2011 Mustang GT Is the Daytona 500 Official Pace Car

For the first time in 40 years, a Ford vehicle has been named official pace car for one of the most famed races in the US, the Daytona 500. The Ford in question is a 2011 Mustang GT, a vehicle which, prior to the race, will be auctioned at the 39th Annual Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Collector Car Auction on Jan. 23, for the benefit of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).

The Mustang is a preview of the production car which will become available in dealerships later this spring. It packs a new 5.0l V8 engine, which develops 412 horsepower and 390 lb.-ft of torque. Fuel economy is projected to be better than the previous model, somewhere in the 25 mpg range.

“This is the resurgence of Ford, and pacing the field at the Daytona 500 is a great opportunity to showcase all of the technology that the new 2011 Mustang 5.0 brings to deliver 412 horsepower and projected unsurpassed highway mileage of 25 mpg,” Mark Fields, president Ford The Americas said.

As said, this is the first Ford in 40 years to pace Daytona. The last such appearance was back in 1970, when the Ford Torino GT convertible took to the track. To celebrate the return, the Mustang GT received a special paint scheme – race red Daytona 500 striped paint scheme -, as well as a Brembo brake package, Ford Racing suspension, strut tower brace and mufflers, unique 19-inch painted wheels, summer-only tires and a special interior treatment, including lit sill plates.