DEARBORN, Mich. — Describing the Mustang as its "iconic" product, Ford executives on Wednesday promised to keep interest in the pony car high by providing "new product content" year over year.

"We will add new products to the Mustang lineup," Derrick Kuzak told Inside Line. "It's a commitment. Carroll [Shelby] will work every year on the Mustang."

Kuzak, however, gave no details on what's in the pipeline for Mustang. When asked if we can expect a 600-horsepower version of the car, he replied, "Never say never to anything." It was clear in interviews that Shelby and the Ford team may be a bit anxious about the prospects of a revived Chevrolet Camaro.

"With the new Camaro, they'd better not dream they'll have more horsepower [than Mustang]," Shelby told IL in an interview at the 2007 Ford full-line preview here on Wednesday, which showcased the 2007 Shelby GT500. When asked if the Mustang is racing toward the 600-hp mark, the automotive legend said, "It would be very easy for the Mustang to go to 600 horsepower — and north from there — and still pass the company's 50,000-mile warranty."

When asked if we could see a 600-hp Mustang in a year or two, Shelby responded, "Maybe."

"I'd get in trouble if I told you," he said, although he confirmed that a redesigned Mustang is due out in 2009. Shelby confided that while his health is good following both a heart transplant and a kidney transplant, he is now blind in one eye.

When asked for his impressions of the Camaro concept, Shelby said, "I don't think it's sensational, but I think it's adequate." He added: "I don't think the Camaro will come out with anything that puts us down. We are ahead of the game. And we know how to stay ahead. I don't see people — the general press or the public — knocking the design of the Mustang."

What this means to you: The Detroit muscle-car race sounds like it's about to get heated up in the coming years.

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All I can say is, Mr. Settlemire, with all due respect, please make Caroll eat his words!

"If you build it, they will come." (And I ain't talkin' bout no baseball game, neither)

 

Its just posturing. Sure they can go to 600hp but its not going to be as easy as flipping a switch.

And they will already behind in a major way when they're the only pony car left with a live rear axle.

 

You know what? Camaro might not have as much horsepower at the top of the lineup. On the other hand, perhaps Camaro won't be a fat pig either.

In terms of design, those are words I would use to describe the current Mustang.

 

Tough words considering GM's $75,000 supercar is easily a match for Ford's $250,000 supecar.

 

I Love It!

Keep talking Ford, We're about to bring it!

 

agreed.

However if the stang is willing to go that high of HP, at what price is it willing to do it at!?!?!? and what does this exactly mean for the Camaro and also the Corvette..

I think a HP war would be wonderful, but it could also be very very bad for insurance, and the effect on the camaro/corvette relationship..

While im sure the new camaro will out-do the mustang in every way, it still is some food for thought.

-steve

 

Considering the Camaro should be $10K to $15K less than the Cobra, I don't consider the Cobra & the Camaro to be direct competitors.

Musting GT = Camaro SS/Z28
Cobra = C6
GT = C6 Z06

 

Chevy will find a way for Camaro to compete with the Cobra.

 

Oh no.....not GT500 and C6 again. LOL.

 

600 hp in a car that a good percentage of the population can afford is kind of scary. Obviously to guys (and gals) on this message board you can never have enough HP, but I worry GM and Ford will push too quickly, too much.

 

Typical Caroll. This is the man who went up to Enzo Ferrari at Le Mans and told him he was going to "whip his ***". That's right Caroll the look of the camaro is adequate enough to kick the mustangs rear end.
I don't see the point of a 600 horsepower pony car challenger, mustang or camaro.

 

So there gona try to fix that ugly thing to compete with the new camaro...wonder what its gona look like. I have a feeling there gona try something non-retro to try to make the camaro look out of date. To bad the new camaro has a fresh new look that will out beat anything they toss out.

 

Too bad we're two years from finding out the answers.

 

Ahead of the game? You're the only game in town, you old coot! It's easy to be boastful when there is no direct competition, but eveidently very, very hard to accept that the "iconic" mustang has nearly always been behind, sometimes far behind the performance and sometimes design of the Camaro.

 

By the way caroll Shelby did kick *** in the lemans thats why the ford GT is so famous.