Ford wowed the world when it unveiled a 650 horsepower 2013 Shelby GT500 last November, squashing the hopes of Chevy fans the world over. Previously Ford had announced more modest horsepower increases, between 10 and 40 horsepower per year. But the addition of an extra 100 horsepower and 90 ft-lbs of torque puts the Shelby GT500 in a whole new category of supercars.

Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords recently got a chance to test out the new Shelby, and in their report they talk about traction control and quarter mile times, including a bold prediction that the 2013 Shelby GT500 could run the 1320 in as little as 11.6 seconds at 120 MPH.

That would be an almost second improvement in the quarter-mile over what magazines like Motor Trend have been able to eek out in the 2012 GT500. Most magazines have the 2011 and 2012 Shelby GT500 pegged in the low-to-mid 12-second range, but the 2013 Shelby gets an extra 100 horsepower and an all new traction control system, about which MM & FF has lots of good things to say.

The new traction control, they say, is not at all intrusive, and it adapts to weather and track conditions on the fly. Launches are hard, but not hard enough, as Ford has lowered the rear-end gears from 3:55 to 3:31 in order to reach the estimated 200+ mph mark. Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords has a lot more to say on the subject, so make sure you check out the full article for an in-depth look at the upcoming 2013 Shelby GT500.