If you ask anyone at Ford about an upcoming car, you are likely to get this answer: “We don’t comment on future products.” That can be frustrating for enthusiasts, but the reasoning is sound. The company doesn’t want to commit to details before they are locked in, and it also doesn’t want to tip its hand to the competition.
It’s going to be impressive. — Jim Owens, Ford Performance
That won’t prevent people from trying to get a scoop, however. Case in point is the video above, which includes the YouTuber pushing Ford Performance Marketing Manager Jim Owens for some details on the forthcoming Shelby GT500 (beginning around 08:18). Jim is savvy though. He won’t give specifics, but he will tease.
“It’s going to be impressive,” he said. “I have ridden in it.”
As to whether the car will be geared toward the road course or the drag strip, he won’t commit to that either.
“It’s not your old ’68 GT500. I will just leave it at that,” Jim said. “We are excited about it.”
However, as the interviewer warms up to him, he does get an indication that the track programs for Ford Performance vehicles are likely to continue with the next Shelby. In fact, there may just be another Track Tour centered around the new GT500.
“We are so hoping so. (Mark) Schaller and I are still doing it. I just moved over to Ford Performance and he took over my job on the Mustang side, but we still stay connected,” Jim said. “And, we hope to do something very similar. We are crossing our fingers that we do it.”
And, it looks like owners should get to learn how to make the most of this potent new machine thanks to some skilled instruction from the Ford Performance Racing School instructors.
“And we are hoping that it will have the Utah Motorsports Campus (program)…” he said of the potential for a track program for owners.
So we don’t know much more about the next Shelby GT500, but we do know that it will likely follow in the tire tracks of its performance predecessors when it comes to owner programs.