2026 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 with ‘Legend’ V8 Is Coming, Leaked Doc Says

High-output Mustang fans have something new to look forward to this week, as a leaked memo from Ford’s Dearborn Engine Plant (DEP) suggests that the Shelby GT500 will return for 2026 with a new engine under the hood. Dubbed “Legend,” it’s likely related to Ford’s existing 5.2-liter V8 family (“Predator” or “Carnivore,” depending on the implementation), but given the new codename, it’s not unreasonable to expect some tweaks.

This leak comes to us by way of the Mustang7G forum, where a photo of the bottom portion of a printed memo circulated to UAW Local 600 employees was posted by one of the users. The photographed section describes ongoing and future changes to the plant’s shift schedule, including anticipated increases in capacity for several future products—among them, the 2026 GT500.

“I also anticipate an afternoon shift being added towards the end of 2025 on the Niche assembly line,” the memo says. “This volume increase is for the 2026 Mustang Shelby GT 500. I can’t wait until we start building engines for such an iconic vehicle with an engine that will be named Legend.”

Ford’s Niche assembly line has long been responsible for building the company’s best-known performance engines, including those found in the “Terminator” SVT Cobra, the Ford GT, and the GT350. Until October 2022, the Niche line was located at Ford’s Romeo Engine Plant, which has since shuttered.

With all eyes on the still-new Dark Horse and GTD models, there hasn’t been much chatter about potential Shelby-inspired offerings. We expect the GT500 to slot between the two, and likely a lot closer to the Dark Horse’s end of the pricing spectrum than the eye-watering GTD‘s.

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