more in the document attached at the end of the article). Here's where it gets real: 1,300 horsepower and 1,000 lb-ft (1,318 hp, 1,356 Nm) on E85.
This is what happens when you pair displacement with supercharging. The video below documents the direct consequence: the cobra emblem on the grille is probably still catching its breath after that sinisterly fast run. At this point, the Mustang CR (Code Red) is the baddest pony that ever galloped on our old Planet Speed and can also be driven safely without a fighter jet license.
Photo: shelby.com
Even on plain 93-octane fuel, the rambunctious Shelby will churn out more than 1,000 horsepower and 780 lb-ft (1,014 PS, 1,058 Nm). The bad news is that only 30 will be built, ten for each year or 2020-2022 production Shelby Mustang GT500.
The package starts at $224,995, and that doesn’t include the actual car, just the modifications. Add $81k for the Shelby GT500 (or $127k for a King of the Road), and it pushes the Mustang GTD barriers. For that sweet little bundle of cash, the customer can choose exactly two things: the exaggerated Le Mans stripes and the painted stripes.
The Code Red isn't awash in eye-catching features (other than those under the hood or related to the drivetrain). Shelby American has thrown carbon fiber everywhere they can (hood, front splitter, rear diffuser, pedestal spoiler, rocker spoilers), thrown out the back seat (and slapped a harness bar in its place), and covered the front seats in leather.
Billet engine caps, 60th Anniversary badging (exclusive to the 2022 GT500 model), Code Red emblems, Shelby rocker stripes, CSM numbered engine and dash, (embroidered) floor mats, and door sill plates are among the Code Red Mustang features. Not exactly a bounty, but not a slouch either.
