Photos: Car Advice

Chevrolet’s announcement of the 550 hp Camaro ZL1 at the Chicago Auto Show this year seems to have kicked the hornet’s nest in Dearborn. The number of oddball Mustangs being caught by spy photographers these days is at an all-time high.

The most recent capture comes from the Nurburgring in Germany, where an otherwise normal-looking GT500 has fueled new speculation about upcoming powertrain possibilities. The horsepower wars between Mustang and Camaro apparently know no limits and some details from these photos suggest that neither is going to settle for second best… for long.

Sporting additional hardware behind the upper and lower grilles, this test Shelby is all about cooling. The question is... cooling what?

The pictures here come courtesy of Car Advice, an Australian site with a commendably long reach. This Shelby appears to be all about cooling, evidenced by the partially visible intercooler in the lower bumper inlet, as well as a couple of tube and fin coolers that have been tucked in behind the upper grille. Some adjustments have apparently been made to the front fascia to accommodate the changes, or possibly to improve airflow in the area. The significant presence of universal repair material, a.k.a. duct tape, is a giveaway here.

While Car Advice speculates that the intercooler shown strongly suggests a turbocharged setup, others don’t necessarily agree. On examining the same photos, Motor Trend says that, “…a prominent front-mount air-to-air intercooler that would be indicative of a turbo doesn’t seem to be present.”

The driver's side fog light opening has been re-tasked to deliver cooling air to what appears to be yet another fluid cooler.

Beyond these items, there also appears to be something behind the driver’s fog light, now being used as a cooling air inlet. Divining the purpose of this is entirely guesswork, but it adds to the notion that the next Shelby GT500 has cooling issues, or is about to. However, the powertrain upgrades may work out, the ZL1 is squarely in the sights of this snake.