Spied! Is Ford Testing New GT500 Mules in Dearborn?

Even as Ford introduced the S650 seventh-generation Mustang at the Detroit auto show in September 2022, pony car enthusiasts of a blue oval bent were already speculating as to when the hottest variants of the car might start to appear. Ford answered some of those questions immediately with the 500-horsepower Dark Horse, powered by the 5.0-liter Coyote V-8.  But what of the GT500, which took five years to hit the streets following the 2015 debut of the sixth-gen car?

Well, rejoice, power-hungry Mustang wranglers: Today, Hagerty can confirm that seventh-gen Mustang GT500 mules have been spotted testing around the streets of Dearborn. Spy shots obtained by Hagerty show Mustangs half wrapped in camouflage graphics, with revised front fascias that feature gaping air intakes and big radiators, as well as an interior roll cage of some sort, which could simply be for prototyping and testing purposes. Some of the cars even include tiny mule stickers on the fenders, wink-wink.

The front wheel arches have been altered slightly, likely to fit wider tires, and the photos show that the tires fitted match those used on the sixth-generarion, S550 GT500: 305/30ZR20s up front and 315/30ZR20s in the rear. A variety of wheels are mounted on the mules, including the standard alloy units from the previous GT500, as well as the carbon fiber wheels that came in that car’s optional $18,500 Carbon Fiber Track (CFT) package. While those wheels are shod in the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R rubber that was also part of the CFT package, the mule riding on the standard wheels is outfitted with Pirelli PZeroRs, a change from the standard Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires used on base GT500s before. Perhaps Ford is testing the waters with new compounds for its potent pony?

Speculation about a new GT500 was fueled online two months ago, when a now-deleted post (by Reddit’s legal team, not by the poster) on the r/Mustang sub-reddit appeared to show a leaked United Auto Workers internal memo that indicated changes being made to the Dearborn Engine Plant, including an extra shift being added to the Niche assembly line, allegedly gearing up for production of a new high-performance powerplant for 2026. The memo dubbed the engine “Legend.”

A supercharged 5.2-liter V-8 making 760 hp and 623 lb-ft of torque powered the last GT500. The current F-150 Raptor R utilizes that powerplant, which produces 720 hp in the super truck. Whether the unit will serve as the platform for a new GT500 is anyone’s guess, but the availability and plausibility are hard to ignore.

Watch this space for more as new information on a 2026 GT500 becomes available.