It seems Ford has been a bit conservative in their horsepower estimates for the new Shelby. Ford claims the would-be Z/28 spanker puts down 540hp at the crank and about 510 lb of torque, which are respectable gains over last year’s model.

But the guys over at edmunds.com just did their own dyno run, and their test numbers belied the habit of most supercharged cars to succumb to heat saturation by actually posting 7 straight power increases over 7 runs.

When the dust settled, they realized Ford’s nose was noticeably longer.

The final dyno run showed the Shelby topping out at–wait for it–511hp and 488 ft-lb of torque at the wheels.

Do a little math, and that means the Shelby boasts more than 570hp at the crank, and all this while on that 91 California octane.

Sure, Hennessey has just released their HPE550 Camaro SS, with likewise exceptional performance credentials, hammering out 562rwhp. But it also tags on an $8,000 premium (give or take $1K-$2K depending on options for each model) over the Shelby, meaning a simple pulley swap, ECU tune, and exhaust upgrade could pull the Ford even with the souped-up Camaro for $2500. Add in Roush suspension upgrades for another $1500-$2000, $2000 for brakes, and you’ve got yourself a better looking car that is also better performing with less hassle.

But that’s just our opinion. I mean, it is a free country, after all.

Edmunds will be doing a track test in a few days, and then we’ll all see how SVT’s stock supermuscle stacks up against Hennessey’s.