Ford Mustang Coupe-Cabrio: Aftermarket retractable hardtop

A Maltese company named Muskat Technology has created a production-ready electric folding hardtop for the Mustang. According to the company’s founder, Peter Muskat, the first Ford Mustang prototype with a retractable hard top roof manufactured in Malta will be sent this week to the States. Muskat stated to The Sunday Times that his company plans to produce 500 roof mechanisms to in Malta a year for the next six years.

The electric folding hardtop has been designed so as not to take up any space from the boot. Instead the roof folds slides into a compartment behind the seats. The whole operation lasts 30 sec but Muskat plans to reduce that time to 23 sec. Via: Autoblog.com Source: Times of Malta

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Video: Giugaro Ford Mustang Concept

Italdesign’s controversially styled Mustang Concept is more than your usual static concept as you’ll discover in Motortrend’s video when editor Arthur St.Antoine takes the Italian “stud” for a spin. Designed by Fabrizio Giugiaro and unveiled at the 2006 LA Show in December, the Mustang Concept is equipped with a supercharged version of the Mustang's stock 4.6-liter V8 delivering 500Hp. -Continued: Click “Read More…” below to see Italdesign’s Mustang Concept Promo Video

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Eminem’s 1999 Ford Mustang up for sale on E-bay

What goes around comes around as Eminem’s 1999 Ford Mustang, which he sold in 2003 over at e-bay to multimillion-dollar heir Courtney Wittenberns, is up for sale again, where else, but e-bay. The funny thing is that Courtney Wittenberns had to wait until 2006 when she'll actually be old enough to drive Eminem’s Mustang. Talk about wasted money…

Anyway, according to the site www.eminemscar.com (….), the featured Mustang was Eminem's first automobile purchase after the release of his first album. Marshal Mathers (Eminem) then changed the colour of the car from its original red to a deep purple and added a new set of chrome wheels for the "Purple Pills" video, which was later renamed to "Purple Hills". The starting price at e-bay for this “historical” Mustang is 27.000 USD. Via: Motorpasion & e-bay

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Waste of the Day: 1966 Ford Mustang Limos

If a lot of you out there, or for that matter, even Ford itself, thought that a 4door-coupe version of the Mustang was out of the question, I wonder what you’d think about these dudes who decided to destroy a few classic first gen Mustangs by turning them into obnoxious limos…

At first we found the 27-feet long, white colored Mustang limo on e-bay which was built by ABC Mustangs of Hayward, Ca in 1998. A quick search on the net also revealed another two ill fated Mustangs, a black colored one built by Mustang Restorations for its President, Mustang restorations in East Dundee Il and a light blue “Stang”, owned and operated by Preferred Limousine in Georgetown Ontario. And to think that we said that the Dodge Charger R/T limo was a pitiless waste…

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Ford Update: 4door-coupe ah yes, but it won’t be a Mustang

We’ll it seems that Autoweek and Autocar where pulling our leg if we take Ford’s word on it as FoMoCo officially denied any plans of creating a 4door-coupe version of the Mustang. To tell you the truth, we where among those few –as it seems, fans of a 4door-coupe of the next gen Mustang. Still though, we are going to see a, Mustang based, sport sedan concept at the Detroit Show, called Interceptor. Don’t believe us? Well, here’s the official announcement:

“At the 2007 North American International Auto Show, Ford will unveil a four-door, rear-wheel-drive concept car. The concept, known as ‘The Interceptor,’ is based on the Mustang’s rear-wheel-drive architecture but it is not a Mustang and no production plans have been announced. Additional information on the Ford rear-drive concept will be available Dec. 31, 2006”
Via: Autoweek.com

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2011 Ford Mustang 4door-Coupe

Now this could be one hell of a smart move for Ford: a 4door-coupe Mustang, or in other words, a “poor-mans” Mercedes CLS. That’s if Autoweek’s & Autocar’s (it’s on both sites) photochop is really based on inside information and they’re not pulling our leg. The chop itself looks mighty sexy combining all your typical “Mustang” elements in a dynamic 4door sedan.

As both magazines say, Ford has plans to add the 4door-coupe version shown here along with an estate, to the 6th generation Mustang line-up which goes on sale in 2011. The thought behind this move is that Ford desperately needs a model to shake up its sales and boost the its brand name, just like the first gen M3 did to BMW. Sources state that Ford will base all version of the next Mustang on a new rear wheel drive platform with a multilink rear suspension that’s being developed for the Australian arm of Ford.

Mmmm, doesn’t that sound familiar? Of course it does, as that’s what’s going around with GM and the forthcoming Camaro which will be based on the new Holden Commodore platform. The latter is said to come in the US wearing Pontiac badges. Via: Autoweek & Autocar

PS: Sorry for taking down the rendering but Autoweek kindly requested us to remove it

Update: Ford officially denies any plans for a 4door-Coupe version of the Mustang

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Shelby GT vs Crown Vic Police car Commercial

In this commercial fat, donut-eating, cops get a kick out of the Shelby GT in a high speed chase with, well, themselves. I guess those who are supposed to enforce “safe driving” are apt to ignore the rules when they get their hands on Shelby’s latest incarnation of the Mustang. Via: Autoblog.com

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Ford Mustang Giugiaro – LA Show Concept

Holy prancing horses! A few days after we got a glimpse of it in a spy pic, Ford came out officially with its LA Show star, the Mustang Giugiaro. This one-of-a-kind Mustang, designed by Fabrizio Giugiaro gives an overwhelming Italian flair to Ford’s retro muscle car. Ford on its part contributed by dropping a few more “ponies” under the hood, adding an intercooled twin-screw supercharger to the standard 300Hp 4.6 V8 which now delivers 500 Hp

"When we saw the new Mustang, we knew two things: It was the best we'd seen since the original, and we had to get our hands on one," said Fabrizio Giugiaro, styling director of Italdesign – Giugiaro S.P.A.

Practically, Giugiaro changed every exterior panel in the Mustang which appears more compact than the production car, thanks to a reduction of the rear overhang and a signature Giugiaro "trick" of tapering the angles on the car to the limit of its mechanical outlines. Giugiaro also added 30 mm to the front, gradually expanding the width by a full 80 mm toward the rear, which is typical in Italian design. And we better not forget about the extravagant A-pillar hinged doors.

Distinct Features:

• The interior – featuring a dramatic instrument panel that sweeps the width of the car; circular gauges that project from behind the steering wheel; dark brown horsehide-covered headrests with horse logo accents; and seat cushions and backrests elaborately upholstered in dark brown mottled horse hides.
• The single curved glass panel that bridges the windshield and rear window, serving as the concept's roof. Produced by Solutia of Detroit, the panel is made from a special type of crystal that filters out 100 percent of UVA rays while providing unfettered vista views.
• Its dramatic doors, which are hinged at the base of the upright A-pillar and open vertically at the touch of a button.
• Bespoke taillights, which are three separate elements as found on the 1964 Mustang – but reinterpreted into a more dramatic arrow shape that links to the louver panels that replace the rear side windows.
• The visible curl that sweeps into the crest of the concept's carbon fiber fenders, hinting at tail fins that defined American cars of the '50s.
• The sporting-but-elegant unique 20-inch rims, fitted with 275/40 tires on the front and larger 315/35 tires on the rear.

Powertrain: Ford Racing improved the 300Hp 4.6 V8 engine in the production Mustang GT by adding an intercooled twin-screw supercharger. Additional improvements include fuel injectors from the Ford GT and a unique engine calibration. Engine air intake is increased with a larger 95 mm mass air meter and a conical air filter. Exhaust performance is enhanced with new Ford Racing mufflers and an X-pipe. The powertrain upgrades deliver an estimated 500 horsepower, complete with a boost level of 11 psi from the Ford Racing supercharger.

Chassis: Under the car, the FR500C-inspired chassis tuning is accomplished with a tailored Ford Racing Handling Pack. This package, available through Ford Racing for the Mustang GT, adds new Dynamic-tuned dampers, lowering springs and anti-sway bars. The changes give the car a lower stance while sharpening handling response. The car rides approximately 1.5” lower than the production Mustang GT.

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Giugiaro Mustang Concept – 2006 Los Angeles Auto Show

The Giugiaro Mustang, a concept car reported to be shown at the Los Angeles Auto Show later this month, has been caught red handed during a fill up at a gas station in Italy. The concept has been jointly developed between Ford and ItalDesign's Fabrizio Giugiaro. According to Wards's Auto, it’ll have the most powerful Mustang engine developed to date.

As I glance over this pic I can’t help but comment. Since Ford stopped the production of the GT40, wouldn’t it be a smart and relatively cost effective idea to put this vehicle into a limited edition production? But then again, the words “smart” and “Ford” in the same sentence sound a bit queer… Via: Jalopnik

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2010 Ford Mustang

German car magazine Automotorundsport gives us its view of the next generation Ford Mustang which they believe will go on sale in 2010. The renderings show us three versions of the Mustang: a coupe, a cabrio and most interestingly, a Shooting Break (or Brake if you prefer…). While retaining the basic lines of the current model, Automotorundsport’s 2010 Mustang promises a more modern shape, but then again, where talking about renderings so you never know till you see the real thing, do you... Via: Automotorundsport

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Ford Shelby-GT "boldmove" Video

As if Ford would have let it's arch-rival GM, conquer the video-blogosphere with its upcoming Chevrolet Camaro... Beside releasing more photos and info on the 2007 Shelby GT, Ford came out with a video clip on its fordboldmoves.com website revealing the "Go Fast" decision-making and development process of it's new Shelby designed, "pony".

Video has been removed due to the problems it causes when uploading

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Ford Shelby GT: More Pictures & Information Released

Following last week's foreplay, Ford came out today with a pack of pictures and more info on the forthcoming Mustang Shelby GT.

The retail version of the Mustang Shelby GT-H (available only through select Hertz rental centers) features a 4.6 liter V8 producing 325 hp and it will occupy a niche between the Mustang GT and the Ford Shelby GT500 both in performance and appearance. It will only be offered as a coupe and in two exterior colors, Performance White or Black and production will be limited to less than 10,000 models in volume.

Leaving aside Ford's weird sense of "limited production models", the Shelby GT will hit dealer showrooms in the first quarter of 2007.

Press Release

Exterior Cues: The Shelby GT will be offered only as a coupe, and only in two exterior colors, Performance White or Black. Both colors are accented by silver LeMans-style racing stripes - a signature detail of classic Shelby Mustangs. The LeMans stripes extend over the hood, roof, and trunk, and are complemented by matching side stripes with "Shelby GT" nomenclature.

The powerful face of the Shelby GT features a unique front fascia, with a more aggressive lower air dam. The brushed-aluminum grille is accented by an offset Mustang logo. In addition, the Shelby GT has a new hood scoop that comes directly from the famed Shelby Cobra roadster.

The side profile features chrome-finished 18 inch wheels and unique side scoops just before the rear wheel arches. The rear fascia frames the larger dual exhaust tips, and is topped by Shelby badging on the trunk lid.

Interior Cues: Inside, features include "Shelby GT" logo floor mats and custom sill plates with Shelby GT nomenclature. In addition, the Shelby GT features an authentication plate on the center dashboard, as well as matching tag underhood. This tag features the CSX number, which is recorded in the Shelby Automobiles registry.

Chassis Modifications: The Shelby GT driving dynamics are fine tuned with the Ford Racing Handling Pack, which was developed by the same engineers that developed the Ford Racing FR500C, which won the 2005 Grand-Am Cup Championship. New coil springs drop the overall ride height by an inch-and-a-half for a more aggressive stance and reduced body roll.

Stiffer dampers and front swaybar further enhance cornering feel and body control. To showcase the key performance modifications, Ford Racing painted all the key suspension components, including the damper, spring, and swaybar Ford Racing Blue.

A front strut-tower brace adds additional strength to the chassis structure, and P235/55ZR18 high-performance tires maximize the benefits of the chassis upgrades.

Upgraded V8 Engine: Under hood, the Ford Racing Power Pack increases the output of the naturally aspirated, three-valve, 4.6 liter V8 to 325 hp, and 330 pound-feet of torque. The Power Pack includes a 90 millimeter cold-air intake and a new performance engine calibration for improved response. The high-flow exhaust system with X-pipe crossover offers better power delivery and a throaty V8 exhaust note. A shorter rear-axle ratio is installed to capitalize on the Shelby GT coupe's extra power, especially accelerating off the line. For Shelby GT models equipped with a manual transmission, a Hurst short-throw shifter is installed for more precise shift action.

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