2012 Mustang GT500 to have 500hp twin turbo Coyote V8?

The Ford Shelby Mustang GT500 is well renowned for it's power and ability to move quickly in a straight line. About the only thing that folks complain about is the car's porky curb weight. With the car being awfully heavy, it makes it tough to exhibit the type of handling and fuel economy that Ford would probably like to have with the car.

Part of what makes the car heavy is the cast iron block of it's 5.4L V8. With the heft of that, combined with extra equipment, the GT500 is 400 pounds heavier than a GT. We already know that the Mustang is getting powertrain updates in the next couple of years, with EcoBoost engines coming out and the debut of the new 5.0L "Coyote" V8.

Now PickupTrucks.com is reporting that for 2012, the Coyote should spawn a twin turbo variant with over 500 hp for the GT500. With an aluminum block, this engine figures to be markedly lighter than the current engine, which should give the car much better handling. And then there's this report in Autoguide.com that happens to say that there will be an aluminum block 5.4 in the 2011 GT500.

Maybe it's just us, but the latter option sounds a little more realistic. There is already an aluminum version of the 5.4L (see: Ford GT), and a twin turbo 5.0 putting out 500hp would have to be detuned considerably to "only" put out that kind of power.