TMSBrad

• Standard Safety. Side air bags are now standard on all Mustang models.
• Cool New Features. Available interior ambient lighting and HID headlamps add a touch of upscale class.
• Bold Design. Three new colors and available 18-inch premium wheels on the V-6 coupe enhance Mustangā€™s bold American style.
• Shelby Mustang Magic. The 2008 Ford Shelby GT convertible and 2008 Ford Shelby GT500KR ā€“ the most powerful production Ford Mustang ever produced ā€“ complete the modern Shelby Mustang lineup.
• More Choices. Warriors in Pink Package join Mustangā€™s extensive lineup.

Ford Mustang charges into 2008 as the one and only pony car on the streets, and looks to stretch its segment leadership with new features for that personalized look and feel that Mustang enthusiasts love.

Mustang remains one of the greatest automotive sales success stories of all time. Nearly one out of every two sports cars sold in America is a Mustang, and Mustang remains one of the hottest-selling cars in America. Itā€™s also Americaā€™s best-selling convertible.

The 2008 Mustang intends to hold on to that sales leadership with new available features that will add personal appeal, including High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps, 18-inch wheels on the V-6 coupe, and an interior ambient lighting system.

Three new colors enhance Mustangā€™s bold, American style while safety improves with the addition of standard side air bags.

Two new Shelby Mustangs are available for 2008 ā€“ the 2008 Mustang Shelby GT and Shelby GT500KR. The 2008 Mustang Shelby GT offers consumers a new Vista Blue exterior color with silver stripe, and the choice of two body styles, coupe or convertible. Under the hood, the Shelby GTā€™s 4.6-liter V-8 engine is modified with Ford Racing Performance Parts and generates 319 horsepower. Coil springs drop the overall ride height by an inch-and-a-half and stiffer dampers and a front swaybar further enhance cornering feel and body control.

To mark the 40th Anniversary of the original ā€œKing of the Roadā€ Mustang, 2008 sees the return of the Shelby GT500KR. Hailed as the most powerful production Ford Mustang ever produced, the 2008 Shelby GT500KR features an estimated 540-horsepower 5.4-liter supercharged V-8 with a Ford Racing Power Upgrade Pack, 3.73:1 rear axle ratio, short-throw shifter, and unique suspension tuning. Available in spring 2008, the exterior design draws inspiration from the classic Shelby KR Mustangs and features unique carbon composite hood, Shelby-designed 18-inch wheels, and special 40th Anniversary badging and unique striping.

Also new for 2008 is a limited-edition Warriors in Pink Mustang ā€“ designed exclusively in support of Susan G. Komen for the CureĀ®. Produced in celebration of Susan G. Komen for the Cureā€™s 25th Anniversary, the vehicle features unique pink exterior and interior design accents. Sales from the Warriors in Pink edition will help raise funds for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Highlights include:

• Pink ribbon and Pony fender badge.
• Pink ā€˜Mustangā€™ rocker tape stripe.
• Charcoal leather seats and Charcoal floor mats with Pink contrast stitching.
• Leather-wrapped aluminum spoke steering wheel with Pink contrast stitching.
• Unique Pony grille with chrome bezel and fog lamps.

Mustang comes in both coupe and convertible body styles, V-6 Deluxe, V-6 Premium, GT Deluxe and GT Premium. All Mustangs are built in Flat Rock, Mich., with final assembly of the Shelby GT and GT500KR taking place at the Shelby Automobiles facility in Las Vegas.

Design and Equipment
Mustang epitomizes pure American muscle. The signature long hood and short rear deck capitalize on more than 40 years of Mustang heritage, as do classic design cues that have defined Mustangs since the 1960s: C-scoops in the sides, three-element taillamps, and a galloping horse badge in the center of the grille.

The Mustangā€™s menacing shark-like nose imparts an attitude not seen since the 1967 model, while jeweled, round headlamps in trapezoidal housings are part of its modern architecture. The carā€™s aggressive rake gives the design visual motion, while the short overhangs and up to 18-inch wheels and tires anchor the design visually and physically to the road.

Mustang continues to offer unique packages for 2008.

The Pony Package, available on the V-6 model, first launched in 2006. It features a GT-handling package that includes a larger front stabilizer bar, the addition of a rear stabilizer bar and
P235/55ZR17 tires on painted cast-aluminum wheels. Also included are bright, machined rims and unique tri-bar Pony center caps. Further touches include fog lights, Pony front fender badges, lower door tape stripe, carpeted front floor mats with special brushed chrome ā€œMustangā€ logos and a rear spoiler.

The Mustang GT California Special is available on GT Premium models and includes 18-inch wheels, side scoops, unique tape stripes, rolled bright exhaust tips, black leather trimmed seats with unique ā€œCal Specialā€ contrasting Dove or Parchment leather inserts, a larger air intake, a chin spoiler (1.5 inches lower than GT), and unique front and rear fascias.

An appearance package is available for the Mustang GT featuring rolled exhaust tips, an engine cover with a Pony emblem and a hood scoop.

The California Special and GT appearance packages can be ordered separately or combined to give Mustang enthusiasts one of the most expressive Mustang GTs ever offered.

Customizable interior to fit any mood
Inside, Mustangā€™s industry-first MyColorā„¢ color-configurable instrument panel offers the ultimate in personalization. Mustang owners can mix and match lighting at the touch of a button to create more than 125 color backgrounds to suit their personalities, moods, outfits or whims.

For 2008, Ford also lets Mustang owners color outside the lines with an available interior ambient lighting package. This unique feature offers the option of illuminating the front and rear footwells and front cupholders with any one of seven colors. The driver or front passenger can choose from red, orange, blue, indigo, violet, green and yellow.

Additional modern interior touches mix with Mustang history and heritage. Chrome-ringed air vents are aligned vertically across the dash, precisely in line with the gauges, and the steering wheel has three spokes with a center hub marked by the horse and tricolor bars logo, echoing the design of the 1967 Mustang.

Numerous standard features include an auxiliary audio input jack, one-touch up-down power windows, power mirrors, keyless entry and power locks, a heated rear window, interval wipers, air conditioning, speed control and a CD player. Available interior options include SIRIUSĀ® Satellite Radio, heated front seats, voice-activated navigation and a Shaker 1000 premium audio system.

Power and Performance
Muscular engines infuse Mustang with tire-smoking performance. The 4.6-liter aluminum V-8 has three valve heads and cranks out 300 horsepower. Thatā€™s more than 50 percent more power than the small-block, 289-cubic-inch V-8 found in the classic 1964.5 model.

The standard engine ā€“ a 60-degree, 4.0-liter, single-overhead-cam V-6 ā€“ produces 210 horsepower and 240 pound-feet of torque.

Both engines are paired with a standard 5-speed manual transmission or an available 5-speed automatic, which provides a unique combination of off-the-line jump and good highway fuel economy.

At the front suspension, MacPherson struts with reverse ā€œLā€ lower control arms deliver comfort. The three-link rear suspension has a lightweight, tubular Panhard rod that provides precise control of the rear axle. This technology stabilizes the rear axle as the wheels move, particularly during hard cornering.

The standard four-wheel disc brakes have the biggest rotors and stiffest calipers ever fitted to a mainstream Mustang. Twin-piston aluminum calipers clamp down on 12.4-inch ventilated front brake discs on GT models. In the rear, the brake rotors are 11.8 inches in diameter.

A four-channel anti-lock brake system (ABS) with traction control is standard on GT models and available on V-6 models. It uses electronic sensors to constantly monitor road conditions and feed the information to a dedicated control computer thatā€™s capable of determining within milliseconds whether the vehicle is on dry pavement or negotiating a slippery surface. When traction control isnā€™t desired, drivers can deactivate the system with a button on the instrument panel.

Safety and Security
The 2008 Mustang adds standard side air bags to an already comprehensive safety package. Along with the addition of seat-mounted thorax side air bags, safety features also include dual-stage driver and front passenger air bags, safety belt pretensioners, seat weight sensing system for the passenger seat and crash severity sensing.

An optional active anti-theft package offers customers an added level of security. It includes a sensing module to guard against tow-away thefts, an interior motion sensor to detect smash-and-grab break-ins, a separate alarm sounder ā€” in addition to the vehicle horn ā€” to thwart thieves trying to disable the horn, and a high-capacity, 60-ampere-hour battery that sounds the alarm longer.

Major Features and Options
V-6 Deluxe: Auxiliary audio input jack; One-touch up-down power windows; Power mirrors and door locks; Keyless entry; air conditioning; AM/FM audio system with single CD; Tilt steering wheel; Speed control; Rear window defroster; Stainless steel exhaust; 16-inch wheels; Four-wheel power disc brakes; Cloth bucket seats with 50/50 split-fold rear on coupe models; Seat-mounted side air bags; LATCH; Personal Safety SystemĀ®; SecuriLockĀ®; and Tire Pressure Monitoring System.

V-6 Premium adds: 16-inch, painted bright machined-aluminum wheels with chrome spinner; Shaker 500 audio system with six-disc CD changer and MP3 capability; Six-way power-adjustable driver seat.

GT Deluxe adds: 4.6-liter, 3-valve, V-8 engine; ABS with traction control; Stainless steel dual exhaust; Front fog lamps in grille; Complex reflector halogen headlamps with integral turn signals; Rear spoiler; Performance tires with 17-inch, painted cast-aluminum wheels; and AM/FM audio system with single CD.

GT Premium adds: Shaker 500 audio system with six-disc CD player; and Aberdeen leather-trimmed, Embossed sport bucket seats.

Options include: Ambient interior lighting; GT California Special Package; GT Appearance Package; Comfort Group; Shaker 1000 premium audio system; SIRIUSĀ® Satellite Radio; Touch-screen navigation system; V-6 Pony Package; Interior Upgrade Package with satin-aluminum trim or dark aluminum trim and MyColor custom instrument panel; Sport Interior Appearance Package; Premier Trim with Color Accent Package, Sport Exterior Appearance Package; Five-speed automatic transmission; Two styles of 18-inch, cast-aluminum wheels; Active anti-theft system.

Edit by Scothew: Added the latest pics from Fords Media Site

Falchion

Thanks Brad!

krnpimpsta

Thanks, I've been scouring the web for official releases for a month now.

Topnotch

http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2008-...angs-on-track/

GT40 2

Whats with the HIDs on the silver GT? I like the new fanblade color.

jayguy

Are you kidding me? Darker fanblades? Why didn't they have these last year!

http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.au...6/img_6459.jpg

codeman94

...and nothing about the bullitt....

Falchion

Do you guys think that the lower right hand pic that Brad posted is Candy Apple Red (JV)?

If it is then I'm liking what I see!

randy_tho

I bet those blacked out fanblades will be the bullit wheels.

2005Stang032

I believe the Bullitt will have the "bullitt" style wheels already available since intro. Hopefully they upgrade them or snazz them up a little

Boomer

Some camaro fans will say that the fanblades copied the Camaro Vert concept... derrrrrr
We know better...

They do look good painted

randy_tho

True. Those blacked out fanblades would look pretty killer on a green car though. They'll probably put anthracite or black 64Ws on it.

I keep putting off an order. Not much reason to now since all the options have been revealed. The interior lighting package looks pretty nifty.

Is it officially confirmed that the HIDs require the alarm?

Falchion

Yes, I believe it says in the order guide that you have to have the alarm to have the HID's......

vistablue mustang

Really like the darker fanblades. not big on the interior lighting, it's not bad but it's not like I am going to kick my self for not having it. I want to see these 18" v6 wheels any pics of those yet? Just really curious about what they could be. Going to need to see real pic of these colors before I know if I like them, Vapor looks nice but I just can't tell about the Candy Apple.

frdtch05gt

I like the darker fanblades too, they look much better than plain silver.

viiStang

Has anyone actually CONFIRMED that these are the fanblades that will come out with the 08's and not the traditional silver ones?

AFBLUE

I saw those fanblades (dark painted blades) at my local dealer on an 08.

Falchion

It looks like they are going to be the darker fan blades for 08. I deleted them off of my order because I didn't think they would look so good with Candy Apple Red. But you can get some takeoffs from places around.

Here's a link to one such place.

http://www.newtakeoff.com/index.asp?...OD&ProdID=8167

MustangLynda

Hi all-
I'm in the process of building my 2008 v6 premium and have a "pony package" question. I read in the press release at the beginning of this post "It features a GT-handling package that includes a larger front stabilizer bar, the addition of a rear stabilizer bar....". Dealer can't tell me whether it really does or does not (!) and any of the option descriptions I read don't mention anything about a suspension upgrade. Anyone out there know the real answer?

I'm also looking for an opinion about the 17" wheels with z rated tires - unfortunately I have to deal with snow snow snow!! My '05 with 215/65R16 is enough of a challenge - will the larger 17" size and/or the higher rating be any worse? 235 vs 215 means they will be slightly wider too, right? (yeah I know, duh!) I AM going to get traction control this time, although I'm not banking on it making that much difference. Thanks!

I-70 west

I can tell you for sure that the Pony Pkg has the GT stabilizer bars, front and back.

Your going to miss the T-Lok on the V6 that the GT has for winter driving.