After a 40 year absence, bright red Ford, ust like the showroom-fresh gem you see here, as picked to pace the 2010 edition of NASCAR’s Great American Race. Ford was so excited with the announcement that they decided to release a limited run of 2011 Mustang Pace Car replicas. And this coupe, umber 49 of only 50 produced, s equipped with the same 412 horsepower V8, lick 6-speed transmission and pack-leading appearance as its original Daytona muse. The car’s super straight body displays a glossy coat of Ford Race Red that, ased on its smooth appearance, as never been driven in rain, arked under inclement skies or seen much time outside of a building at all. And that bright red pigment lays the ground work for a blanket of professional pace car decals which are tastefully unique and equally interesting. Of course this garage-fresh Mustang presents well, ut the car’s biggest selling point is what’s under its sculpted hood. Looking completely sanitary between body-matched fenders and an insulated firewall is a state of the art 5.0 liter Ford ‘mod motor’ that’s rated at a pavement scorching 412 horsepower and a hefty 390 lb./ft. of torque. Behind that engine, here’s a slick-shifting Getrag 6-speed that twists an optional 3.73 limited slip rear end. Since the original pace car’s chassis had to be tuned for speed and steeply banked turns, his production version combines new electronic power steering with a few Ford Racing components to achieve better handling characteristics. And, n an appeal to both the car’s aggressive image and great track prowess, assive 19-inch alloy wheels were covered in slick graphite paint and mounted to high quality 245/45 Pirelli P Zero Neros. There’s no question this Mustang mixes instantcollect abilitywith some seriously threatening performance hardware.