By Nelson Ireson Car Expert January 19th, 2010
The 2011 Ford Mustang GT is getting some major upgrades this year, including a new 5.0-liter 412-horsepower engine, and that’s enough to make it the pick for the pace car of the 2010 Daytona 500. It is the first Ford car picked to pace the race in 40 years.
The last Ford car to pace the Daytona 500 was the 1970 Ford Torino GT convertible. The 2011 Mustang GT is also the first Mustang to get the honor. But what does all this historical trivia mean to you?
It means that there will be a special limited-edition run of 50 pace cars built and sold to the public. The actual pace car itself is going to be up for sale, too, going under the hammer at the 39th Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Collector Car auction on January 23–and Richard Petty will be alongside the car to help it sell.
Not that it’ll need the help. On top of the 2011 Mustang GT’s already impressive spec sheet, the pace car gets a special Daytona 500 paint theme, Ford Racing suspension, upgraded strut tower brace and mufflers, unique painted wheels and a special interior look with unique sill plates denoting its Daytona heritage.
The 2010 Daytona 500 will run on February 14th at the Daytona International Speedway.
Each year the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) gives out accolades to vehicles in different classes, but none carry the quite the prestigious honor as the “Truck of Texas” title. For 2010 TAWA has awarded the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor as the “Truck of Texas,” making this the seventh year in a row that a Ford has won the top truck award.
In 2010, Ford plans to introduce to the U.S. market its new Fiesta subcompact, a car it hopes will be a big hit with young people like Searcy. That is to say, folks more interested in gigabytes than horsepower.
Ford is promoting a modified version of its F-150 pickup truck, the 2010 F-150 SVT Raptor, in a full-length film that debuts on June 23. The automaker will show the film, “Raptor – Born in Baja” — produced for Ford by Brentwood Communications — at an event at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood, Calif., for automotive and off-road motorsports executives, entertainment industry players, celebs and media. The documentary follows Ford designers, engineers and race program directors, aftermarket teams, and Baja race team Foutz Motorsports as they construct, test and race the F-150 SVT Raptor in the 631-mile Baja 1000 race.
