Rumors have sparked that a 2017 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 could be on the cards after Google listed a page in its search results spotted by TheDrive. Typing "gt500" would reveal a page with the title "2017 Ford Mustang Shelby GT 500 | The Cobra of Performance Cars …" only to redirect you to the standard Mustang page. And just to add some more fuel to the fire, the search result has since been removed. Is Ford covering its tracks here?

We reached out to Ford, only to get the predictable response that it doesn't speculate on future products. If a new Mustang Shelby GT500 is being planned for release next year, this contradicts reports that we won't be seeing one until 2018. Things get even more interesting when you look at some of the potential specs revealed in the source code uncovered by TheDrive. The keywords read "Shelby GT500 5.8L V8 engine" – the same engine used in Ford's previous incarnation of the GT500 known as the "Trinity," which churned out 661 hp and 631 Ib.ft of torque.

Again, this contradicts recent reports that the next GT500 will use a turbocharged motor based either on the current Mustang GT's 5.0-liter engine or the GT350's 5.2-liter V8. Rumors suggest the new GT500 could generate as much as 740 hp. Of course, the search result could simply be a glitch. Or Google could have uncovered something that Ford didn't want you to see before swiftly covering its tracks. Either way, the Detroit Auto Show is only weeks away, so if Ford is planning to reveal a new model earlier than expected, it will more than likely make an appearance.