Ford Plans ‘Legend’ Engine For S650 Shelby GT500

A document posted on Reddit, which has been removed, leaks information about Ford planning an S650 Shelby GT500 with an engine called “Legend.” After the S550 GT500 the automaker needs to step up performance even more or risk losing momentum, so it sounds like this one is going to be rather impressive.

Ford is rumored to be working on a Mustang sedan, too.

Some questioned the authenticity of the UAW branch document posted to the Mustang subreddit, but the fact it was taken down, a message stating, “sorry, this post was removed by Reddit’s Legal Operations team” seems to indicate it wasn’t some fraud.

The information leaked indicates the GT500 will launch as a 2026 model. There’s been speculation if the GT500 would come out later in the S650 lifecycle, but this seems to indicate we’ll see something very soon.

The “Legend” engine will apparently be built at the Dearborn Engine Plant, the same facility where the Raptor R engine is assembled. In the document, it states an additional afternoon shift will be added to the “niche assembly line.”

We’re sure there will be some extra tricks via advanced technologies loaded into the 2026 Shelby GT500. After all, it has to keep up with the competition and give buyers the modern performance they’re craving.

Many on the subreddit thread theorized the next Shelby GT500 will have north of 1,000-horsepower. Considering what many other performance cars are pushing these days, that’s believable. Ford wouldn’t want the new muscle car to be overshadowed by the previous generation, not to mention the Dark Horse.

The GTD will still sit at the pinnacle of Mustang performance, although few will have the pleasure of owning one. That makes the GT500, which still should be obnoxiously expensive for a muscle car, a more accessible option and key for maintaining the brand image moving forward.

Image via Ford