As I turn the key in the ignition, the big 4.6-liter V8 turns over and actually rocks the car from side to side as it roars to life. And does it ever roar!

So often I complain about how muffled the exhaust note is on high performance cars, but that is not the case here. Even at under 3000 rpm it draws stares and gives its owner a sonorous treat. Whether it’s popping and snarling on a high rpm downshift or just rumbling like distant thunder as you crawl along in traffic – this V8 is a treat to the ears.

And it does more than just sound powerful; the Mustang’s V8 generates 315hp at 6000 rpm and 325 ft-lbs of torque at 4250 rpm. In total, that’s 15 more horsepower and five more ft-lbs of torque than the previous model, which is achieved through a more efficient air intake system, as well as a 250 rpm increase

More: 2010 Ford Mustang GT Review on AutoGuide.com

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On April 17, 1964, the Ford Mustang was unveiled to the public, and it instantly became an iconic American automobile and launched the era of the Pony Car. All the hype and hoopla wasn’t lost on an 11 year old kid in Chicago, who, with a bunch of his friends, rode their bicycles to the nearest Ford dealership to see one in person.

With its long hood, and short deck, the Mustang captivated me, and no matter that it wasn’t overly powerful, (hell, I wasn’t old enough to drive anyway), it was just really cool. And it didn’t hurt that the car was featured in the new James Bond film, Goldfinger, where Tilly Masterson drove a white convertible at breakneck speed down a mountain trying to pass the famous Aston Martin DB6 of James Bond, (Sean Connery – still the best Bond ever), who used his retractable axel knock-off hub to shred her tires and take her off the road.

The following year, in Thunderball, the beautiful evil temptress from Spectre, gave Bond a white-knuckle ride on a dark dirt road in Nassau in her baby blue Mustang. That cemented the Mustang in my mind as one hot car that could attract hot chicks. I might not have known what to do with a hot chick at age 11, but I knew it would be good to have as many as possible.

Forty-five years later, almost to the day of the original launch, I found myself driving a 2010 Mustang V6 Convertible (minus the hot chick) on the rural two lane roads surrounding the Road America Race Track, and on some of the very same Wisconsin roads where they used to run the actual races beginning in 1953, which just so happens to be the year of my birth.

More: 2010 Mustang Convertible review on AutoGuide.com

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Jeff White of Jerry Ford Sales in Edson, Alberta, Canada recently joined the forums and posted a few pictures in our gallery of their take on what should (or could, or would) have been. A retro spin where ROUSH meets Cervini and becomes a Mach 1… well, sort of.

The self-proclaimed “car-nuts” up there (aren’t all Canadians nuts?) may be stuck in -19 degree snowy weather right now but that’s not stopping them from tricking out Modded Mustangs on a regular basis, all of which retain the full factory warranty. “When the Mustang was redesigned in 2005 we quickly got on board doing subtle changes to the cars that mostly focused on the performance side of things” says Jeff.

Beginning with a bone stock, fresh from of the factory 2008 Ford Mustang – the crew over at Jerry Ford took a 2008 Dark Candy Apple Red Mustang and added Cervini, 3D Carbon and Tru-fiber components to the body and dropped the car with a ROUSH suspension lowering kit for a truley menacing look.

Dynatech long tube headers do their best to help this monster exhale an estimated 475 horsepower through a custom X-pipe and high flow catalytic converters (gotta stay legal). All this power makes it’s way through an upgraded ROUSH Stage 3 drivetrain to Ford Racing 4.10 ring and pinion gears. With all that horsepower on tap, billit lower control arms struggle to plant all that power on tap. Darren Weir at Stang Motorsports of Nisku and Matt at The Mustang Shop in Calgary were instrumental in helping us locate parts and for the final Dyno tuning.

Jerry Ford and crew are currently taking deposits on future builds that get produced monthly and with a deposit we can a Mustang to your specifications. Packages are available for power increases, handling and chassis tuning, exterior cosmetics or combinations of all. The factory warranty is retained and supplemented by the aftermarket companies with their additional warranties. Horsepower at the flywheel is estimated to be right around 475hp with drivability substantially upgraded versus the factory.

Pricing starts around $5,000 up to $28,995 plus the cost of the car. That puts you right around the Stage 3 ROUSH and Saleen level, though you’ll end up with something not seen at your everyday car show. You can contact Jeff (General Sales Manager) at (780) 723-4441 or jeffpwhite68@yahoo.com via email.

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The Mustang took top honors as the highest initial quality “midsize sporty car”, edging out the Toyota Solara and the Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Also taking home the trophey in their respective classes for Ford are the Mercury Milan, Lincoln MKZ, Lincoln Mark LT and Mazda MX-5 Miata. Overall, Ford Motor Company (including Lincoln and Mercury) had 12 vehicles place among the top three finishers in the 19 categories in the quality survey – a big boost for a company struggling to make sales of late.

“We are designing and building world-class vehicles, and it’s great to have this affirmation from the customers who drive our cars and trucks every day,” said Mark Fields, president of the Americas, Ford Motor Company. “While we’re pleased that our internal focus on quality is receiving this kind of recognition from J.D. Power and Associates, we will not let up. We will continue to deliver even more high-quality products that customers want.”

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“It seemed only fitting,” said Mays. “This design study reinforces the global appeal of Mustang, yet it’s right at home in L.A. – America’s most enthusiastic performance and muscle car market. Plus, design icon Giorgetto Giugairo’s offer to work his magic on Mustang alongside his son underscores the timelessness allure of Ford’s most iconic car.”

Confirming previous speculation, Giugiaro Mustang delivers nothing short of 500 horsepower – courtesy the standard 3v 4.6L modular V8 fitted with a Ford Racing twin-screw supercharger belting out around 11psi. To support the additional 200 ponies over stock, fuel injectors were borrowed from the Ford GT along with a 95mm mass air meter. Power exits through a pair of improved Ford Racing mufflers and a high flow x-pipe.

The FR500C race inspired suspension comes courtesy of a custom tailored Ford Racing handling pack (also available for us lowly Mustang GT owners). New struts, lowering springs, and sway bars lowers the car about 1.5 inches (compared to a Mustang GT) and greatly improves handling.

“The Mustang by Giugiaro drives as good as it looks,” said Fabrizio Giugiaro. “After taking it to the limits on streets outside of Turin, I can honestly say this car was well worth the 30,000 hours of blood, sweat and tears that we invested to create a modern performance classic.”

On the outside, the first thing you’ll notice is the scissor doors – attached to the a-pillar and opening with the touch of a button. A single paned glass roof stretches across the entire top of the car – giving new meaning to the word “scenic”. The glass is made from a special type of crystal that filters out 100 percent of UVA rays while not impeding view – pretty cool. We doubt seriously, however, that either of these would make it to production.

The interior is… well, different (to say the least). It does bear some resemblance to the current production Mustangs – with a twist – horsehide. Yes you heard it right, front and rear seating is covered in something remeniscent of a 70′s Hispanic gangster movie. Ok, we probably shouldn’t have said that… though we do dig the aircraft styled dash and circular instrument panels.

“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. “We still believe it’s important to show the automotive world pure exercises in style that interpret key models reflecting the history and image of important brands.”

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The 40th Anniversary Limited Edition packages will be installed at SAI’s new modification center. Customers will deliver their GT500′s to SAI’ World Headquarters where each vehicle will be customized with the anniversary package.

“Our Mustang business has expanded rapidly through the development and production of the Shelby GT-H and the upcoming Shelby GT,” said Amy Boylan, President of Shelby Automobiles, Inc. “The mod center will allow us to do special exclusive cars for a limited group of customers and allow for continued research and development for mainstream production programs.”

“The Shelby GT500 has always had a mean street presence with power to back it up,” said Carroll Shelby, Chairman of Shelby Automobiles, Inc. “We’ve added more performance and more in your face looks to the most powerful factory Mustang ever built.”

A Shelby/Eibach coil-over suspension lowers the car by as much as 1.6 inches, and adds larger stabilizer bars for flatter cornering. Twenty-inch American Racing Shelby Razor wheels are optional.

A Shelby Signature Borla cat-back exhaust system boosts power. In the engine bay, Shelby fits billet-aluminum caps and covers for power steering, radiator, brake master cylinder, windshield washer fluid bottle and oil dipstick, as well as a consecutive number plate of authentication.

Exterior enhancements include a carbon-fiber lower front fascia splitter and mirror covers, aluminum hood grille inserts, sequential taillamps and front/rear brake duct kits. Anniversary badging is added, and convertible models get an anniversary stripe package.

A consecutively numbered dash plaque and 40th Anniversary Shelby door-sill plates with consecutive numbers are installed in the cabin, which also gets a center dash-mounted gauge cluster with three Carroll Shelby/Autometer carbon-fiber gauges (boost, oil and fuel pressure), Shelby snake door handles, a 40th Anniversary armrest cover, and for convertibles, a light bar with solenoid-activated light system.

Shelby GT500 40th Anniversary Parts List

All of the parts listed above will also be available for purchase separately, giving you an opportunity to add a bit of Shelby flair to your Mustang. “If you own a Shelby, you want to add Shelby parts to it.” says Amy Boylan, President of Shelby Automobiles. Through the new program, Shelby will have parts availale to enhance your GT500 ownership.

“We have designed the 40th Anniversary to honor the special legacy of the GT500 and provide a limited few a very special car,” said Boylan. “This limited edition package is only the first for the mod shop and the first upgrades from SAI for the GT500. There is much more to come.”

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The ROUSH Drag Pack Mustang is the first drag racing purpose-built Ford since the 1969-70 Super Jet Cobra. That car had 335 horsepower, oil cooler, enhanced connecting rods, modified crankshaft and a choice of 3.91 or 4.30 Traction-Lok gears. In 1970, the Mustang Boss 302 was also available with a drag pack option but that only included different gears and external oil cooler. Since then, for the past 36 years, no manufacturer has offered a drag specific car, though there have been several parts packages made available for customers to install post-title.

This 2007 Ford Mustang is based off the flagship ROUSH Stage 3 and designed for safety, durability and adjustability. A prototype has been racing in the Modular Muscle class of the NMRA and tested almost weekly at Milan (Mich.) Raceway.

“When we returned to having a drag racing program last season I challenged the team at ROUSH Performance to build a car that can be driven to the track, have the tires changed to slicks, and perform on the drag strip,” said Jack Roush. “This Drag Pack Mustang is the culmination of those efforts.” Roush has a fondness for drag racing that goes back to when he began his motorsports career in the late ’60s with the “Fastbacks,” a group of Ford engineers that pooled their money to go drag racing. He personally oversaw the development of the ROUSH Drag Pack Mustang.

Some of the parts that are unique to the ROUSH Drag Pack Mustang include an upgraded flywheel and clutch, a one-piece driveshaft with safety loop, a polished 4:10 ring and pinion gear set, upgraded posi rear differential, bracing on the rear axle housing, new lower control arm brackets with two attachment positions, and high-strength axle shafts with extended wheel studs.

The suspension components are highly adjustable and include tubular steel upper and lower control arms with rod ends, tubular steel panhard rod and relocation bracket, rear stabilizer bar relocation kit, and single adjustable front struts and double adjustable rear shocks.

Other unique elements of the ROUSH Drag Pack Mustang include having the battery relocated to the trunk for better weight distribution and the inclusion of an external on/off switch, a tachometer with shift light mounted to the dash, smaller ROUSHcharger pulley and engine calibration with a maximum of 7000 RPM. The car will ship with both street tires and a set of Mickey Thompson rear drag racing tires.

There are also a variety of options available, including carbon fiber hood and fenders, line lock system, four-point bolt-in safety bar, open system chiller box which provides maximum intercooler performance, SFI-approved bell housing and upgraded transmission shift fork pads, and straight pipes for the exhaust system. A ROUSH short throw shifter is available with reverse and fifth-gear lockout.

More than 200 runs were made in the testing of the vehicle, each challenging the functionality and durability of the parts. If a component didn’t perform as anticipated, failed, or the ROUSH engineers saw some type of premature wear the design was modified and then re-tested on the track. The 430 horsepower car has achieved several runs in the 11.9-second and 113 mph range.

There are just 50 ROUSH Drag Pack Mustangs slated to be built, and they will be exclusively offered through Brandon Ford in Tampa, Fla. For pricing and more details you can reach them at (813) 246-3673 (unfortunately we don’t have the pricing plans).

Many of the parts that are included on the ROUSH Drag Pack Mustang are available separately for existing Mustang owners. A complete listing and pricing can be found at the Roush Performance website or by calling (800) 59-ROUSH.

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This special edition is definately going for the raw, old school look. Every piece of this car is functional, from top to bottom the Cragar Edition Mustang means business. The appearance package really gives this ponycar a musclecar kind of feel, which is hard these days. Based on the information we have so far, they may be taking the “Boss” look alittle farther than the Boss, actually… but probably not as much so on the performance end.

Starting with a 2006 Mustang GT, Cragar wraps their (suprise!) S/S 20×10″ wheels around their own ”Big Blue” large, high-performance disc brakes and drilled rotors. Power is increased slighly thanks to a cold air intake kit fed through a large, functional, hood scoop. That extra air exits via a performance cat-back exhaust system.

That pretty much sums up the go-fast stuff, though there’s a few more goodies to be found on this Modded Mustang. On the outide you can see the huge hood scoop protruding from the matte black hood. A Boss style chin spoiler rounds out the front bumper and the bright yellow paint is wrapped in Boss style graphics. On the inside you’re given a Crager shift knob and some branded floor mats. As an option you can add rear window louvers to finish of a truly 70′s look.

That’s not all folks, while they’re at it Crager’s gonna hook you up with Special Edition accessories, including hat, jacket, Cragar S/S key chain, and a free subscription to Hot Rod magazine. They’re really sweetening the pot now, heh.

Even better, this car comes with a full factory warranty. The Cragar Edition Mustang is only available through select Ford dealers, though the list hasn’t been published yet. Same thing in the pricing department. Visit the Cragar website for their official release and contact information if you want to get your hands on an attempt at classic American muscle.

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Beginning with a stock 2006 Mustang GT, Maaco solicited help from Bolt-Onz Luxury and Performance Specialties in Abington, Pennsylvania to handle the performance modifications. This slick ride lays down an impressive 550 horsepower delievered via a twin-screw style supercharger borrowed from the S281 Saleen. Power is delivered to the ground via a 6 speed manual transmission and chrome 20″ Saleen wheels.

Saleen stuff, in fact, is the trend here and Maaco takes it to the Extreme – with a full S281E body kit, brakes, even seats. A few custom touches were performed also, including gull-wing doors that close on the factory hinges. An air ride suspension helps to achieve the perfect ride height for showing off this beauty.

In the electronics department, the Medusa is fitted with everything from dual onboard computers running Windows XP with bluetooth technology powering the in visor keyboards. An in dash touch screen stereo with a navigation system tunes the digital sorround system and controls the air ride suspension. Keeping with the go-fast theme, the car even has high speed wireless internet.

When it’s all said and done though, it’s the paint that really makes this Modded Mustang stand out. The Medusa was sprayed with a medium-dark shade of DuPont’s color-shifting ChromaLusion paint – a paint that reveals different colors and shades when viewed from different angles. The base paint is complemented by a lighter ChromaLusion shade that comprises accent stripes along the sides of the car. The visual effect of the contrasting ChromaLusion shades is dramatic and provides tremendous visual depth to the ponycar’s appearance.

“When people see the Maaco Medusa, they will immediately understand the skill and attention to detail that went into the bodywork and paint work – and it will change their thinking about the capability of Maaco’s services” Martino says. ”This project was carried out by Maaco technicians who handle the dents and scrapes of everyday cars the paintwork on the Maaco Medusa represents the capability and experience fostered at Maaco shops across North America.”

For more information straight from the source – including photos, wallpaper, and the official press release – visit the Maaco website. The Medusa was made it’s debut in June 2006 at the All Ford Nationals in Carlisle, Pennsylvania and is expected to be shown at Maaco’s booth during this year’s SEMA show.

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Instantly one of the first things you notice are the wild 20″ wheels and ground effects. You’ll also find subtle exterior improvements – including side striping and some badging. A look inside reaveals custom stitched upholstry, more badging, and some bling in the stereo department. It’s worth noting that Matt found three such Mustangs and each seemed to have different options - one being equipped with a roots style blower.

There’s little additional information available at this point - including price or detailed specs. In fact, were it not for Matt over at MustangBlog, we wouldn’t even know this car exists. He was also kind enough to send over some of the photos he took at this years Unique PerformanceFest.

Standard “Coyote” Options Include:

• Ground Effects (Front Fascia, Rear Bumper, Fender Flares, Side Skirts with Door Caps, Rear Window Louvers, Front Fender Vents, Rear Spoiler)
• Twin Scooped Fiberglass Hood with Ram Air Induction
• Color Keyed Mirrors
• Rear Quarter Panel Side Scoops
• A.J. Foyt Performance Exhaust
• Black Mesh Grill with Center Fog Lights
• 20” Chrome F18 Wheels with Toyo Tires
• Coyote Striping with A.J. Foyt Logos
• Chrome Billet Fuel Door
• Number and Signed Dash Plaque
• 3 year/36K mile warranty

Other Options Available:

• Suspension/Anti-Roll Bars, Higher Rate Springs, New Lower Control Arms and Billstein shock to create a 3/4” front and rear lowering effect below factory level (requires different tires)
• Engine Programmer (requires special modification)
• 410 Gears
• Custom Leather with A.J. Foyt Logo in the Headrest
• Supercharger (unknown)
• In Dash DVD/Navigation Unit (unknown)

More information (not really) and a video can be found at Heritage Customs webpage on the Coyote. We’d love to get a better look at this latest edition tuner Mustang, especially get our hands on the performance specs and more details about the parts being used. If we get our hands on anymore tech we’ll update this page.

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