that will be battling the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro for our attention. Our spy shooters were able to capture video of several prototypes on the streets of Michigan, and the cars all wore several layers of heavy camouflage.

There are some visible changes to the 2010 Mustang's grille, as some of these prototypes show some extra brightwork around the headlights. The hood has a slightly different shape as well, but it's probably nothing more than a little Styrofoam to hide the true design.

It doesn't appear as though heavy sheet metal changes are in the works for the rest of the car, since the overall greenhouse appears unchanged. Both the coupe and convertible test mules were wearing a new set of double-spoke wheels along with relatively low-profile tires. Changes to the rear end are harder to discern. Multiple pieces of disguise hide the true shape of the rear bumper, while the lights appear unchanged from the current model.

Most of the changes are expected to come under the hood. A 5.0-liter V8 will replace the current 4.6-liter V8, which should result in a decent bump in horsepower. It's not an all-new engine, though, merely an enlarged version of the 24-valve SOHC V8.

The real news will be the introduction of Ford's new EcoBoost 3.5-liter V6. Its twin-turbo setup should deliver more than 300 hp while delivering superior mileage compared to the 5.0-liter V8. How Ford will pitch the new high-tech engine is tough to call, but expect some sort of special edition to highlight the new power plant.

As finished as these prototypes look, the 2010 Ford Mustang isn't expected to go on sale until the fall of 2009. The EcoBoost-powered version will come even later. It sounds like a long way off, but the timing should give the new Mustang a little bit of breathing room after the introduction of the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro earlier in the year.

Vid & pics available at:
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...hotopanel..1.*

 

This is interesting. C&D said they would keep the 4.6L and the 4.0L, this is one case that I suspect that Edmunds is correct. I have two GREAT ideas for model names for an Eco-boost model, either SVO or Mustang II.

 

my buddy has a 86 SVO they cost more than the GT's back then to buy brand new

 

I would expect the same to be true in this case having both GDI and twin-turbos will add to the cost.

 

so is the 09 mustang gonna be the same as the 08 cause i thought the mustang model was suppose to get a new look in 09

 

Guess it got pushed back. So 2009 is the same as 2008s. They probably want to see the challenger and the camaro both come out to make sure they can compete. Unless this thing looks just like the giugiaro mustang I'll wait until it gets a full redesign. . .

 

These spy shots are also two different test mules making it harder to compare as one is a ragtop, the other a coupe. Structurally it will make things appear different.

 

I think it was always going to be 2010 because in recent history a Mustang has about a five to six year life before an update. It would be wiser for Ford to wait until 2010 considering that they will need to see what Dodge and Chevrolet do so then they can one up them. The other thing I just thought about is Ford has been rumoring the use of a 5.0L engine for a while. The original rumors I heard said that they were going to use a 5.0L V8 and I think it was a 3.0L Duratech for the model that is currently being produced, so I'm going to wait until I see it happen with some of these rumors.