Hitting 200 mph is certainly an impressive feat for any vehicle, but Ford says its 2013 GT 500 can do the deed for a cool $55,000.
The gang at Motor Trend recently decided to see if the new GT 500 was capable of actually living up to Ford’s claim of 200 mph, and managed to talk the vehicle manufacturer out of a loaner car for the attempt.
Motor Trend chose Chrysler’s Arizona Proving Grounds to its five-mile oval test track for the experiment. The problem? Any supercharged vehicle loses power in high heat. For some reason, Motor Trend’s first attempt at reaching 200 mph was scheduled for 2 PM when temperatures on the track hit 150°F. Despite the blistering heat, Motor Trend test driver Randy Pobst was able to achieve a top speed of 190.73 mph.
“This car is just yawning at 150 mph…it’s not working at all,” says Pobst, excitedly. “It’s not hard to drive the car; it’s a combination of the speed and the unknown. It’s a new territory that I don’t normally deal with – this car, this track.”
The team decided to try again later in the evening with cooler temperatures and put down top speed of 193.2 mph. The team gave up for the day and decided to come back at 6 AM the following morning. In the cooler, denser air, the GT 500 put down a top speed of 196 mph. Although the magic 200 mph number wasn’t to be had on the hot Arizona track, the Motor Trend staff figures cooler temperatures, longer straights and lower elevation would probably enable a 200 mph run.
