Ford brought a special Mustang to the 40th Annual Twin Cities Auto Show, a model inspired by 1968: The California Special.
Like the original GT/CS, the Charcoal Black ‘Stang on display flaunted special side scoops and rear spoiler.White contrasting “tape stripes” on the sides and vented hood went a long way in making it stand out from the crowd, especially when compared to the non-striped Shelby GT500.
Out back, the ’68 California Special had Mercury Cougar tail lights to differentiate it from standard Mustangs. This added a bit of luxury, a more upscale look to contend with other GT or Grand Touring machines of the day.
Likewise, the 2014 Mustangs features LED sequential tail lamps, an obvious nod to the past. Everyone seems to get a kick out of them. The Shelby GT500 displayed even had a looping battery that cycled the turn signals and brake lights to let all know how cool Ford is next time you get your doors blown off.
Ford’s newest 5.0 Coyote motor makes 420 horsepower, trumping the ‘80s Five-Point-Oh liter heritage it wishes to convey. Putting power to the pavement, a limited slip rear axle is standard fare, though final drive gearing was not listed on the window sticker.
Inside you’ll find leather trimmed sport seats including 6-way power on the driver’s side. The leather looked sporty, right in line with the GT California Special package, and they were heated for comfort, too. Special black GT/CS carpet floor mats welcome your feet. Bring your clutch foot, as this GT/CS had a 6-speed manual transmission for the row-your-own crowd.
Base price for the Premium GT is $34,750. The options (including $795 for destination and delivery) for this particular California Special pushed sticker price to well over $38,500.
Nearby, The Shelby GT500, in traditional Shelby White (actually Oxford White), looked aggressive. Sans stripes, it still managed to separate itself in both performance and looks from the so-called standard Mustang 5.0 GT. The Shelby was not made available to the public, but it looked incredibly fast just sitting there.
For more information on the Ford Mustang and Shelby models, click here:
http://www.ford.com/cars/mustang/
For more information on the 2013 Twin Cities Auto Show held March 9-17 in the Minneapolis Convention Center, click here:
http://twincitiesautoshow.com/
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