The beloved American muscle car will get some upgrades for its 2011 incarnation including a new V8 engine for its range-topping trim level.

The V8 engine will see increased displacement from the 4.6L of old to a whopping 5.0L. That should bring back some memories from the ‘Stang fans of old.

The other bits slapped on the engine, however, get a modern twist. It is fitted with an aluminum block and head, twin overhead camshafts and 4 valves per cylinder. It dishes out 412 bhp and 390 lb-ft of torque. Not quite supercar range but that’s enough guns to blast through America’s highways.

Ford also took time to make sure that even with the larger displacement, the new V8 will not be any heavier than the 4.6L and that it is even 5% more fuel efficient despite its power boost.

Between the top two Mustang tuners – Shelby and Roush – my money would always go to Roush. Why? It’s primarily because Roush doesn’t leave out the suspensions and handling when giving the Mustang more pony powers.

Now meet the two new Roush Mustangs – the new 427R 2010 Mustang and the 2010 Roush Stage 3 Mustang.

The 427R is powered by a 4.3L supercharged V8 engine to dish out 435 hp. Now that’s quite something given that it enables the car to do 0 to 62 mph in just about 4 seconds.

But if you want a faster Mustang, then you might want to go for the Stage 3. The car features a modified version of the engine found in the 2009 Roush P-51B Mustang including the R2300 supercharger that ups the power rating to an awesome 540-hp with a peak torque of 510 lb-ft.

Source: Roush

The little hot hatch that has gained popularity in Europe will be coming to North America. The US launch of the Ford Fiesta is still on track for 2010. In addition to the Fiesta, Ford will also be making available the newly re-designed Focus by the second half.

“Right now, both of those programs remain on target,” Ford product development chief Derrick Kuzak told Reuters in an interview. “And on the Fiesta side, launching in the U.S., we will be building on some very good momentum because the vehicle has already launched in other regions of the world.”

Aside from the two cars, Ford is currently working on the other cars in the lineup. A fully-redesigned Taurus sedan is in the works as well as updated versions of the Fusion and Mustang are in store this year.

Ford’s hold of the market outside the United States with cars like the Focus and the Fiesta helped it stay afloat. The company is the only one in the Big Three not to be threatened by bankruptcy. GM has already gone bankrupt while Chrysler had to be taken over by Fiat.

Source: Reuters

Between Roush and Shelby, I’d always have the thing for Roush Mustangs. Shelby has had this thing for beefing up the engine so much and leaving the suspension as is. That makes for one brutish car if you’d ask me as opposed to Roush Mustangs which get performance tweaks all over.

Roush just unveiled their latest Mustang – the Roush 427RT. Don’t be misled by the monicker since this car packs a 4.3L V8 with a Roush supercharger boosting the total power output to a beastly 435 hp. This allows the car to go from 0-60 in about 4 seconds and 0 to 60 in less than 115 feet.

There will be three “trim levels” to this car with prices starting at $34,847 for the Stage 1T and $43,051 for the 427RT. Buyers, however, can go through 150 parts that they’d like to have on their Roush Mustang.

Source: Roush

Details on the upcoming Ford Mustang have been released through the official 2010 Ford Mustang micro-site.

Prospective owners will have a choice between a 4-liter V6 and a GT version with a 4.6-liter V8 engine. The V6 has 210 horsepower and 240 lb.-ft. of torque, while the V8 has upwards of 315 horsepower and 325 lb.-ft. of torque. The car also boasts of a 5-speed transmission, cold air induction for heightened performance, and AdvanceTrac Electronic Stability Control (with a Sport Mode on the GT Premium version for “more spirited driving”).

Exterior redesigns include a new power-dome hood, wheel designs, LED tail lamps, and body color exterior mirrors. The car also makes extensive use of advanced car technology, which includes Ford SYNC that allows voice commands for BlueTooth mobiles and portable media devices, automatic temperature control, SIRIUS TravelLink navigation system, and a reverse camera system.

The 2010 Ford Mustang is slated for release in early 2009. Both GT and non-GT versions have a standard and a Premium configuration. Ford also conveniently allows a customizable feature package using the order form at the Mustang micro-site.

Source: 2010 Ford Mustang Micro-site

For one, I don’t understand why automakers would be releasing teaser pics once a week for a month before they officially unveil the car. And those darkened pics can be easily lightened through Photoshop or GIMP to expose the image anyway. Now Ford has gone to a new level of tease – release one picture one part at a time of the 2010 Mustang. Well, at least probably not their intention.

Earlier, we posted about the new muscle-y Mustang badge that will be slapped on to the 2010 incarnation. Now, we’re posting this image of what is allegedly the hood for the car. This was supposedly taken from a Tool and Die open house.

Good thing they’re releasing just a bit more detail regarding the project. Possible powerhouses for the car are a 5.0L V8, a twin-turbocharged 3.5L EcoBoost and probably a turbo four-banger is thrown into the choices too.

Source: Mustang Forums

The new American muscle car war is on. With the launch of the Dodge Challenger and the impending release of the Chevrolet Camaro, the competition in that very special market is greatly heightened. That also means that the Ford Mustang is facing a lot of stiff competition after so many years of dominating the market especially with the Shelby- and Roush-tuned variations.

And because of this, the Mustang will be get overhauled for its 2010 incarnation. While we have to wait until next year to see the new Mustang in the Los Angeles Motor Show, we can all enjoy staring at the new muscle-y silhouette of the Mustang badge.

A side-by-side comparison shows the new emphasis given to the ‘Stang’s muscular form. The badge will also be available in black chrome for the GT variant.

Source: Leftlane

And after that corny TV movie premiere of the new Knight Rider, we’ll be having a regular dose of KR with the first season due to start on September 24th, 2008 at 8pm over at NBC. So probably, like what they did with the TV movie, we’ll be bombarded with a lot of previews, plugs and other publicity ploys.

NBC even unveiled KITT’s new “Attack Mode” in the ComiCon festival in San Diego. The new mode is a bit too extreme for my taste with the car looking like a truck without a bed even with Lambo-styled scissor doors and a large rear wing. Oh and it can disguise itself as an F-150 too, by the way. I might just be the one thinking this way but too much Ford can be bad stuff.

Anyway, here’s the preview video:

The whole history of automotives is practically about having the idea of an engine on wheels and pushing this idea to the limits. Not everyone can buy masterpieces of engineering and design. Not all ordinary Joes have hundreds of thousands of dollars to burn on a Veyron, a Ferrari, or an Aston Martin for that matter. Still, the whole beauty of aftermarket tuning is making something lousy, good and something good, better.

Not that this insanely tuned Mustang comes cheap. But to prove a point that you can improve on things, take a look at the Obsidian SG1 – a proof that American muscle can still bulk up. First seen publicly 2 years ago at the SEMA show, the car wowed the crowd with its ‘Stang-on-Steroids concept. It recently was hailed as DuPont Registry’s Publisher’s Choice for March 2008.

Just a few highlights of what this car has to offer aside from the obvious exquisite body work – a twin-supercharged and intercooled 392ci V8 rated at 830 horses mated to a 5-speed transmission with paddle shifters, naught to sixty in approximately 4 sec, race brakes and suspensions.

If you have $1.3M dollars and 3 years, then you can duplicate one for your own use.

Source: Obsidian SG1 via Autoblog

Got 80 grand? Then you can be driving the “King of the Road” Mustang today. The Ford Shelby Mustang GT500KR is the fourth limited edition Mustang to come from the Ford-Shelby collaboration. The car is expected to hit showrooms this May and will have a limited 1,000-unit run to test the market. The MSRP is pegged at $79,995. This would beg the question whether that whole Knight Rider run has helped in building the badge’s appeal.

The GT500KR gets a few spiffy additions and modifications like a carbon fiber hood designed to shave some pounds off the car. Shelby also tuned 5.4L supercharged V8 to dish out 540 horses and have a pull of 510 lb.-ft.

The car also has a 40th Anniversary badge on the fenders and grill, mirror caps, and the distinctive Shelby type. Each vehicle also sports a unique Shelby VIN inside the vehicles engine compartment.

Source: Ford

The Ford Mustang is a cultural icon of American muscle right out of Detroit. The Ford Mustang GT is quite a budget looker for those wanting blast their way down a Nevada highway and quite affordable too for those with cash to spare. The aftermarket is quite expansive too with both Shelby and Roush churning out performance parts to make the GT a more than respectable car (Well, since it’s a Mustang handling is left with much to be desired). But how about slapping on a V12 from an Aston Martin Vanquish to a Mustang? Well these guys did it:

Source: Streetfire

Okay, I really have to admit that the Mustang probably is now the most irritating and overrated car there is today. Sure, the old Mustang is an icon but the new ones aren’t really that hot. Just riding the popularity of the badge perhaps. And oh yes, that the new K.I.T.T. being a Mustang contributes to my view.

What we have here is another Mustang variant that would wow those who think glass is the best thing slapped on to a car. So here we have another one of Ford’s great flashes of brilliance – a glass-roof Mustang.

It’s not something new at all. It’s just an idea that strikes somewhere in between a sunroof and a convertible. You don’t want either but would love to see the sky without the wind messing with your balding mane? Get a Mustang with a glass roof.

Genius?

Oh man. These times you just can’t deny that everything is business and as a consumer, you’re just stuck in the middle while those corporate bigwigs manipulate everything for you.

We have been excited with the resurrection of the classic Knight Rider and has accepted the fact that instead of a black Pontiac Trans Am, K.I.T.T. will be a Mustang. But what happened behind the scenes why this happened is now made clear. GM was also in the running but had a few problems – there’s not a Pontiac car fit for the role as of now, and a Camaro wouldn’t be ready soon enough. Ford pounced on the opportunity by making NBC and show producers a deal they can’t quite refuse.

A few other cars like the Dodge Challenger, the Chrysler Crossfire, and the Chevy Corvette were all considered but it’s a done deal now and we just have to deal with K.I.T.T. being a Mustang. I bet Ford dished out big bucks for that role.

Buying out the spots for cars in movies has been hot especially with GM locking out the whole Transformers deal. Bumblebee as a Camaro, I admit, is quite better than having him as the new Beetle.

Source: AdAge via Jalopnik

Forget the black Pontiac Trans-am with LEDs dancing in front. As of now, that will only be as distant a memory as David Hasselhoff as a chick magnet. The new K.I.T.T for the Knight Rider comeback just might be a Shelby GT500KR.

Hot off the rumor mill that the new K.I.T.T. will be a Mustang looks very much true with this image. Unless of course, someone with a lot of time and a lot of money would play around with a Shelby GT only to make it look like it’s from a TV dinner classic. Not much for nostalgia trips but the idea that the crime-fighting car packs 500 horses is quite a real show of muscle.The Shelby’s still equipped with the red light bar but it has been transfered on the hood just over the wide Shelby screen.

Fan service? Not really. Much like with how you totally mess up with nostalgia trips just to create more opportunities for companies to do their in-show sponsorship and advertising. I’m not all to excited with this news as I’m not that big of a fan of the Shelby. Now, if this were a Roush…

Source: Jalopnik via Autoblog

Yeah… the Bullitt. So many younger car enthusiasts might go “Steve McWho?” but this here is a true gearhead nostalgia trip with nothing short than the King of Cool being resurrected in nothing else but a new-age take on the Bullitt.

Uhm, okay, down memory lane first. Bullitt was a 1968 film that featured a car chase scene that spanned a good chunk of San Francisco. While his other movies also featured a lot of muscle and speed, it was with Bullitt that started his rep as the ultimate driver. So screw the Dukes, the Transporter, Michael Knight and those BMW/Clive Owen movies. Steve McQueen was… is the King of Cool.

However, as what we can expect from a modern classic (oh what juxtaposition), the 2008 Ford Mustang Bullitt will feature the latest technology from Ford racing, meaning attempts in achieving overall balance.

Power will come from a 4.6L V8 capable of 315 hp and 325 lbs-ft of torque. It will also feature an adaptive ignition system. The stock suspensions are also swapped for more dynamic parts to give the Bullitt agility and better handling to effectively place power on the road. It also sits on Euroflange wheels for an added classy look.

The 2008 Bullitt will be available next year with starting at $31,075. Quite a reasonable price for a modern classic if you’d ask me. But for practicality’s sake, 4.6L V8 + $3/gallon fuel? You do the math. Price for coolness? You decide.

Source: Automotive Blogs

When it comes to Mustang, given the Roush versus the Shelby, I’d take the Roush. While the Shelby name has probably come synonymous to the Mustang, I just love how Roush pushes the Mustang to maximize its overall potential.

Featured in the ongoing SEMA show is this Roush P-51A Mustang which just happens to be the most powerful with 510 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque based on the iconic World War II P-51 fighter plane. Roush has developed this new supercharger that gives the Mustang just a bit more in terms of kick.

Well, I’d have to say that this Mustang is a doosy. I hate to sound sexist but this is really a macho car. The Roush kit features a high flow grill and a silver and green paint job again based on the fighter plane.

If you’re a Mustang fan and would just want to get more power from your GT, then Roush may have just made your day. I’ve always liked the Roush Mustang over the Shelby and mostly because Roush didn’t just blindly multiplied the horses in the Mustang (unlike with the Shelby), they made it a more balanced car.

But balance isn’t what the improved RoushCharger has in store. The new improved model just made the supercharger bring 30 additional horses to the game, boosting the Mustang’s power potential up to 445 horsepower and 418 pound-feet of torque. Seems like there’s no better way to pump up the Mustang than with this one.

Well, power has its price and we all know that absolute power corrupts absolutely. As for this kind of added power, it corrupts your wallet. The RoushCharger’s comes in two different options – the standard black casing ($5,599) and the polished casing ($5,899). At least existing RoushCharger uses can pay $389 for an upgrade. As for fuel efficiency backlash, installing the new one can trim 1-2 miles to the gallon.

Told you, there’s price to pay.

Despite the struggles of Ford in recent months, it proves to be a mover in car design and engineering. JD Power and Associates just pinned the top honors on the mustang in Initial Quality Study (IQS), the Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study and the Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) for the mid-size sports car category.

These honors showed that the Mustang showed minimal problems per 100 vehicles surveyed (IQS), customer satisfaction in terms of design, content, layout and performance (APEAL) and great quality of three year-old vehicles (CDS)That should be great news indeed for Ford.

Source: Ford