Ford’s Fastest-Ever Mustang Makes European Debut at Goodwood Festival of Speed

• Ford Shelby GT500 makes its first European appearance; fastest-ever production Mustang  tackles Goodwood hill-climb in front of tens of thousands of motorsport fans
• 200+ mph machine has a 5.8-litre supercharged V8 engine pumping out 671PS - more than any other North American production car
• Ford Shelby GT500 is most recent Mustang to be developed with racing legend Carroll Shelby who passed away in May
• New Focus ST delivers car chase cameo in advance of starring role in action movie “The Sweeney”

GOODWOOD, UK, July 3, 2012 – The fastest, most powerful production Ford Mustang has made its first European appearance, at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, south England.

Only recently launched in North America and especially shipped from the U.S., the supercar was driven up the famous Goodwood hill-climb by guest race drivers. 

Capable of more than 200 mph, the Ford Shelby GT500 has a 5.8-litre supercharged V8 engine producing 671PS (662 horsepower) – making it the most powerful engine to feature in a North American production car.

“The Shelby GT500 takes muscle car performance to new heights,” said Hermann Salenbauch, director of Ford Advanced Product Creation. “We encapsulated every aspect of performance in this car – whether it’s 0-60 mph, top speed, racetrack or quarter-mile times.”

The annual Goodwood Festival of Speed is a unique combination of hill-climb, rally stage, garden party and motor show that attracts 150,000 fans. First staged in 1993, its centrepiece is the hill-climb - a narrow tree- and wall-lined ascent which rises more than 90 metres (300 feet) in just over a mile.

These are conditions in which the Shelby GT500 excels with its Brembo™ six-piston front caliper brake system, updated gearing for superior traction management, suspension tuning and a user-adjustable launch control that works seamlessly with the engine and chassis control systems.

The Shelby which appeared at Goodwood was also equipped with an optional Performance Package featuring electronically adjustable dampers and a Torsen® limited-slip differential, plus an additional Track Package for all-out racetrack performance including three additional coolers.

Downforce-generating front grilles, an aggressive splitter, a new quad-exhaust system and new forged-aluminium wheels differentiate the Shelby GT500 from other Mustang models. It is the most recent Mustang to be developed with input from American racing legend Carroll Shelby who passed away in May, this year.

Ford's all-new Focus ST previewed its starring role in the new British film blockbuster “The Sweeney” at Goodwood. Stunt drivers took the place of famous Flying Squad detectives Jack Regan and George Carter as their black Ford Focus ST joined a Jaguar XFR in a car chase up the famous Goodwood hill-climb.

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About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 164,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit http://corporate.ford.com.

Ford of Europe is responsible for producing, selling and servicing Ford brand vehicles in 51 individual markets and employs approximately 66,000 employees. In addition to Ford Motor Credit Company, Ford of Europe operations include Ford Customer Service Division and 22 manufacturing facilities, including joint ventures. The first Ford cars were shipped to Europe in 1903 – the same year Ford Motor Company was founded. European production started in 1911.