Turns out when we posted a photo of the 2009 Ford Mustang badge it rung a bell with Jaloper James Kenney, who has a quick eye and an even quicker shutter. This 45th Anniversary Edition 2009 Ford Mustang was sitting in the driveway in a neighborhood (should have put it in the garage). Clearly, Ford is answering our question about the Mustang's relevance with this fine vehicle. Notice those deluxe cloth seats and, if we're not mistaken, this vehicle is equipped with a whole six mighty cylinders (45 years of progress!). There is one detail that sort of jumps out at us, though.

This particular model is one of the glass roof Mustangs, which let in all that natural light. If you look at the interior pic you'll also notice "Mustang" printed on the previously mentioned deluxe cloth seats. Say it with us — Deeeeeeluxe! (Hat tip to James!)

Holy cow, OMG, WTF — it's a real, live badge for the 2009 Ford Mustang! OK, we'll stop with the exclamations now. But why wouldn't we be excited — it's the 45th anniversary of the Mustang and, and, and — OK, we can't really figure out why we should be excited. Especially given we'll see an entirely new Ford Mustang less than one year later for the 2010 model year. Whatever, we salute Ford for 45 years of pony cars. At least they kept going with the muscular muscle cars even when no other 'merican automaker would. That took some guts — and we'll give 'em credit for that. However we'll still poke 'em for that big truck axle in the rear end. Speaking of credit, we're also going to give some credit to Mustang Evolution for pokin' fun at Ford with a snarky little comment on the new 'stangs looking a little thick around the waist. Way to be, guys! [Mustang Evolution]

The never ending smörgåsbord of awesome and terrifying projects that is eBay Motors leads us to a steaming heap of horror today with this very uniquely modified 1976 Ford Mustang II. The poster child for the malaise era, this particular 2.3L terror began its transformation to a mid-engined beast way back in 1978 and ended in 1988 when the over enthusiastic seller got too busy to continue work. What you get is a chassis last driven in 1984 with a plaster mold over the front and rear and what looks like a sliced up C3 Corvette tail end.

[eBay Listing]

If you thought the GT500KR in the Knight Rider made-for-TV movie was a disgusting piece of product placement, you ain't seen nothin' yet. What could be worse? How about the four remaining contestants in American Idol massacring Johnny Cash's song Ring Of Fire? What makes it extra terrible was the so-called "music video" which involved the Idols bullfighting with a Mustang which was apparently the cousin of KITT. Feel free to watch the clip with your sound turned off— we don't want to scar you.
[americanidol.com]

Scripture tells us to "do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with your God," though perhaps we can now add to that "burn rubber in a Mustang." Welcome to the Mustang Church of American and Museum, a church-cum-museum dedicated to saving the soul and evangelizing the Ford Mustang. The 7,000-square-foot facility near Franklin, Kansas is the dream of Mustang-fanatic and retired math teacher Charles Ales. When completed the facility will hold weekly services, Mustang blessings, car shows and swap meets. Said Ales, this is "the only church in the world dedicated to the Mustang car and Jesus Christ." Ales and his son are ordained by the Universal Ministries School of Theology, which is the same church that ordained one of my stoner pals from college for $5, making this church as legitimate as Joel Olsteen's Lakewood Church.

The sanctuary will include eight of Ales' own Mustangs, including a 1966 convertible, three Boss Stangs (including a rare 429) and four new Shelby Mustangs. it looks like loving cars has turned from a cult into a religion, meaning it may be time to change our tagline. For more photos and information surf over to TomStrongman.com. [TomStrongman.com]

When Gone in Sixty Seconds came out in 2000, the Mustang which held the lead role as "Eleanor" became an overnight sensation. You couldn't throw dead blow hammer without hearing someone compare a car to Eleanor. The brutish fastback was just the right mix of vintage and modern. In that vein, the Obsidian SG-1 is a car as modern as anything on the road, but maintaining a throwback look. Originally a puke green '67 fastback, the SG-1 (which does not travel through wormholes to faraway planets) is now a study in excess.

We're not too sure about everything that goes around the engine and drive train, but nobody is going to argue with the guns this car is packing. A stroked SVO 351W V8 good for 392 cubic inches, two, count 'em, two Rotrex superchargers feeding two air-to-air intercoolers and firing up for over 830 HP and 770 lb.ft. of torque. That monster drives a Tremec 5-speed with a set of steering wheel mounted paddle shifters which cranks a Mittler Brothers 9" rear end. Really damned impressive.

It's all the other stuff that has us down. While it does sport a tube frame and a hidden roll cage, they managed to duct and reshape a little too much of the car. And while we know the mesh is high quality, it just has a certain Pep boys feel to it. The current Mustang headlights are worked into the nose, and we really can't complain too much about them, but that seems like a weird choice. And don't get us started on all the gee gaws and gadgets in the interior. A cabin should be an office and the business should be driving, not fiddling with a 3000W kicker sounds system and a 10.5" LCD screen. Nonetheless, this is a damn impressive piece of machinery, even if it needs to have a couple hundred pounds of electronics garbage tossed to the curb. Obsidian SG-1

Alameda has quite a few 1960s Mustangs on the street, but our last one was months ago. This '69 always parks on the street (not far from the '60 Studebaker Lark), though it's usually under a car cover. However, it does get regular driving use, as I learned when I talked to the owner (who says he gets offers on the car from other drivers at stoplights).

And no wonder- this car is very clean and sounds great. It's not an obsessively restored show car, but about as nice an example as you're going to find living outdoors and driving frequently.


Scoops all over the place. It must be fast!


Actually, with the optional 351 under the hood, it is fast. The standard engine on the '69 Mustang was the 200 six-cylinder, and most buyers went with the 302 V8. By hacking the car all to hell, Ford managed to fit the monstrous Boss 429 in the cramped confines of the Mustang engine compartment. Hey, if they can put a man on the moon...

First 200 DOTS

Then go and buy one. That's right, you can have one of your very own for a mere $54,995 according to Hertz's fleet car sales site. Mixed in with the dreck up for sale are a few of the black-n-gold rent-a-racers and we just found one out at the Santa Clara sales site. It's sitting pretty with only 12,000 miles on it and we'd totally snag it too — except we don't have $55K sitting around. Also, we just remembered how hard those 12,000 miles probably were. Like dog years, we're of the assumption that you've got to multiply rental car miles by seven to get the actual wear-and-tear number. But if you're interested, give them a call at (408) 296-1721. Maybe they'll even make you a deal and throw in some maps for free. (Hat tip to Kolby!)

There's something distinctly bizarre about the idea of an all-electric Ford Mustang, even more so with a battery powered Shelby Cobra. Isn't part of the allure the throaty grumble of the exhaust, the fire and noise and fury of acceleration? Where's the passion when you simply press the go pedal in these HST International modified sports cars and you're fired from a silent slingshot to 60 MPH in only 3.9 seconds for the Stang, and 3.2 seconds for the Cobra. Sure that's damn fast, and you can get a 100 miles on an 8 hour charge at 120V, or a three hour charge at 220V, but still, we'd prefer to keep our E-cars separate from our muscle cars. Unless of course we roll like Fisker and just play that tune from the loud speakers. [MotorAuthority]

If you believe Bill Osborne, President of Ford Australia, the 2010 Ford Mustang will get the new 5.0-liter engine under the hood — potentially with some turbocharging or supercharging mixed in. He dropped the bomb on the kiwis over at Stuff.co.nz while talking about engine mixes on the next Ford Falcon. Here's what they say about what he said in order to limit that whole game o' telephone:

Beyond that Osborne confirmed a new 5.0-litre V8 to be developed and built in North America for the Ford Mustang was being examined for possible use in Ford's new Falcon.

"We have taken a look at [that V8] and it looks like it will be a pretty competitive engine, particularly if we decide to boost (turbocharge or supercharge) it as well," said Osborne.

So let's parse that. Sounds to us like he's confirming the 5.0-liter V8 engine in the 2010 Ford Mustang (or in actuality, the 2010 Ford Mustang GT), and as Ford continues to look at new opportunities for fuel economy savings as vehicle weight continues its steady upward crawl. Is it a smart strategy? Sure — as long as Ford does something about that rear axle. [Stuff.co.nz via Mustang Evolution via AutoBlog]

We were all quite sad when we learned that the Cermak Plaza Shopping Center overlords had decided to remove the legendary Berwyn Car Spindle from their property. But now the Berwyn Spindle may be relocated... to your front yard! Yes, it's up for sale on eBay, with a starting bid of $50,000 (and a shipping cost of double that, so you'll probably elect to go pick it up yourself. Make the jump for some video of the Spindle. [eBay]

This is it. The final four cars left in our Star Car Shootout tournament. It's been madness trying to get to here from our original selection of 32 cars, and maddening for you to deal with the brilliantly brutish poll system, but we've made it together seemingly none the worse for wear. Certainly, the cars left are all winner-worthy. Eleanor is no surprise, as she's the star of the show. The Intermeccanica and the DeTomaso are both robust Italian-American blends. The Miura is just dripping with style. But who will make the final round? That, friends, is up to you. UPDATE: Polls for this round are closed. Check out the finals here.

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And then there were eight. On Wednesday, we'll have the final round to decide which is the coolest car from the original Gone In 60 Seconds, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. Today, we have to pare these eight contenders down to a final four. Who's gonna make the cut? Which is the coolest? Eleanor or the Roller? The crushed Challenger or the Intermeccanica? DeTomaso or Manta? Miura or Vega? Your votes will decide.

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Well here we are, Round 2 of Jalopnik-style madness. After the first round of voting, we've eliminated half of the 32-car field. And there sure were some upsets; Parnelli Jones' Big Oly Bronco losing to some white Italian car being perhaps the most shocking. We even had a last minute buzzer-beater, with "Billy" beating out the Rolls Limo by only 2 votes! But, now it's time to vote our sweet 16 down to an elite 8. We'll be one step closer to figuring out which car you think is the coolest on-screen in the 1974 film Gone In 60 Seconds. Update: Polls have closed, voting for Round Three here.

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These shots, snapped in a drive-by of a trailer in the movie-making capital of Culver City, Calif. are two Saleen Mustangs outfitted with that familiar paint scheme that marks a very special 'stang. This can only mean filming of Michael Bay's next masterpiece is underway or getting pretty damn close. We can already hear Wert's robogasms from here.

The latest word is the script is still in development with filming to start in June, and really, why worry about something as silly as a script when there's giant freakin' robots to blow stuff up. But as we saw earlier this month, Bay is pretty excited about the sequel, so we wouldn't be surprised if things were already starting to get underway.

Now the questions start to fly: why would there be two Barricades? One would think that multiples would be needed for the filming process, but the little kid in us believes Barricade multiplies and fights as twins, or, you know, Ford's bringing out their new Barricade special edition Saleen 'stang. Nah. [FilmSchoolRejects]

The webs, they are a churning. On Monday The Detroit News published an article stating that Ford would be taking advantage of the weak dollar and moving development work of its next generation rear wheel drive platform from Australia to the United States. That's all well and good but then Carpoint of Australia went and asked Ford of Australias Manager of PR Sinead McAlary about it. Her response of "It's too early to speculate on that" has set off a flurry of speculation that there's a turf war raging within Ford over the home of the platform. So for the record the current story line is this: DetNews publishes story claiming RWD platform moving to USA, Carpoint gets Ford AU on record with a "not so fast" response, and Ford USA is not on the record for anything. We called Ford directly to see if we could get some clarity on the story, and the result was a resounding maybe.

Communications Director Alan Hall noted that "Yes global engineering resources are being considered for the RWD platform, but we can't say at this time where the engineering resources will be. At this time all of the stories floating around are pure speculation." So there you have it, we're just going to have to wait and see where things end up.

Yesterday, we gave you the brackets. Today, the voting begins and Jalopnik-style March Madness ensues. If you haven't finalized your own bracket for the office pool just yet, hurry up! The field of 32 cars from the original 1974 film Gone In 60 Seconds is about to get narrowed down by your votes. At the end this round, we'll be down to 16 sweet rides. Ultimately, we want to find out what you think the coolest car in the movie is. Now some cars are cool all by themselves, but you also have to consider what role they played on screen. So who knows what the results will look like? Update: Polls for Round 1 are closed. Vote in Round 2 here.

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There's a certain unbelievability to this story out of the city of angels. In 1970, Eugene Brakke had his shiny gold '65 Ford Mustang stolen from him. He reported the theft, but nothing came about for another 38 years. Sure he could have used the Lost Car Registry, but that takes two to tango. Little did Brakke know, but the car had been sold through a (crooked) dealer to the father of Judy Smongesky, who gave it to her as a high school graduation present. Judy has held onto and maintained the car all these years, even having two engine rebuilds and a paint job done. It wasn't until she tried to sell the car that the red flags went up.

Police notified her of the car's stolen status and put her in contact with Eugene. Happy ending: The car will be returning to the original owner in a different color with an extra 300,000 miles on it. But its heading home. Though, at this point, "home" is a relative term, since Judy owned the car for 38 years and Eugene had it only four. [Local6 News]

Interested in all the March madness tournament bracketry, but not really into college hoops? Maybe you're looking for a way to redeem yourself after penciling-in Duke to go all the way? Whatever the case, we've decided to throw our own Jalopnik-style bracket-madness party! Instead of basketball, we've got cars! And don't think this isn't some randomly-selected field of Consumer Reports top choices. What we have is a 32-car selection from one of the coolest car movies ever made: the original Gone In 60 Seconds from 1974. Through the rest of this week and part of next, your votes will be tallied to decide the winners of each face-off. Polls will open tomorrow, so that gives you today to print out your own bracket, fill in your predictions, tell your buddies, and make up your own office pool. It also gives you time to go watch the movie, but if you want just a quick refresher, we've provided that too.

This is the star of the show; the top seed. A seemingly indestructible 1973 Ford Mustang Mach 1 that runs from the law in a glorious 40-minute chase scene.
The local country radio reporter's ride, a Ford that might as well have "dorky" painted all over it.


A drop-top Ford with questionable structural rigidity that gets hit in the side so hard it splits neatly in half. Ridiculous, but funny.
The Belvedere rent-a-cop with a German Shepard. Attempts to chase down a tow-truck stealing a Challenger, and fails.


A burgundy Roller stolen in broad daylight from the airport drop-off curb; chauffeur left the key in it.
A Fleetwood serving as personal transportation for the ring-leader of the operation. An arranged assortment of sunglasses on the dash, and enough room for the whole crew to cruise around.


Stole a Challenger right off a dealership lot, then outran security even with the Challenger still attached. The star of the second best chase in the movie.
A poor little Type 3 that got flipped on its roof by Eleanor, starting a huge pileup. Cute car, humiliating role.


The Dodge carries the flag for all the cop cars in the movie. They're cool rides burdened by somewhat inept drivers.
One of the "girls" on the hit list, though it only appears on film for a moment. Not a hearse, but a custom station wagon.


License plate reads "OOO GAL." The Dodge was a stolen car wearing VIN tags from a wrecked donor; An identity thief before it was popular. Sadly, it had to go to the crusher once people started getting wise.
A new Plymouth out on a test drive gets smashed by a cop in pursuit of Eleanor.


Lyle Waggoner's Intermeccanica Italia swiped from spaced-out stoner cleaning it.
A stolen Corvette in a sizzling color. Not on film very long, but it leaves an impression.


The undercover cop that started the epic chase with Eleanor. It Went toe-to-toe with the Mustang, but couldn't quite keep up.
A nice bright green Dodge that suffered the fate of being crushed by a garbage truck rolling onto it.


An old sedan DeVille ridin' low. Occupants seemed to enjoy smokin' the herb so much that they drove the Caddy to self-destruction.
A Rolls limo big enough to carry a fully-assembled bicycle in the back seat with room to spare. Just wait for the chauffeur to leave the car unattended, insert the bike you rode up on, and drive away. Petty theft made high-class.


Don't get distracted by the girl, this DeTomaso is what you really want. She's just askin' for it, leaving the keys in the car like that.
This Jensen Interceptor is practically good enough for JFG, and it's apparently good enough to make the South American client's, list as well.


Fantastically obscure Manta Mirage stolen during a test drive. Salesman gets out to switch seats, thief slides behind the wheel and takes off.
The Maserati is another car on the list only appearing for a moment, but it's pure style.


A Cadillac filled with drugs, one of the few things to survive in the remake movie from 2000. How do you get rid of all that white powder? Burn it. Who cares if it's worth a million bucks on the street; these are responsible criminals.
The hopped-up Plymouth was on the screen for only a quick flash, but we're sure it's even quicker down the strip.


Parnelli Jones' Baja Bronco is the icon of off-road racing. But that didn't stop anyone from stealing it in the movie.
The Lamborghini is elegantly beautiful, but forgettable in this context.


Epic cool car and JFG resident, but it's too bad we can't see it's wacky suspension in action.
Who needs a high-tech anti-theft system? Just keep a tiger in your Cadillac.


Another limo left unattended and vulnerable. All the coolness factor of death with none of the emotional struggle.
Hard to say what exactly has been done to this Chevy Vega, but it sure ain't stock. Another one we'd like to see actually driving.


It looks plain on the outside because it's supposed to. There were two identical Fords used for scouting out all the cars on the to-be-stolen list before the day of the big hit. Equipped with walkie-talkies too!
Nothing says "Malaise Era" more than a Stutz. And this one was stolen right in front of a confused old lady. Classy.


[Screenshots are property of the movie's copyright holders; not Jalopnik]

We can't harass Ford too much for the Ford Mustang "Warriors in Pink" variant, if you want to call it that, it is for a good cause after all. We told you about the Warriors in Pink" marketing experiment last year and the '09 model gets a couple of updates aside from a new number in front of the name. In addition to the pink badging, decal trim, and interior stitching of last years model, the new one get silver as another exterior color option to black and white, and that slick all glass roof is available.

Like the previous models, the additional profit from the package still goes to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation for use in research and awareness promotion. One thousand of the V6 powered Stangs will be built at the Auto Alliance Plant in Flat Rock so if you want one, you better step to it, though we suspect they won't be too popular with circle track and PBR crowd. [via The Auto Channel]

Okay, you got us — this bit of Bullitt wrap up business is a little late in coming. We were busy bringing you all the breaking embargo releases Monday and schlepping it across the country to do that little New York Auto Show, so give us a break. Anyway, last Saturday saw the largest convergence of Jalopnik nerds in quite a while. While we never got an accurate headcount because some of you sulked in and then scurried back into your dank basements to check for updates after, we did have a good time. There's no way to have a bad time when you're out at an old theater to take in a cool flick and a new Ford Mustang Bullitt pulled onto center stage for a surprise cameo.

We especially appreciate those who went out of their way and made up Wert-centric paraphernalia to display your command of auto-site-enthusiasm. Check out the gallery to see if you're famous, otherwise thanks for showing up and we hope to put together more events to amuse and entertain you slobs in the future. Also, if you pay attention in the galleries, there's room for dragon jokes.

I was wandering around the floor of the New York auto show yesterday afternoon, trying to find a free scone. No, I was looking for automotive inspiration to break the second-day malaise. I never did find the scone, but I did stumble on the 2009 Dodge Challenger S/E up on its dais. I've been thinking of nothing else for 24 hours.

The S/E isn't exactly carnival-midway material. First, it lacks the Challenger R/T's six-speed Tremec TR6060, or any other manual transmission. Second, with 250-horsepowers' worth of sad ham under its hood, the weighty S/E's zero-to-60 time is probably closer to that of a '78 Tradesman van than a 268-hp Toyota Camry SE. Can you imagine a greater humiliation than being dispatched by a middle-aged suburban bank branch manager late for her 11:15? I can, but it would involve farm animals, Irish whiskey and glossy photos.

Despite all of that - and it's quite a lot to spite — the Challenger S/E has remained foremost in my thoughts.

My obsession is mainly with intangables. The S/E on display looked simply stunning in a color approximating the classic Mopar B5 blue. It's also decked, such that it is, with 18-inch wheels and a pert lip spoiler. On paper, the car should be a no more alluring than any other rental upgrade. Nonetheless, the base Challenger projects a kind of butchness the base V6 Mustang only imagines while wearing its dad's Hathaway shirts. Despite the availability of V6 turbocharging kits, Ford's base-level pony car cannot seem to cast off the hairy sweater it's been wearing for 40+ years. The most obvious slight at the base Mustang is that it's the ultimate "secretary's car." The Challenger S/E is a secretary's car too; think Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter.

Plus, think of the practicalities. Speed isn't everything for a daily driver, a role for which the Challenger is well suited. It's roomy enough to fit two work-weary, inflation-slapped adults in the front, and accept a baby seat and a full-sized adult in the back seat. For the most part, it's sure to treat gasoline as the swiftly appreciating commodity it is. Face it kids, we all grow up, some more grudgingly than others.

And if having a car that's as slow as warm potash becomes grating, there's always a turbo kit. Maybe someday.

A man by the name of Jesse Vigil has decked out a 2007 Mustang to look like Barricade the Saleen Mustang from Transformers and not surprisingly, the local cops don't approve. Much to the delight of Transformers fans everywhere, including Vigil's son and the inspiration for the mod, the cops can't do a damn thing as long as Vigil isn't impersonating the police.

Despite not being a Saleen, the car is a fairly solid replica. It include the slogan "To punish and enslave and more. It does also include a non-functional siren bar. The police shouldn't bust Vigil's chops too much. He did the replica for his son after returning from Iraq. It should be illegal to bust the chops of somebody with those credentials. [AP; YouTube] (Image)

The Redford Theater is one of those places which breaks the mold of blandly nauseating suburban mega-theaters sporting 30 cookie-cutter, no personality movie holes. You go to Redford Michigan's oldest operational movie theater not because of the latest in high-test gee-whiz surround sound, nor do you go for the comfy seats or the fully digital projectors - it doesn't have any of that - you go to recapture the joy of the movies. Not too long ago, we noticed the theater would be showing a movie containing what many have called the greatest chase scene ever filmed, Bullitt, and we're wondering if you're interested in going.

Yes indeed folks, just as if it were the old days, Bullitt will be shown in two parts in the very cool, very swank Redford Theater, and we're interested in a meet up. Bullitt will be showing in the Chinese theater themed house of movies on two days - March 15th and 16th, so we'll need to narrow things down a bit. The polls below are for two items of bidness. First we need to warn the theater of how many car nerds are interested in going, and second we need to know which day is better for the watching. It's easy to understand passing if you live far away, but if you're in the area there's really no excuse. Come on, they're running Daffy Duck and Porky Pig cartoons and will be wailing on one of two remaining pipe organs in the city during intermission, how can you pass?

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Are you that guy? You know, the guy with big, gaudy and ugly gauges all over the dash and door molding? I don't judge you because the fact that you have so many gauges, sometimes people need to actively monitor other systems not included in the stock gauges, I just judge you because the placement of said gauges. Roush has a solution for owners of any 2005 to 2008 Ford Mustang or 2004 to 2008 Ford F-150. These gauge pods from Roush fit inside of the vents in the cooling/heating system of the Mustang and F-150 and hold any gauge you could ever dream of.

The vent gauges require no drilling and don't obstruct a substantial amount of airflow, either. The $30 price tag simply includes a pod that fits in the Mustang or F-150's vent. The pod can then hold a standard 2 1/16-inch gauge of your liking. [Roush]

Seems that Ford is going out of its way to make sure your Mustang riding, no seatbelt wearing kids won't get overly clobbered in an accident. Ford is recalling 470,000 Mustangs between 2005 and 2008 vintage to recalibrate the airbag deployment force. Seems through internal testing, Ford has determined the airbag may injure wee ones when in the front seat and unbuckled, not a great scenario to begin with. The Blue Oval will be notifying owners early next month and the reprogramming can be done at Ford Dealers. [more at Forbes.com]

Each week we'll let two silver screen automotive icons face off and let you decide which stays and which one goes home, tailpipe between their legs. That's right, it's like an online Thunderdome — except without the death thing. We call it the "Star Car Shootout." Let's get ready to rumble.

Last week we had the inaugural match of Star Car Shootout, in which the James Bond's Lotus Esprit from The Spy Who Loved Me went head-to-head against the Lamborghini Countach from Speed Zone in a battle to decide which big screen star was cooler. We've counted the votes, and with most of the precincts now reporting, Jalopnik projects that the Lotus has won.

This week, we've got another big-shot superstar facing off against a relative underdog. Appropriately for our whole "Which is cooler?" hook, both cars co-starred with the "King of Cool" himself, Steve McQueen. Now, while McQueen certainly surrounded himself with some impressive rides over the years, for this shootout we had to pick just two of them. The others will have to wait their turn. So for this match, we're pitting the Ford Mustang 390 GT from Bullitt against the Porsche 911S 2.2L from Le Mans. Yes, you're now probably already visualizing those scenes in your head, but just in case you aren't, we've got the clips after the jump.

Start talking about Steve McQueen's cars, and the first one that'll come to mind for most people is the Dark Highland Green 1968 Ford Mustang from Bullitt. Thing is, McQueen never actually owned the car. Of course, that doesn't disqualify the 'stang for this contest, but it does raise an interesting question. Did McQueen even particularly like the Mustang? His personal garage was filled mostly with European sports cars, not American muscle. Watching the chase scene, you'll notice that neither the Charger nor the Mustang take turns all that well. It's even been said that the shot of the 'stang overcooking one of the corners wasn't planned at all. Though I suppose if I'm going to start critiquing the film too closely, I would also have to start counting green VW Beetles, and I really don't want to do that. Besides, this isn't some class for a film student; we're here for the car. And it must be said the dark Mustang fastback with a 390ci V8 looks and sounds fantastic. It's an automotive icon. But there's a problem with that. Being famous to a degree is cool, but being a tool for a marketing department is not. In recent years, Ford has made not just one "special edition" Bullitt Mustang, but two. Which means that you really don't have to be "in the know" to know about the car. It's like having your favorite rock band from the '60s all of a sudden become hugely popular again. You like the music still, but the all the teenage fans, the Broadway musicals, and the appearances on daytime television just sort of ruin the cool factor.


Unlike the Mustang, McQueen actually owned the '70 Porsche 911 S from Le Mans. He wanted a car to drive around in Europe while he was shooting the film, so he bought the Porsche, and when shooting was finished, he had it sent back to America. Now sure, there's no on-screen hoonage starring the 911, but you can only imagine that McQueen drove the snot out of the thing when he was off-camera. But that's not the point—this car was was cool not because it drove around jumping over hills and chasing baddies. The 911 is cool because it is understated and relaxed; it's what the tormented race car driver drove when, as McQueen's character famously put it in the film, he was "just waiting" between races. It has what the Mustang lacks: inconspicuousness. You really need to be obsessed with cars to appreciate the Porsche. For example, the current owner of the 911 was a Porsche collector who bought the car a few years ago without even knowing that it was in the Le Mans film; he just liked the car. Watch it cruise through France and you can't help but like it too.

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Brenda Priddy and her Merry Men have caught another couple shots of what appears to be the 2010 Ford Mustang GT out for a quick snowy stroll through Dearborn, MI. These new shots give us the best look yet we've had on the taillights of the new pony car from Ford and well, umm, they don't, umm, tell us all that much. Why'd we buy these shots again? Oh wait — now we remember why. It's because these shots do tell us the lengths to which Ford's willing to go to get our minds off of the latest muscle car reveal from Dodge — apparently it includes following the 'stang around with a train sporting the up-powered insignia (click on the pic to see) — just to make sure the spy photographers get it right. We kid the Dearborn-based automaker of course. We think we do anyway. Full spy report from Priddy below the jump and we'll add these spy photos of the 'stang to our collection below.

Yes .. I know what you're thinking (not more Mustang photos....), but take one look at the background. What are the odds - we caught the upcoming GT just as a train was passing by - with a huge "GT" painted on the blue (train) car. In addition - we've also caught the cleanest look at the new taillights that the 2010 Mustang will be wearing. Now if they'd only start stripping some of that camo..... Photo Credit: Brian Williams for Brenda Priddy & Co.

Brenda Priddy's man about the D-town happened upon yet another caravan of anti-spy photographer clad 2010 Ford Mustang test units, and this time he managed to sidle up alongside for an interior shot of the next-gen pony car. Full spy report from the Brenda's quick-to-snap shooter after the jump, and a blown-up picture of the interior can be found there as well.

Interior and More....

There have been a caravan of Mustangs out and about lately, and our man-about-Detroit had orders to get interior shots. But it wasn't as easy as it may seem:

All the cars were being driven.
The sun was in an awful spot.
And the interior is covered nearly as good as the exterior!

But these are the first interior shots of the 2009 Mustang - and enthusiasts will likely be magnifying every detail.
In addition - our shooter caught some revealing glances at both the headlamps and taillights.

Photos Credit: Brian Williams for Brenda Priddy & Company

If you're like us, you're waiting for the next Fast and Furious movie with bated breath. And since plot and dialogue are of decreasing importance to the series, they're already trotting out cars for the next installment. An early example is a heavily modified 2008 Mustang put together by the folks at Stangpede Mustang. Just to show how fast they are, the team demonstrated how quickly an FAF car can be created by converting a stock 2008 Mustang GT into a show car in exactly six hours (with an untold number of prep hours) for crowds at the San Diego International Auto Show.

The Mustang gets the kind of treatment on the outside you'd expect for such a car, including all sorts of unnecessary touches like the vertical door kit. Under the hood is a Saleen 550-hp supercharger kit to get the car moving furiously after all the extra weight added by the hundreds of layers of paint. [Mustang Evolution]

We hate valet service. Nothing gives us more fear on earth than dropping off a vehicle — any vehicle — to some pimple-faced 17-year-old with a heavy left right foot and an inability to discern 2nd from reverse. Looks like the Mustang-derived KITT's got the same security issues we feel in this new commercial for the new Knight Rider movie/series/sequel dubbed "Valet." We just want to give the new GT500KR look-a-like a big hug and tell him everything's gonna be alright...don't cry...there, there.

[via Knight Rider Online]

We're hearing among the "plethora" of official reveals from Ford at the Detroit Auto Show this weekend will be an additional piece of product pr0n to feast our eyes on — for the second time (we know you remember the first time our Gawker LA videographer Molly caught KITT. That's right, our sources tell us the GT500KR-like Mustang GT playing the role of KITT in the new Knight Rider movie/TV show/Mini-Series/whatevs will be on display for the media come Sunday morning. Now if only they'd fly Will Arnett out so we could hear it say "Mark Fields, jump in!" Yes, that'd be epic. Of course you too can follow along live at our Detroit Auto Show tag page, or if you're technically inclined, hit up the RSS feed for your fave feed reader — or just keep madly hitting refresh on our main page — whatever works best for you. Because that's what we're all about here — you. And cars. And sometimes, the Hoff.

Oh look, it's more shots of what we're assuming will be the 2010 Ford Mustang. It's kind of hard to say really what it is what with all the camouflage, but we'll go with what spy maven Brenda Priddy tells us — especially because that engineer looks really unhappy he's having his picture taken. Yup, it's probably the newly-revised 'Stang. One thing's for sure — these shots do show a wee bit more detail than the last set of the next-generation Ford Mustang we ran last month and the 2010 Ford Mustang GT shots we ran last week. Is that some chrome we see peeking out from behind the leather bra and buckles? Oooh, we're totally getting excited for these Muscle Car Wars to be back on! Full spy report from "The Brenda" after the jump.

With news about the Camaro testing nearly nude - except for the previously painted-on black "tape" lines - focus now is on the still-secret 2010 Mustang.

Last month, one of our photographers caught a 2010 Mustang Convertible. Last week it was the GT Coupe. And now, one of our photographers caught yet another coupe - and although camouflaged - we have close-up photos to fuel the interest of all the enthusiasts.

Sources are telling us to expect a mid-cycle facelift for the 2010 model year, but by the looks of this heavily camouflaged prototype - the 2010 Mustang will be sporting an all-new front and rear fascia - including grille, headlamps and taillights! In addition, the interior will also be updated - although this prototype's interior - like the last one we saw - was pretty much covered up to conceal any and all changes.

Look for production on the revamped Pony car to begin in early 2009 - with sales starting sometime during the first quarter of the year.

Photo Credit: Brian Williams for Brenda Priddy & Company

While I've yet to drive the new Bullitt Mustang, I've definitely heard good things about it from some very good people. Heck, even Phil Floraday over at the Road that is ever-Winding gives it a thumbs up. Chalk up one more thumbs-up from an auto writer as Top Gear magazine's Pat Devereux had this to say about the new McQueen re-make:

Ford has got it all wrong with the new Bullitt Mustang. It's tried to create a modern version of the original but, as I've just finished restoring one of the 1967 cars, I think I'm in a good position to judge. The new car is nothing like a modern GT 390 - it's much better.

But why's he think it's so good?

Pat says it's all about the power:

"Using all of Ford Racing's tuning know-how, the Bullitt puts out 15bhp more than the standard car - bringing the total to 315bhp. It can also use more power, more of the time, thanks to some stouter suspension and some pretty fancy cross-braces under the bonnet."

But he's still got the same problem most of us non straight-line racers have with the 'stang:

"One feature it might have been an idea to update from the original - it can't be seen, so why not? - is the live rear axle. While drag race fans like this simpler set-up, an independent suspension would make the car handle better and more predictably. It's a bit more expensive - ah, that's why not - but it would probably be worth it."

Here's to hoping the new 2010 Mustang we've been seeing spy photos of will finally rectify that budgetary decision gone awry. [Top Gear]

The boys at the site all about the Evolution of the Mustang are making the claim Ford may have accidentally let the 2010 Mustang slip out into the open by way of their 2007 Year In Review video. At 1:31 in the video you can see in the background behind some random person a Ford Mustang that doesn't quite look like any of the current production Mustangs, most notably it has a different front fascia. It appears to us as though it's looking more Giugiaro-like than anything currently in the Ford variant stable. Given what we know about the looks of the next-gen 'stang from our last set of 2010 Mustang spy photos, what say you?



[via Mustang Evolution]