2003 Ford Mustang GT Concept - Are You Looking At the Next Mustang?
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| For muscle car fans, the Mustang GT Concept stole this year's North American International Auto Show in Detroit. (Photo: Ford Motor Company) |
What was the star of the 2003 North American International Auto Show in Detroit? That's a tough call, as there were some amazing new production and concept vehicles revealed. But for American muscle car fans, Ford's Mustang GT fastback and convertible concepts stole the show.
That said it's not just about their 400-hp 4.6-L supercharged V8 engines. While a significant number, 400 isn't a far cry from 390-hp, the current SVT Mustang Cobra's output rating. The fastback concept's 6-speed manual transmission, also part of the SVT Cobra package, isn't newsworthy either. That said the new 5-speed automatic that resides in Ford's new convertible Mustang concept is a definite step ahead, but hardly earth-shattering news in an auto show that boasted over 60 unveilings.
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| Is 400-hp enough for you? While an ominous number, 400 isn't a far cry from the 390-hp brute that powers the current SVT Cobra. (Photo: Ford Motor Company) |
No, the crowds continued to mill around the Mustang GT Concept's circulating turntable for what some might consider a more superficial reason, style. As for me, my heart jumped at first sight of the fastback, low and lean, a no holds barred tribute to the American classic that ushered in an entirely new market segment. It not only pulled me back to youthful days of unrestricted automotive lust, but spoke to a more mature, dare I say sophisticated appreciation of clean, straight forward design, a benefit of having a few years under the belt.
"These Mustang concepts are thoroughly modern automobiles that point to a bright future for Mustang," stated J Mays, Ford Motor Company vice president, Design. "Their powerful stances, smooth surface language and ultra-modern interiors set new standards for muscle cars. Above all, these concepts communicate the soul of Mustang: a classic, cool and quintessentially American muscle car."