For the 2015 model year, Ford is launching new and very different versions of two vehicles that are popular with customizers: the F-150 and Mustang.
The Blue Oval has already shown a pair of tricked out F-150s, and now its turning its attention to the reborn Pony Car.
The first two of what Ford promises will be a “stampede” of modified Mustangs feature the over-the-top performance and visual changes that are mandatory for SEMA show cars.
Pettys Garage will contribute a Mustang GT in an eye-popping shade of the classic blue worn by the NASCAR racers of namesake Richard Petty, a.k.a. “The King.” It’s offset with a black upper body and features a Roush supercharged V8.
The Petty Mustang will be auctioned off to benefit Victory Junction Gang Camp, a summer camp for chronically-ill children run by the Petty family.
In stark contrast to the bright blue Petty Mustang is the sinister black-and-gold machine from Galpin Auto Sports.
The gold touches – including gold-flecked paint – are meant to signify the Mustang’s 50th anniversary. The 5.0-liter V8 even gets a gold-plated Whipple supercharger, boosting power output to 725 horsepower.
These two Mustangs will certainly look good in the Ford booth at SEMA, but they’ll have to compete in a crowded field that already includes hot-rodded ‘Stangs from Roush and Hennessey.
Ford hopes the tuners won’t stay fixated on the V8, either.
It’s anticipating plenty of customized cars with the new 2.3-liter turbocharged EcoBoost four-cylinder engine as well, but we’ll have to wait until the SEMA show opens to see just how they compare to the traditional eight-cylinder muscle cars.
