1963 Ford Country Sedan (galaxie Wagon) on 2040-cars

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How the Ford Shelby Mustang came to be

Even as rumors swirl that the next-generation of high-performance Ford Mustang will drop the Shelby name, Ford has released a short video telling how the legend of the Shelby Mustang came to be. In its latest installment of its video series entitled Mustang Countdown, Ford dug up some footage from Carroll Shelby to give a little insight into how this automotive icon was created.
While it's definitely interesting to hear the late legend tell the story in his own words (including numerous references to the 1964 Mustang as a "secretary's car"), it's also pretty funny learning exactly how the Shelby GT350 got its name in the first place - a name allegedly making a comeback as the replacement for the current Shelby GT500. As development work continues on the 2015 Ford Mustang, the Shelby video posted below shows that the automaker is always looking at its past - even as it looks ahead to the future.

Ford Shelby GT350 Mustang is a lean, mean, Z/28-fighting machine [w/video]

If there's one thing you can count on, it's that the renewed rivalry between the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro will never, ever cease. For every version of Ford's pony car, there's an equally potent Chevrolet. And so with the debut of the Camaro Z/28 earlier this year, Ford has responded with a track-focused 'Stang of its own, resurrecting the Shelby GT350 name.
It looks to be a fine piece of work, this Mustang, with power coming from a naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V8 that will produce "more than 500 horsepower" and "above 400" pound-feet of torque. That grunt runs to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual transmission, and a Torsen limited-slip differential keeps everything in line.
But that's hardly the most impressive piece of the GT350 puzzle. Ford has increased the Mustang GT's chassis stiffness for duty here in the Shelby, and the coupe employs MagneRide damping which automatically adjusts based on road conditions and driver inputs. It's a first both for the Blue Oval and for the segment. And speaking of firsts, the GT350 uses a flat-plane crankshaft - something Ford has never included in a production V8 before.

Here's how much the new Ford Mustang will cost in Germany

While you can find Ford Mustangs across Europe, they were brought over there courtesy of importers, rather than Ford itself. That's changing with the 2015 pony car, as Ford will be selling it directly through its overseas dealers. Now, we know how much German customers will be shelling out for the muscle car, courtesy of the maniacs at Mustang6G. Not surprisingly, there's a fairly hefty premium compared to US prices. The base Mustang, with its 2.3-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder and six-speed manual transmission will start at 34,000 euros ($40,214, at today's rates), while the 5.0-liter V8/six-speed-manual model starts at 39,000 euros ($46,127). The Mustang Convertible demands an extra 4,000 euros ($4,731) while the optional six-speed automatic elevates the price by 2,000 euros ($2,365), regardless, in both cases, of whether there are four or eight cylinders under that long hood. While those prices are certainly pretty dear compared to what we pay in the US, the Mustang is a genuine bargain compared to some of Europe's other sports coupes. The German market BMW 4 Series starts at 36,050 euros ($42,638), while a base 435i calls for 48,100 euros ($56,891). It's a similar story with the Audi A5/S5. As for the Mustang's arch-nemesis, the Chevrolet Camaro, which is only available with the SS model's 6.2-liter V8, starts at 39,990 euros ($47,298), comparing quite evenly with the 5.0-liter GT.