Ford to reveal "another chapter in the Mustang story" in Detroit

One would think that the attention whore that is the 2010 Mustang would be happy to gloat in all of the glory that it has received from it's build up and official revealing at the 2008 L.A. Auto Show. But it's not satisfied just yet.



It appears that Ford will be bringing forward more Mustang news before the '10 even hits showrooms. At the live unveiling of the car, Mark Fields hinted at the possibility that we would be hearing more about the new 'stang at the Detroit Auto Show in January. Sure enough, Fields says that Ford "will reveal yet another chapter in the Mustang story" at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show.



We've been giving a lot of thought to what this announcement could be, and the most obvious choice would be the next generation Shelby GT500. Spy photographs have been snapping prototypes running around Detroit since early summer, and if Ford keeps the same powertrain setup as the GT and V6, then it would simply be be a matter of making the cosmetic changes.



The second possibility is an all-new variant of the Mustang, most likely a concept that would later hint at a production version. Since we are purely speculating, we're going to go ahead and say what we'd like to see: Boss Mustang, 5.0-liters, 400 hp and a six-speed manual tranny.



A Mustang commemorating Parnelli Jones' 1970 Trans-Am win would be perfect except that Saleen already did it two years ago. Mark Field's wording seems to hint at something all new, but the possibility of a new motor could have potential buyers waiting another year to make a purchase. It looks like we'll just have to wait until January to find out.

Twin Turbo Saleen Parnelli Jones Mustang on Ebay

While Ebay in general can be a helpful shopping tool and present some great deals, sometimes it is just a tease that has us all thinking wishfully. In this case, seeing a Parnelli Jones Mustang that has been twin turbocharged by it's owner, said editor has feelings to the latter.



With it's Trans Am inspired looks and super exclusivity thanks to only 500 being built, the Parnelli Jones edition trumps pretty much all of the other thousands of Mustang special edition variants. Most owners figure to have put their copies of the car in a hermetically sealed chamber to preserve it's value.



But not this particular owner. He added dual 57mm Precision turbos, upgraded forged pistons, aluminum heads, a full three-inch exhaust system, and much, much more. In total, the motor produces 768 horsepower and 769 lb-ft torque -- at the wheels! The exterior remains stock, providing as much of a sleeper look as possible when one's car is painted grabber orange.



As of this writing, the car is up to $41,000, which isn't a bad deal at all considering. So if you have the funds and the driving ability to handle this one, here's the link.

2008 Gurney Signature Edition Mustang

Dan Gurney is joining the likes of Carroll Shelby and Parnelli Jones, rolling out a version of Mustang to slap his name on. This car is a very limited edition, with only 300 being produced. And much like his rival's cars, his is very fast.

Gurney hasn't participated in a race since 1970, but his popularity hasn't declined any. His resume includes four wins in Formula 1 world-championship events (including one in his own Eagle F1 car), seven Indy Car victories, five NASCAR wins, and countless first-place finishes in sports-car events.

Since 1970 Gurney has been the owner of All American Racers, a team that has accumulated 78 victories including the 24 hours of Daytona and Indy 500.

The Saleen built Gurney Signature Edition Mustang sports a supercharged 4.6 liter V-8 boasting 465 horsepower. All those horses flow through a 5 speed manual with short throw shifter and into a 3.73 geared limited slip rear. Suspension is a Racecraft design with a Gen-II Watts-Link rear end (a first for a Saleen), which lowers the car's roll center and helps keep the live axle centered under the car (improving handling balance). Tires are high-performance Pirelli P Zero Corsas (285/30ZR-19s in front, 285/35ZR-19s in back) on five-spoke Heritage Edition gray alloys. Brakes are 14-inch vented discs with four-piston calipers up front, 11.8-inch vented discs at the rear.

Visual mods include a Gurney body kit, duck bill rear spoiler, hood pins, and custom graphics. The interior has been upgraded to a leather interior with Alcantara inserts, boost and air temp gauges, and Gurney's own signature on the dash.

The Gurney Mustang produces 35 less horsepower than the Shelby GT500, but by looking at the timeslips you'd be hard pressed to tell it. The trip to 60 takes only 4.3 seconds (identical to the GT500). The quarter mile flashes by in 12.9 seconds at 111.3 mph (compared to 12.6 for the Shelby). Braking performance bests the GT500 at 108 feet, compared to 118. The Gurney also outperforms the Shelby on the skidpad, pulling .96 g's of lateral grip compared to .89.

Saleen offers the Gurney in just three colors: Performance White, Torch Red, or Vista Blue. Price for the 300 cars will run around $58,000.

Dan Gurney is clearly happy to finally have a production car he helped to produce, saying "It's a wonderful thing to have a Mustang with my name on it." And despite the influx of special edition Mustangs currently on the market, the Signature Edition is a welcome addition.

Check out AmericanMuscle.com's large selection of 2008 Mustang Parts.