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March 31, 2005
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This Week:

• GT500 Reborn As A Modern Thoroughbred: Shelby, SVT Create Most Powerful Mustang Ever

• Dodge in Hot Pursuit of Police Car Market with HEMI®-powered 2006 Dodge Charger

• Scion Unveils All-New t2B Concept Vehicle at 2005 New York Auto Show

• Subaru Redesigns and Refines Forester(R) for 2006; Safety and Reliability Champ Debuts New Styling and More Powerful Engines

• Mercedes Benz R Class: world premiere in New York

• Donald Trump To Be The First Cadillac DTS Executive Limousine Customer

• Jaguar To Introduce New 2006 'Super V8 Portfolio' Luxury Sedan At The New York Auto Show

• Learning from Nature: BMW in the German Pavilion at EXPO 2005 in Japan

• Toyota Starts New Diesel Engine Production in Poland

• DaimlerChrysler Commits Over $70 Million to Fuel Cell Development in the U.S.

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GT500 Reborn As A Modern Thoroughbred: Shelby, SVT Create Most Powerful Mustang Ever

Photos: Ford

The most powerful factory-built Ford Mustang in history takes to the street next year, following a unique collaboration between performance car legend Carroll Shelby and the Ford Special Vehicle Team (SVT).

Ford took the wraps off the 450-plus-horsepower Ford Shelby Cobra GT500 show car at the New York International Auto Show March 23. Designed in the unmistakable image of Shelby Mustangs of the 1960s, the Shelby Cobra GT500 melds SVT's modern engineering with the big-block performance that made the original GT500 the king of the road.

"The all-new 2005 Ford Mustang is one of the hottest cars in many years," says Phil Martens, Ford group vice president, Product Creation. "Its chassis was engineered from the beginning to be the basis of a high-performance, world-class sports car from SVT, and the Shelby Cobra GT500 is it."

Carroll Shelby lends his support to SVT, adapting his earlier role as a senior advisor on the "Dream Team" that was assembled to develop and build the 2005 Ford GT. "I've worked with the SVT guys for several years now, and I know they have the guts, the talent and the passion to deliver the best performance Mustangs ever," says Shelby.

A production version of the GT500 will go on sale in 2006, continuing the high-performance lineage of the SVT Mustang Cobra model line. It will be followed by a steady stream of performance products developed by SVT, including Ford Sport Trac Adrenalin, the industry's first performance sport-utility truck, in 2007.

"SVT led the modern-day factory performance trend with the Mustang Cobra and the industry's first high-performance truck, the F-150 Lightning," says Hau Thai-Tang, director, Ford Advanced Product Creation and SVT. "Today, we're building on that pioneering vision with vehicles like the Ford GT, Shelby Cobra GT500 and Sport Trac Adrenalin - great performance machines that connect with enthusiasts in a way no other companies or vehicles can match."

The production GT500 will be the first in a string of specialty Mustangs that SVT will help deliver. This will create Ford Motor Company's - and one of the industry's - broadest product portfolios, stretching from under $20,000 for the V-6 Mustang coupe to the 450-plus-horsepower GT500, each offering performance and value.

(Mar 30,2005)