The great Pony Car War has been raging longer than many of us have been alive, with countless skirmishes between Chevrolet and Ford over the last 40-plus years. The latest battle began with the arrival of Chevy's new 580-hp Camaro ZL1. But Ford has quickly regained the high ground with its all-new 2013 Ford Shelby GT500. Boasting 662 horsepower and 631 lb-ft of torque, the GT500 is the most powerful production car made in America and a fitting tribute to the late Carroll Shelby -- one of the leading generals in Ford's decades-long war against Chevy.

For our first official drive of the 2013 GT500, we headed to Atlanta, where we sampled the latest super 'Stang at the track and out on the open road. Rolling along on the highway, the GT500's extra horsepower and torque isn't as noticeable as you might think. For instance, in top gear at around 80 mph, turning roughly 1500 rpm, it's a complete pussycat, with minimal engine and exhaust noise. No, it's the getting to 80 that's the fun part. Hammer it from a stop and the rush of 631 lb-ft engulfs your body, pinning your head and torso to the optional $1595 Recaro bucket as the GT500 blasts from 0-60 mph in a scant 3.5 seconds, on toward a quarter-mile time of 11.6 seconds at 125.7 mph. For context, the previous GT500, which put out a relatively pedestrian 550 hp and 510 lb-ft, needed 4.1 seconds to reach 60 and 12.4 seconds at 115.8 mph to eclipse the quarter, while the aforementioned ZL1 required 3.8 and 12.1 @ 117.4, respectively. Big power equals big improvements for the GT500. But beware of that big power: get too overzealous with the throttle, and the tires will quickly resemble burnt toast. Luckily, the new GT500's obscene power is absolutely controllable.

Read more: 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 First Test - Motor Trend