Ford Mustang GT

Leaked images of new muscle car reveal a host of changes.

A new pony car has bolted into view! This is the 2010-model year Ford Mustang. Due to make its worldwide debut at the Los Angeles Motor Show this week, images leaked onto the internet ahead of its official launch.

It boasts a raft of updates, not least of which is its sleeker and more muscular body, which evolves the classic shape of the Sixties original with more modern, sharper lines. Inside, the new Mustang has made some bigger leaps forward.

Heavily criticised for its poor quality plastics, Ford has brought in upgraded materials. All the plastic surfaces on the dashboard are now soft to the touch and the central strip is aluminium rather than a metallic-finished plastic.

Performance gets a boost too with larger wheels and retuned suspension with many of the improvements made on the Mustang Bullitt special editon being carried across to the new car. Under the bonnet of the range-topping GT lies a 4.6-liter V-8 with power increased to 315bhp.

In future, Ford's direct-injection, turbocharged EcoBoost petrol engines will power entry-level models. Ford has no plans to bring the new Mustang to the UK, but the car will be available from specialist importers towards the end of the year.