While the Detroit show is typically not of huge importance for the European manufacturers, there is no doubting its significance for American automotive brands - this is Motor City, after all.
And with the press days now less than a fortnight off, anticipation is reaching fever pitch as to what might be revealed. Remember it was three years ago that Ford brought the new GT, a V6 Raptor and the Mustang GT350R to the Cobo Center, so the bar is set pretty high.
It's looking like another pair of Mustangs are due to debut in a couple of weeks, with the American news pages talking of a GT500 and another Bullitt special edition.
For those that don't know, a modern GT500 Mustang is to a GT350 what a Turbo 911 is to a GT3: speed is prioritised above all else, with the naturally aspirated car there to satisfy track day fiends. The previous GT500 was a supercharged scallywag of car, fast in a straight line thanks to a 670hp V8, but somewhat reluctant to do much else.
With a much more capable base car this time around, expectations are understandably higher. Various social media posts have suggested the car will use a supercharged 5.2-litre V8, although whether that's the flat-plane 8,000rpm screamer from the GT350 remains to be seen. Other details beyond some sketchy spy shots are vague, although the GT500 is expected to use ceramic brakes as well as unique drive modes.
Detroit could also see the arrival of another Bullitt Mustang from Ford, 50 years since that iconic San Fran car chase made McQueen's sprawling crime flick decidedly better. It's of course been done before: the movie's 40th anniversary a decade ago marked by a Highland Green Mustang GT with some natty black wheels and a nadge more power. We'd expect more of the same this time around, the car seemingly teased in a commercial with Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson already. You couldn't mess with an iconic formula, could you? And dark green does look so good on a Mustang.
Without official details, we could be made to look jolly silly if Detroit comes around without a single new Mustang. But that would be a surprise, frankly - and the prospect of a pair of new pony cars is always guaranteed to make the PH heart monitor quiver. Expect more details to surface next week.
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