Shelby met the New Year with a growl, taking the wraps off its high-powered 2010 Ford Shelby GT500 Mustang. The supercharged pony car will join the redesigned 2010 Mustang. Both will be available for consumers this spring.

The new GT500 is the result of the partnership between Ford's Special Vehicle Team and Shelby Automobiles, owned by legendary race car driver Carroll Shelby. Both worked together to enhance the car's performance and looks.

A cold air intake and supercharger help boost the car's total power to a spine-shuddering 540 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque, matching the top-of-the-line 2008 Ford Shelby GT500 King of the Road. The big supercharger needs lots of air, so Ford moved the iconic cobra badge on the grille to the far right to help air flow. Even though the new GT500 has more power, Ford still managed to improve the car's gas mileage by 2 mpg on the highway.

While the 5.4-liter V-8 under the aluminum hood carries over from the King of the Road, many of the new GT500's improvements arrive with the new Mustang. All of the sheet metal on the Mustang has been updated (except the roof -- to keep its profile) and instead of keeping the twin scoops on the hood, Ford placed vents flush on the power dome hood to improve aerodynamics. It also upgraded the splitter below the bumper for better down force at high speeds. All four corners have been hacked off, giving the car a more muscular and angular look.

Ford included Sync, the hands free cell phone and music player, on the new Mustang and GT500 and lets the system take on a bigger information role. It will now automatically dial 911 if an airbag deploys as well as collect diagnostic data and call the driver if there's a problem. Other new features include interior lighting that can be adjusted to 125 colors and Sirius Travel Link, a navigation system that can provide real-time information such as gas prices at nearby service stations, weather and movie listings -- as well as give you directions to the locations.

The interior improvements made in the 2010 Mustang -- such as a redesigned dash and center console -- will also appear in the GT500. The emergency brake handle has been shortened to prevent your knee from touching it while you're driving, and the entire interior adopts a much more luxurious feel. The square air vents in the center of the dash and the round vents on the edges are flush with the dash instead of sticking out, giving the entire cockpit better fit and finish. There is real aluminum trim across the entire dash, though the effect used on the aluminum is unique to the GT500. The interior upgrades are quite noticeable.Performance, however, remains supreme, especially when looking at the GT500. Ford has fine-tuned the suspension to give the GT500 high speed agility. It will come with high performance Goodyear F1 tires, a quick throw six-speed manual transmission and a specially tuned engine note -- sure to turn heads.

 

"This car looks different, sounds different than any other Mustang," said chief designer Doug Gaffka.

 

Indeed. But the real fun with this Mustang will come when you pound the accelerator and see the sweet red "SVT" on the speedometer light up as the car launches into warp speed.