2013 Ford Shelby GT500—$54,900 and 200 MPH
Yes, the starting price of the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 grows by more than 11 percent to $54,200, but never have so few dollars produced so many mph. On the odd chance you’ve missed it, the new Shelby GT500 has been fitted with the world’s most powerful production V8, capable of 662 hp, 631 lb.-ft. of torque and a top speed above 200 mph. And in unexpected turn of events, the car even manages to be 1 mpg more efficient than the 2012 model in both city and highway driving—in fact, Ford claims it’s the most fuel-efficient car in the country to offer more than 550 horses. The EPA line here: 15 mpg city/24 mpg highway/18 mpg combined.
Frankly, no other modern-day muscle car comes close to those kinds of numbers, but then again, neither do many other modern-day cars period. Even something like the Nissan GT-R, widely acclaimed for its ability to provide supercar-like performance at an “affordable” price tag, costs over $40,000 more than the Shelby. And the Ford still produces 117 more hp and 168 more lb.-ft. of torque.
But let’s take a gander at the range-toppers from Chevy and Dodge anyway: The new Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is $795 more expensive than the Shelby GT500, and it’s also down more than 80 horses and 75 lb.-ft. of twist as compared to the Ford. The ZL1 runs out of steam at a mere 184 mph as well—some 16 mph below the Shelby’s top end. The Dodge Challenger SRT8 stickers at a significant six grand under the cost of the Ford, but it only offers 470 hp and 470 lb.-ft. of torque, with a terminal velocity of just 182 mph.
(Oh, and the 2013 Shelby GT500 Convertible shows the same price increase as the Coupe, and now has an MSRP of $59,200.)