The Ford Mustang, performance, and racing. All three have been synonymous since the car's debut in 1964, and the latest version of "America's car" will soon be the target for "hot rodders" and racers alike.

Ford Racing has announced a development programme to expand its performance parts catalogue offerings to include the new 2005 Ford Mustang. The new Mustang carries on the tradition of affordable performance and will most definitely be the target of enthusiast "tuners" and racers.

"The Mustang is at the core of Ford Racing Performance Parts' business, from simple bolt-on upgrades all the way to complete crate engine assemblies," said Dan Davis, director of Ford Racing Technology. "We're very excited to see the 2005 Mustang hit the road and we're working on having a variety of performance parts ready for all those enthusiasts out there that will drive straight from the dealership to their garage for installation."

The Mustang represents a huge opportunity for performance parts development. The Mustang has been integral to the Ford Racing Performance Parts business, and has delivered many of the parts that are currently featured in the catalogue, such as the 5.0-litre small block V-8. It has also been the impetus for continued engine development, such as the new 5.0-litre Cammer V-8 based on Ford's MOD engine family.

Ford Racing has embarked on an aggressive development programme for the 2005 Ford Mustang to evaluate all areas of the vehicle for performance upgrades. The initial target for parts will be bolt-on items that will produce more engine power as well as parts that will provide visual distinction from an "off-the-showroom" floor model.

Davis explains that during this development programme, the team discovered an interesting opportunity. "As we built up a development prototype, we saw the opportunity to take Mustang to the most extreme level of modification, by turning it into a race car. So, with the help of a team of motorsports specialists from Multimatic, we began to investigate the possibility of a 'turn-key' racer based off the new Mustang."

The team was on to something and another investigation was started. With a performance parts strategy for the new Mustang already in progress, there were a few other pieces of the puzzle that made timing for this project just right. The 5.0-litre Cammer V-8 crate engine already had a racing pedigree, with a Robert Yates-built race version powering the Ford Focus Daytona Prototype to a class win at the 2003 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona.

As well, Ford Racing has been involved in supporting new forms of grassroots motorsports that offer good value to those interested in getting involved in racing. And, of course, the American racing heritage of the Mustang is unmatched, and the 2005 model harkens back to the glory days of racing with some of the biggest names in motorsports.

The Mustang's rich history in racing has spanned the 40-year life of the vehicle. It has been successful in all forms of racing, from drag racing to Trans Am road racing, and has especially ignited enthusiasts' participation in entry-level forms of motorsports.

"Ford Racing's grassroots motorsports efforts, including support of the popular USAC-sanctioned Focus Midget series, have been extremely successful in providing opportunities to go racing at a good value," continued Davis. "The new 2005 Mustang and our 5.0-litre Cammer V-8 crate engine make a perfect combination to extend Ford's rich sports car racing heritage."

The new Cammer 5.0-litre V-8 is available as a crate engine through the Ford Racing Performance Parts catalogue. The Cammer V-8 is built from Ford's family of modular V-8 engines; including the 4.6-litre DOHC supercharged V-8 found in the SVT Mustang Cobra. The 5.0-litre Cammer crate engine produces 420 horsepower and 370 pound-feet of torque. It features electronic fuel injection and comes with "plug-and-play" electronics, including the wiring harness and engine computer, for easy installation in a variety of projects, from race cars to hot rods.

"Our goal with this project would be to capitalise on our performance parts programme and the Mustang's successful history in road racing," continued Davis. "The 5.0-litre Cammer represents the future of Ford Racing Performance Parts, and this programme could help solidify the Cammer as the performance crate engine of choice."

"The key factor in determining the future of this Mustang race programme will be providing a competitive race car in a package that stresses value and durability," Davis explained. "Other considerations include low operating cost, especially when it comes to engines, and we believe the Cammer V-8 will set a new level of expectation."

The primary targeted racing series for the car would be showroom stock-type series, along with other grassroots and semi-professional road racing series.

The 5.0-litre Cammer V-8 crate engine is currently available in USA from Ford Racing Performance Parts.

The 2005 Ford Mustang will hit North American dealer showrooms next month. It will be available in both V-6 and V-8 configurations.