With new sheetmetal, more power and an upgraded chassis, the new Ford Mustang GT500 was destined to be a hot for the 2010 model year. The pony king may have just just gotten a whole lot more exclusive, too, as production has reportedly been limited to only 2,000 units. Team Shelby forum member 06VistaBlueGT posted a PDF with important ordering information for dealers that explains the production cut.

Production cut on Shelby GT500. To date, 1,700 GT500s have not been scheduled and the plant only had the capacity to build 2,000 for the 2010 MY (model year). If you signed the agreement, you are guaranteed 1 Shelby GT500 for the model year.

The move figures to severely limit the amount of GT500s a dealer can order, with many likely receiving either zero or one model for the year. The good news for the 2,000 lucky owners of the GT500 is that the lower production totals could make the 2010 model the most collectible (and valuable) model since the 2007 was introduced. If you haven't already signed up for a new GT500, though, dealers may now jack up the price even higher over MSRP to capitalize on the newfound shortfall of 540 horsepower pony cars. Hat tip to Murray!

*UPDATE: We reached out to Ford to ascertain the veracity of this Team Shelby document, and they have categorically denied the website users' claims. 2010 Mustang GT500 production has NOT been limited to 2,000 units, and the report is inaccurate. Ford does not report volume figures for the GT500.



[Source: Team Shelby]

Ford tuning specialists Steeda Autosports have been teasing the 2010 version of their Q-Series Mustang for quite some time, and apparently for some of their customers, it can't come soon enough. To help deal with requests, the Florida-based company has introduced a Sport Edition model that utilizes an array of parts already in the Steeda catalog.

This particular steed is tweaked to handle, with upgraded billet lower control arms, sport springs, and 20-inch chrome wheels wrapped with Nitto NT05 high-performance tires. Other modifications include a sport shifter, underdrive performance pulleys, a performance air cleaner, and distinctive Steeda graphics. At $8995 $6,995, the pricing seems pretty steep, especially without any significant power upgrades, but we have to admit it's one good looking pony car.

[Source: Muscular Mustangs]

*UPDATE: Steeda representatives have contacted Autoblog with correct information regarding the new Sport Edition, including a different, wallet-friendlier package price of $6,995 (the source article cited incorrect information). The full, official press release has been added after the jump.

The Fox body was hardly a high point in the history of the Ford Mustang. But every kingdom must have a king, and in the late-'80s and early-'90s this was it: the JBA Dominator GTA. Commissioned from J Bittle American by Ford in 1989, the Dominator took the pony car to new heights, installing what was likely the first independent rear suspension on a Mustang along with a long list of features that differentiated this custom muscle car from stock. The Lightning 351 engine features the iron heads from the GT40 and the intake manifold from a Cobra. A custom exhaust and aircraft-derived fuel system kept it breathing, while 17-inch rims obscured race-spec disc brakes at all corners.

The list goes on and on, and during its reign, the Dominator received plenty of media attention. The Mustang was featured on the cover of Road & Track in November 1989 in a shoot-out against other factory-backed custom muscle cars and went on to star in various hot-rodding and Ford-specific magazines. The JBA even has its own website, which will transfer to the buyer willing to pony up the $34,500 asking price for this piece of Mustang tuning history. Check it out in the gallery below and the video after the jump, or follow the link to the eBay auction page to make an offer.



[Source: eBay Motors via BAT]

Despite having fewer model variations on the market, pent up demand for the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro appears to have been enough to send the bad Bowtie past Ford's redone Mustang in June. Sales figures for the month are beginning to trickle in today, and General Motors says it shifted 9,320 Camaro units last month, as compared to the Blue Oval's 7,632 Mustangs.

Whether Chevrolet's victory will be sustainable over the long haul remains to be seen, but as The General has a backlog of 10,000 sold orders to fill (equating to less than a seven day supply), the streak is likely to continue for at least the next few months. Presently, GM offers just two main Camaro models, the V6 RS and the V8-powered SS, while the Ford Mustang has more bodystyles and trims than you can shake a stick at (arguably making the Camaro's achievement seemingly that much more impressive).

Sales of the third leg of 2009's pony car table, the Dodge Challenger, trail far behind, with just 1,369 units cleared last month.

As the industry heads into the dog days of summer, it looks like America's renewed pony car war is just heating up. Who will take the crown for the whole year? Sit tight, muscle fans.



Photos Copyright ©2009 Alex Nunez / Weblogs, Inc.


Photos Copyright ©2008 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

Most of us take for granted the ability to enjoy driving cars. Whether it's with a clunker or a supercar, there is a wonderful freedom that comes with getting behind the wheel of an automobile. No one knows that more than Roger Keeney, a man from Athens, GA who lost his sight twenty years ago. As we reported earlier, Keeney caught Ford's attention with his application for the '10 Unleashed' program, and decided to fulfill his dream of driving a Mustang. Ford had the cameras rolling during the whole thing, and will be posting a series of videos on the 2010 Mustang web site. Both the trailer and chapter one have already been released, and we've embedded them after the jump.



[Source: Ford]

It seems that any discussion about a modern Ford Mustang inevitably turns into a debate about its solid rear axle. While Ford has done an incredible job of optimizing the pony car's suspension, many still find it unacceptable that such an antiquated technology is used on a modern day performance car. Motor Trend boss Angus MacKenzie, however, says that the S197 Mustang platform almost received an independent rear suspension a while back – and for a lot less than you might think.

According to MacKenzie, the 2005 Mustang was set to get an independent suspension shared with the BA-series Falcon sedan built in Australia. Even when it was decided that the two cars would use different platforms, Ford designers set about designing an independent suspension specific to the Mustang. So why did it still end up with a solid rear axle? According to MacKenzie, product development executive Phil Martens convinced Bill Ford Jr. that they could save $100 per car if they dropped the IRS and went with the solid axle. For all of you non drag-racing types that wish the Mustang had an independently suspended rear, this news probably makes you sick to the stomach.

But wait... there's more! MacKenzie's sources say that the cost of sorting out the current Mustang's suspension actually cost $98 more per car than the IRS that could have gone in the car. Like Angus, we love the current Mustang but have to wonder if it could have been that much better.

[Source: Motor Trend]

If anyone deserves to have his own special edition Ford Mustang, it's Lee Iacocca. The former president of the Ford division, Iacocca is known as the father of the Mustang and recruited Carroll Shelby to create special versions of the horse in his own image. Now, 45 years after the original Mustang debuted, Iacocca has built his very own version.

Known as the 2009 1/2 Iacocca 45th Anniversary Edition Ford Mustang, this coach-built pony car features a special body designed by Michael Leone and built by the legendary Gaffoglio Family Metalcrafters. The car features a reworked front end including sunken headlights and a prominent fastback look with the slope of the roof reaching all the way to the rear of the car. Inside, Iacocca's Mustang gets Diamond Design leather seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with "I" logos, and Iacocca-badged aluminum door sill plates. Finishing off the look of the car are 20-inch Iacocca Design wheels wrapped with Goodyear Eagle tires.

Performance enhancements come courtesy of the Ford Racing parts bin, all of which retain the factory warranty and include a cold-air intake system and the Ford Racing Handling Pack with new shocks and springs. Customers can also opt for a supercharger system that boosts the 4.6-liter V8 to 400 horsepower as well as a 14-inch front brake system.

Production of the Iacocca 45th Anniversary Edition Ford Mustang will be limited to a scant 45 units, available exclusively at Galpin Ford in Southern California. Follow the jump for the official press release and a full list of specifications.

Update - we've added additional photographs to the gallery.



[Source: I Legacy | Photography by Joey Julius, NGEN Media]

The Ford Mustang 5.0 has been gone for some time, but with the new 32-valve, 5.0-liter "Coyote" V8 on its way, the badge could make a comeback and undoubtedly it'll be more successful than Vanilla Ice's past attempts.

After some digging through Ford's parts database, a forum member at TheMustangSource came across a "5.0" badge and an accompanying part number that could find itself attached to the 2011 Ford Mustang. Supposedly, KC also found listings for three new engine/transmission combos for 2011: the 3.7-liter V6 reported earlier (with both auto and manual gearboxes), a 5.0-liter (with the same transmission options) and a supercharged 5.4-liter. Although we're treating this with a healthy bit of skepticism, it doesn't seem beyond the pale, and if Van Winkle plays his cards right, maybe Ford will tap him for the marketing campaign. Thanks for the tip Matt!



[Source: TheMustangSource via MustangBlog]

Unsurprisingly, FoMoCo has added a glass roof option to the 2010 Ford Mustang, offering sun worshipers with an aversion to cowl shake a panoramic view of the skies. The glass top cuts out 90% of UV rays, shielding occupants from the blinding sun while reducing cabin temperatures, limiting the energy required of the air conditioning, protecting the interior from fade and deterioration and reducing the amount of NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) inside the cabin. The glass roof is available on both the V6 and 4.6-liter V8-powered GT for $1,995, and if history is any indication, around 10% of all new Mustang owners will opt for the glass top with a manually operated roller blind. Make the jump for all the details.

During the recent Ford Racing Invitational, one of the Mustangs being raced by the journalists on hand featured a newly developed intake manifold on its 4.6-liter V8. The current production manifold works very well with all kinds of engine modifications, but once the revs hit 6,500 rpm, it completely falls flat. The new manifold is designed to support a bump of that redline up to 7,500 rpm. The manifold doesn't really add much power on its own, but it does allow other mods like camshafts, valves and exhaust systems to take advantage of more engine speed.

Ford will be building tooling over the next few months and running production prototypes toward the end of summer. The manifold should be on sale later in the fall. Ford hasn't yet set pricing for the new manifold but it may come in at about $600-700. Mike Sutton from Car and Driver who drove a 2009 GT fitted with the new manifold said the engine easily revved beyond 7,000 rpm, something impossible with a stock modular V8.