What does Shelby do

Inspired by an experimental build in 2008 along side customers who wanted more performance from their already spectacular GT500, the CODE RED is designed to be the pinnacle of Shelby Mustangs. The GT500 CODE RED features a hand built twin turbocharged V8 pumping out up to 1,300 horsepower and 1,000 foot pounds of torque. In addition to the completely updated powertrain setup, each CODE RED Mustang receives suspension, cooling and aesthetic upgrades. The production run will be limited to 10 GT500s from each of the 2020-2022 production year, 30 units total.

For the first time in its history, Shelby has turned an experimental car into a limited edition production vehicle. Famous “EXP” experimental cars have included the Green Hornet, Little Red and the 2008 twin turbo CODE RED. Shelby’s ’67 GT500 Super Snake had a 427-race engine while the Green Hornet was an experimental ’68 hardtop used to test fuel injection and independent rear suspension. The 1967 Little Red had twin superchargers and a host of other innovations.

In 2008, Shelby American replaced the supercharger of a GT500 with a pair of turbos on the experimental CODE RED Shelby GT500. The then 5.4-liter V8 re-engineered by Nelson’s Racing Engines had a dual-feed fuel system that blended in high-octane racing gas as needed. Shelby enhanced the cooling capacity to handle the heat and worked with AMS to develop a speed-sensitive boost controller for the car. Along the way, the drive train was reworked and many performance improvements and features were added. However, the high cost of the car and its extreme nature made it not viable for production.

For the new production ready 2020-2022 CODE RED, Shelby worked closely with partners to develop a robust, powerful and reliable package. The 5.2L engine now features all-new high-performance components boosted by an intercooled premium twin turbo system, a new fuel system, engine management system and more. CODE RED boasts 1,000+ horsepower and 780-foot pounds of torque on 93 octane pump gas with up to 1,300 horsepower and 1,000-foot pounds of torque on E85 Ethanol.

The current generation GT500 CODE RED is far more than just a drivetrain upgrade. It features the widebody package with new wheels, tires, axles, suspension tuning, interior, badges, carbon fiber hood, and more. Each Shelby GT500 Code Red includes membership in Team Shelby, the worldwide club Carroll Shelby established in 2008, and will be documented in the official Shelby Registry.  Production has begun in Las Vegas and owners of 2020- 2022 model year Shelby GT500s can contact Shelby American about transforming their car into a CODE RED edition.