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2011 Mustang GT will be the Pace
Car for the 2010 Daytona 500
 
Yesterday, word came in that the
2011 Ford Mustang GT would be the
official pace car for the 2010 Daytona 500.
It's the first time that Ford's pony car will perform the
field pacing duties for " The Great American Race" and the
first time in 40 years for a Blue Oval product.
While we initially reported that just one
Mustang
pace car would be built,
Ford
announced today that they will produce a limited run of just
50 cars to be sold to the public. Each will feature a
Daytona 500 paint scheme, specially painted wheels, a unique
interior, and several parts from the Ford Racing catalog
including the suspension, strut tower brace and mufflers.
For those interested in the real thing,
Ford
will be auctioning off the actual pace car at
Barrett-Jackson later this week. As has become custom, all
proceeds of the sale above the car's MSRP will be donated to
charity. In this case, the Juvenile Diabetes Research
Foundation will benefit from the generous bidders.
New 2011
Shelby GT350
  
  
Coinciding
with the 45th anniversary of the original 1965 Shelby GT350,
Shelby American unveiled an all new GT350 Mustang at the
opening night gala of the Barrett-Jackson auction in
Scottsdale, AZ. Presented in concept form, the new GT350
features a supercharged version of the brand new 5.0-liter
V8 engine in the 2011 Mustang as well as performance
upgrades from Ford Racing, Borla, Cragar, Baer and more.
Unlike the GT500, the GT350 will be a post-title upgrade
available from Shelby. Customers can have their 2011
Mustangs shipped directly to Shelby's Las Vegas facility to
be converted or they can deliver the car themselves. Once in
the hands of Shelby, each Mustang is fitted with a Ford
Racing supercharger good for approximately 500 horsepower, a
Ford Racing suspension system, Baer brakes front and rear,
Borla exhaust system, Cragar wheels, and more. For the
exterior, Shelby fits a new front fascia, front splitter,
functional hood scoop tail light trim, rear deck lid filler
panel and a rear fascia with center exhaust exit. White with
Guardsman Blue racing stripes will be the only available
color combination, which isn't such a bad thing.
Of course, all of that comes at a price. Shelby lists the
GT350's MSRP at $33,995, which doesn't sound that bad until
you realize it doesn't include the base car. With the 2011
Mustang GT coming in at
just over $30,000,
the total price of the GT350 will actually exceed that of
the GT500. Does something similar to the
Shelby GT
built the last few years make more sense? Perhaps, but we're
sure Shelby will find quite a few buyers anyway.
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