These are the 5 Fastest Mustangs Ford has ever produced. Ford has manufactured numerous variants of the iconic Mustang over the last 60 years. They’ve ranged from simple four- or six-cylinder models to turbocharged four-cylinders to V8s that couldn’t produce more than 100 horsepower due to emissions-reducing components.
By the 2000s, however, even base-model Mustangs were leaving the factory with up to 300 horsepower. Throughout the Mustang’s illustrious and often tumultuous history, Ford has infused its portfolio with high-performance Mustang versions aimed at speed fanatics and anyone looking to outmuscle rival Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger owners.
As of late 2023, the Ford Mustang GTD is on track to become the most powerful street-legal version of the famous pony car ever produced. However, with a starting price of $300,000 and restricted manufacturing quantities, the Mustang GTD will undoubtedly be difficult to obtain.
Here, we look at the five most powerful factory-built Mustangs Ford has ever produced that you might be able to get your hands on.
2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500
760 horsepower
Prior to the crazy Mustang GTD, the ultimate factory-built Stang was the 2020 Shelby GT500, which boasts more horsepower than some third-party tuners have given the car. Ford was able to obtain its 760 horsepower on the road by equipping it with a supercharged 5.2-liter V8 and several brake and suspension improvements, outperforming the 717 horsepower of the 2020 Challenger Hellcat.
2015 Ford Shelby GT350 Mustang
526 horsepower
The sixth-generation Mustang introduced some of the most substantial structural alterations to the vehicle since the late 1970s. Ford replaced the live rear axle with an independent rear suspension, making the vehicle significantly smaller and more sporty. Not only did this make regular Mustangs more bearable for vacationers, but it also readied performance versions to ramp up the power. The first Shelby GT350 of this generation had a 5.2-liter V8 with an unusual flat-plane crankshaft, similar to those used in Ferrari V8s, which allowed the engine to rev higher than a standard V8.
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse
500 horsepower
While the current Mustang generation is a highly modified version of the previous incarnation, Ford did not forget to add more power to what is otherwise a conventional V8-powered GT. The Mustang Dark Horse, which will arrive in mid-2023, takes the GT’s 480-hp engine and boosts it to an even 500, owing to several tweaks that allow the mill to crank to 7,500 rpm. As the possibility of a completely electrified two-door Mustang emerges, consider the Dark Horse a sort of last gasp.
2007 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500
500 horsepower
Ford took the retro-inspired fifth-generation Mustang and turned to the past for inspiration while designing an even faster version. The Shelby GT500 of the 1960s was modified by famed racing driver Carroll Shelby and his firm to put enormous power into a relatively affordable vehicle. Ford maintained the same spirit in 2007, with a supercharged 5.4-liter V8, improved brakes and suspension, and even some racing stripes. Remember that at the time, 500 horsepower was a lot for a car that cost less than $50,000.
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2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1
480 horsepower
The Mach 1, a term derived from some of the early Mustangs, was officially reintroduced in 2004. Ford used the Mustang GT as a platform and added some modest visual and interior stylistic variations, as well as a little extra power, similar to the recipe used to make the original 1969 Mach 1. When the moniker was reintroduced in 2021, the carmaker upgraded the normal Mustang GT’s 5.0-liter V8 to add 20 horsepower. The Mach 1 was a better-equipped, more distinctive-looking model that drew attention and competed with Chevy and Dodge offerings.
