Ford Mustang by Giugiaro

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What is it?
Ford Mustang by Giugiaro

What's special about it?
Italian design and American muscle might have worked for Rocky Balboa, but when it comes to cars it's an odd combination. The debut of the Mustang by Giugiaro isn't the first time the two have come together, however, as Giorgetto Giugiaro, founder of Giugiaro Design, fused the two to create the Bertone Mustang in 1965. It was an unusual take on a legendary car, and when the 2005 Ford Mustang debuted, Giorgetto and his son Fabrizio immediately saw another chance to apply their design expertise to another Mustang.

This time around, the work was done by Fabrizio, a noted fan of American performance cars and designer of the 2003 Corvette Moray concept. Completed in just four months, the younger Giugiaro sought to give this concept a unique look without losing the Mustang's trademark design details.

The transformation started with a slightly wider body that adds an extra 30mm in front and 80mm in back. It's enough to make you notice a difference, but it avoids the typical big-fendered look of most aftermarket kits. From there, Fabrizio gave this Mustang a much longer, lower profile thanks to an innovative panoramic roof built by a Detroit area supplier. It's made from a special crystal that filters out 100 percent of UVA rays so you can enjoy unobstructed views without getting cooked.

From there, he turned his attention to the details. In back, Fabrizio added a twist to the Mustang's classic three-lens taillights by giving them a new overall shape that not only looks more modern, it mimics the rear window louvers. Up front, Giugiaro maintained the unmistakable shape of the headlights, but added LED lights that match the body's eye-catching orange color.

Open up the dramatic scissor doors and you're greeted with an unusual set of brown horse-hide seats complete with Mustang logos in the headrests. Additional detailing was added to the dash and gauge cluster, but much of the Mustang's distinctive cabin design was left intact.

More than just a design concept, this Mustang was built to run with help from Ford Racing. Starting with a standard GT's 4.6-liter V8, Ford's engineers added a twin-screw supercharger, Ford GT fuel injectors, larger mass air meter and a free flow filter. Along with Ford Racing muffler and an X-pipe, this concept delivers an estimated 500 horsepower.

To keep up with the extra punch, a standard Ford handling pack was added. Available for all stock GTs, it adds revised shocks, springs and sway bars. Combined with the one-off 20-inch wheels and 315/35 tires in back and 275/40 tires in front, Giugiaro's Mustang "handles as good as it looks" according to Fabrizio.

What's Edmunds' take?
A slick-looking concept for sure, but we're guessing there are plenty of American designers who could turn the Mustang into an equally compelling coupe given the chance. — Ed Hellwig