Ford's Mustang Shelby GT500, Toyota Supra GR unveiled at auto show

The 2020 Ford Mustang GT500 unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show is the most powerful sports car the automaker has ever built, but it's no one-trick pony.

Ford says the high performance coupe is just as good wrangling a twisty racetrack as it is tearing down a drag strip.

It has a supercharged 5.2-liter V8 stuffed under its bulging, vented hood that's good for "more than 700 horsepower." Just how much more has yet to be announced. You'll also find six heat exchangers in there to keep it cool.

Instead of a manual or traditional automatic transmission, the GT500 sends its power to the rear tires through a quick-shifting 7-speed dual-clutch automatic, similar to the one used by the Ford GT supercar. With it, Ford claims the GT500 can cover a quarter-mile in under 11 seconds, which would make it one of the quickest cars in the world.

But a revised suspension with adaptive MagneRide shocks was tuned for taking turns, the way Ford's road racing GT4 Mustangs do. In fact, you can get a special handling package that includes the same, towering rear wing as the race car along with a front splitter equipped with so many blades that it looks like a torture device. Adjustable strut-top mounts and carbon fiber wheels are also included, but the rear seats are not.

You'll find a set of six-piston Brembo calipers inside of the wheels that are ready to squeeze manhole-cover size 16.5-inch front brakes. A line-lock feature that carries over from other Mustangs can hold just them so you can heat up the rear tires in an epic cloud of smoke.

Ford hasn't announced pricing for the GT500, but it will slot in above the $60,000 GT350 in the Mustang lineup when it goes on sale this fall.

TOYOTA SUPRA

Toyota, normally associated with bland but reliable people haulers, wants to create some excitement for its brand by reviving the Supra GR sports car. If it lives up to its looks, the move might just work. 

Toyota unveiled the low-slung two-seater Monday, and it's reminiscent of the car that developed a cult following when it was on the market from 1978 to 2002. 

The rear-drive 2020 Supra is powered by a 335-horsepower 3-liter twin-turbo inline six-cylinder engine mated to what Toyota calls a fast-shifting eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. 

Toyota expects the Supra to have a zero-to-60 mph time of 4.1 seconds, with an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph. The Supra has an even weight distribution and low center of gravity for handling. 

It sits low, has mildly flared fenders and a low center grille with big air intakes that gives it an aggressive, athletic look. The Supra will be in U.S. showrooms this summer. It will start at $49,990. Gas mileage wasn't released. 

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.