Will this deter customers? Doubtful.
Anyone who held off buying a new Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 last year is likely to regret it. To be clear, the most powerful Mustang on the market has not been discontinued. What has happened is a price increase for the 2022 model year. And it’s a fairly significant bump.
Ford has confirmed the 2022 Mustang Shelby GT500 will begin at $73,465, not including the $1,195 destination charge and $2,600 gas guzzler tax. That’s a grand total of $77,260 before any additional option packages. That’s a $3,165 increase over last year. To be fair, this is the first time Ford has increased the base price since the all-powerful ‘Stang went on sale for 2019.
What hasn’t changed is what’s under the hood: the supercharged 5.2-liter Predator V8 with 760 horsepower and 625 lb-ft of torque. A Tremec seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmissions channels that power to the rear wheels only. We highly doubt the price increase will deter buyers. In fact, knowing that the current sixth-generation Mustang’s time is already running out might encourage them.
The next-gen Mustang, codenamed S560, is due to arrive for the 2024 model year. It should officially debut sometime next year. It won’t be fully electric but a hybrid-V8 powertrain is expected. Therefore, the Shelby GT500 will essentially be the final OEM Mustang without any sort of electrification.
The Shelby GT500 has always been something of a bargain if you look at its raw power output compared to supercars and even Porsche 911 trims. Ford has managed to keep its supreme Mustang’s MSRP below $80,000. Where else can you get that much horsepower for less than six figures outside of the US? That’s the beauty of all-American muscle cars, including the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat ($61,380) and the Chevy Camaro ZL1 ($63,000).
Also worth pointing out is that Ford’s price increase is nothing compared to some of the dealership markups we saw back in 2019. Several dealers were charging tens of thousands of dollars over sticker. A few even had the audacity to charge six figures above MSRP.
Keyword: 2022 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Gets BIG Price Increase