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| The Mustang GT coupe concept is certainly not lacking in style. The good news? According to one Ford employee, it's about 95% accurate to the next generation production Mustang coupe. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
According to an engineer that just happened to be standing nearby, this 'concept' is 95% real. Add 1% for door handles, another 1% for a steel roof, 1% more for 3-point shoulder belts and maybe 2% for the addition of rear jump seats and, if we're lucky, you're looking at the next generation Mustang GT.
While obviously retro in design, the two new Mustangs aren't as blatantly backwards as the recently announced production destined Ford GT (previously GT40). Where that concept hardly deviates from the original, when it comes to design cues at least, the new Mustangs only pull from distant memories. Each mixes a little '67 into the pot, with a splash of late '60s, early '70s fastbacks and convertibles, plus a trace of Shelby and then a dash of California Special thrown in for good measure. What's more, their taillights light up sequentially, similar to that last limited edition pony car mentioned and the Mustang's Mercury Cougar sister car. In the end the GT concept is entirely new, fresh and especially enticing.
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| J Mays, Ford Motor Company vice president of Design, is shown here being interviewed for a local Detroit TV crew. He is the man behind Ford's 'Living Legends' retro theme that brought cars like the latest Thunderbird and this Mustang GT concept coupe to life. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
"By melding the true character of Mustang into these fully modern offerings, we've ensured that even the uninitiated will instantly recognize these cars as Mustangs," commented Mays. "We went beyond their designs to truly understand the extent to which Mustang has embedded itself in American culture."
The convertible looks much the same as the coupe from the waist down, but incorporates an integrated black plastic 'showbar', highlighted by a strip of bright metalwork on its front ridge. This ties in perfectly with the what I first thought to be an aluminum façade, that turns out to be solid piece of billet aluminum spanning the entire dash, intersected only to make room for a set of four circular air vents, two on opposite sides and two at center flanking a round analog clock, and a delectably technical set of traditionally-styled silver faced gauges.