2019 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 release date, specs news: Powerful muscle car confirmed with over 700 HP

The new Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 is coming in 2019.YouTube/Ford Motor Company

Ford has announced that an all-new Mustang Shelby GT500 is coming in 2019. 

According to the American automaker, the 2019 Shelby GT500 will be powered by a supercharged V8 engine capable of over 700 horsepower. No other details were revealed but Ford did say that the upcoming fastback coupe will be the most powerful street-legal production model that they have ever created.

To note, the Blue Oval's most capable car at this time is the Ford GT supercar, which is equipped with a 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine that delivers 647 horsepower and 550 pound-feet of torque. Meanwhile, the previous iteration of the Shelby GT500, which was released in 2013, produces 662 horsepower and 631 pound-feet of torque.

The 2019 Shelby GT500 is expected to replace the current Shelby GT350R which produces 526 horsepower and 429 pound-feet of torque.

To earn its badge as Ford's most powerful street-legal vehicle, the 2019 Shelby GT500 will be developed by the Ford Performance team. Guided by their motorsport expertise, the upcoming muscle car is said to be equipped with innovative track technologies, performance-focused hardware and aggressive design cues. This will enable optimal performance both on the track and on the road.

In a promotional video that accompanied Ford's announcement, the original 1967 Shelby GT500 is shown as it slowly sheds its outer layer to reveal the upcoming 2019 model. Though the exterior design has not yet been revealed, the teaser did preview the 2019 GT500's massively vented hood, large rear wing, deep front splitter and quad exhaust pipes.

Upon its release, the 2019 Shelby GT500 will be competing with the 707-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and the 650-horsepower Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. It might not be able to beat the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon, which produces 840 horsepower, but the muscle car is meant as a track-only vehicle.

More information about the 2019 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 will be released closer to its official launch.