Debuting for 2011 with a lighter 5.4-liter supercharged V8 that cranked out 550 horsepower, the Shelby Mustang GT500 reigned as the king of the pony cars when it hit the streets. In the subsequent years the horsepower wars have brought on more potent offerings from Ford as well as Chevrolet and Dodge, but that doesn’t mean that the ’11 GT500 isn’t one hell of a canvas to start from in order to make crazy horsepower.
Case in point is this build by Kinetik Motorsport. Apparently the owner of this particular Shelby found himself yearning for more performance from his car – a lot more. The crew at Kinetik set to work transforming the GT500 into a serious drag strip performer, starting by swapping out the 5.4-liter mill for a 5.8-liter V8 supplied by L&M Engines. To take things suitably over the top, Kinetik also installed a massive 4.7-liter supercharger atop the new motor, resulting in a jaw-dropping 1173 hp and 1009 lb-ft of torque at the wheels.
The motor breathes through a pair of American Racing 2-inch long tube headers and a Magnaflow 3-inch catback exhaust with competition mufflers, while a new limited slip differential handles the newfound grunt. In terms of handling, a Griggs GR40SS suspension system replaces the stock package, and to slow things down in a hurry, a Baer Extreme brake system with slotted front and rear brake discs supplants the OEM stoppers.
Those bigger brakes and enhanced aero pieces came in handy when they took the GT500 out the Texas Mile to stretch its legs, hitting 209.3 miles per hour at its debut at the event.