A posting on the Team Shelby Website this week has led many to believe the 2010 Shelby GT500 Mustang will be limited to 2,000 units. The first folks to break the story, the guys at AutoBlog, said an online forum member posted the info on the Team Shelby Website. Turns out the limited production rumor is just not true. Autoblog provided an update after contacting Ford to verify the information. Ford says the car will not be limited to 2,000 units. This is good news for those who worried reduced production would equate to widespread dealer markups. The Shelby GT500 Coupe has a MSRP of $46,325, while the GT500 Convertible starts at $51,325.

Photo © Jonathan P. Lamas

Source: AutoBlog

Later this month the SPEED television network will air a documentary detailing the 14 month journey to create the new 2010 ROUSH Mustang. The program, which airs July 20 at 8 p.m. (Eastern), will include footage captured in areas where cameras are normally forbidden. We're talking about the ROUSH clay modeling studio, ROUSH Manufacturing and Vehicle Assembly plant, and the Cooper Tire & Vehicle Test Center near San Antonio. The documentary will also include interviews with Chip Foose, NHRA Drag Racer John Force, and NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle. Okay, the SPEED Channel, Jack Roush, and the Ford Mustang. That's TV worth watching.

2010 ROUSH Mustang: The Art of Performance Engineering
- Monday, July 20 at 8 p.m (Eastern) – East Coast Premier
- Tuesday, July 21 at Midnight (Eastern) – West Coast Premier (9 p.m. Pacific on July 20)
- Monday, September 21 at 8 a.m. (Eastern)

Photo Courtesy of ROUSH Performance

Well folks, the muscle car trash talk is heating up. Talk around town is that the new 2010 Chevrolet Camaro outsold the Ford Mustang in June. No doubt, Chevy's new Camaro did outsell the Mustang by 1,958 models in June. Chevrolet sold 9,320 Camaros while Ford sold 7,362 Mustangs.

Not to rain on Chevy's parade, but how many Camaros did they sell last June? Oh, that's right, Chevy didn't offer a Camaro last June! Meanwhile Ford sold 10,893 Mustangs. In fact, the Chevrolet Camaro has been off the market since 2002. And the Mustang, well, it never went away. We're talking 45 plus years of Mustang sales. While Mustang enthusiasts have been constantly fed new models over the past four decades, the Camaro folks had to go without for a few years. Now that the car has returned, they're lined up at Chevy dealerships trying to make up for lost time.

All things considered, I'm happy to see the Camaro back in the mix. This renewed interest adds even more to a long-standing rivalry dating back to the late 60s. Meanwhile, Dodge sold 1,369 Challengers in June.

June 2009 Sales
#1: Chevy Camaro - 9,320
#2: Ford Mustang - 7,362
#3: Dodge Challenger- 1,369

Photo © Ford Motor Company and General Motors

Now that the extended holiday weekend is behind me, I can look back with fond memories. I'm talking food on the grill, fireworks, and quality time behind the wheel of Roush's new 427R Mustang. Believe me, this will come in handy when I'm staring down a pile of paperwork come Wednesday afternoon!

Prior to the Fourth of July holiday, the good folks at ROUSH Performance gave me the keys to their new 2010 427R Mustang. The new 427R is based on the 2010 Mustang design, and features goodies such as a supercharged 4.6L V-8 engine capable of producing 435 hp and 400 lb.-ft. of torque. Talk about all-out performance. This car emits some serious rumble. It's also a world of fun to drive. That said, did the 427R put the new Shelby GT500 in a sleeper hold? If you recall, I spent some time in Shelby's new car a few months back. Check back later this week when I'll weigh in on this and much more in my full review.

Related:

• Profile: 2010 ROUSH Mustang Lineup
  
• 2010 ROUSH 427R Mustang Photo Gallery
  
• All About the ROUSH Performance Mustang
  

Photo © Jonathan P. Lamas

Here in the United States most of us are preparing for an extended Fourth of July holiday weekend. For me that means fun in the sun, fireworks, and good food off the grill. Although I plan to celebrate here at home, many of my friends are off on their first road trip of the summer. If you're traveling this weekend, don't lose sight of your priorities. Number one should be to stay safe. Keep a watchful eye for the other guy and never drive beyond your own limits. RoadTrip America, a website that lists scenic byways here in the U.S., offers up some useful tips for those of you out there on the road. So until next time, stay safe and have a great holiday!

Other Tips & Advice

• How to Prepare For a Road Trip
  
• How to Prepare Your Mustang for Summer
  
• How to Improve Your Mustang's Gas Mileage

Photo © Jonathan P. Lamas

Today Ford Motor Co. released their official sales figures for the month of June. According to the report, the company sold 7,632 Mustangs last month. In June of 2008, the company sold 10,893 Mustangs. That's a 29.9% decrease in sales for the month when compared to the previous year.

When you put things into perspective, Mustang is hanging in there given the current state of the economy. Fewer people are buying new cars this year, yet the Mustang managed to stay in the game. Of course, May is still the best sales month of the year for Mustang. This May Ford sold 8,812 Mustangs.

Lately Ford hasn't had much to say about the Mustang in their monthly sales reports, until today that is. Ford pointed out, "Ford Mustang sales to retail customers nearly matched year-ago levels. The new 2010 Mustang, which debuted in May, achieved a 52 percent conquest rate in June – one of the highest for any Ford product."

Photo © Ford Motor Company

Mustang dreams come in all forms I imagine. Take Roger Keeney for instance. This guy's dream was to drive a Ford Mustang. Not that difficult you say? Well, here's a twist. Keeney is blind. Of course, that didn't stop him from moving forward with his essay submission in the "The '10 Unleashed" promotion. The contest, which is sponsored by Ford, makes everyday people's dreams come true. Sixty-two-year-old Keeney, who lives in Athens, Ga., was selected as one of the contest's lucky winners.

This past May Ford flew Keeney out to the Ford Proving Grounds just outside of Phoenix, Ariz. It's there he met up with pro racer Tommy Kendall. He was also introduced to a 2010 Mustang Convertible. He took the driver's seat, and with a little vocal coaching form Kendall, was on his way. According to a release issued by Ford, Keeney executed a series of tire-smoking doughnuts while he was behind the wheel. Keeney said, "The most life-changing thing you can do for folks with disabilities is put them in a situation that everyone else has told them is impossible. The experience for me in the Mustang with Tommy Kendall next to me and driving that wonderful automobile was really great." You can check out a video of Keeney and his Mustang story here.

Photo © Ford Motor Company

Shelby Automobiles has announced several new Mustang packages that can be installed on post-title Mustangs. The company will once again offer a SuperSnake Package for the GT500 Mustang. Now, I for one think the standard GT500 is pretty fast. But hey, if you want to boost output to 600+ hp, go right ahead. Other new packages include the Shelby SuperCharged & SR Mustang packages which are designed for folks who'd like to turn their standard GT Mustang into a Shelby ride. There's also the Shelby GT/SR Package designed for Shelby GT owners seeking added performance. A Shelby GT/SC Mustang Package is also available for Shelby GT and Shelby GT-H owners looking for something more. There's even a new Shelby GT500SE Package for owners of 2008 and 2009 GT500 Mustangs.

For many folks, the drop top Mustang and summertime cruising go hand in hand. In fact, the convertible Mustang was recently named a Top 10 Road Trip Car by Kelly Blue Book for 2009. But did you know there was a time when you couldn't buy a convertible Mustang? At the end of the 1973 run, Ford discontinued the convertible model. The option didn't return until 1983. That's almost 10 years void of top down driving. Convertibles were absent through the entire Mustang II run. They were also missing during the first few years of the Fox Body generation. These days Ford says the Mustang is one of the most popular convertibles in the United States. It's definitely a fun car out on the open road.

Photo © Ford Motor Company

When I think back to my big summer road trip of 2008, I think of my stop at the Shelby Corner Cafe in Las Vegas, Nev. Talk about one cool pit stop. They had autographed Shelby hoods hanging from the ceiling, Shelby helmets on display, and Shelby-styled fixins on the menu. The Shelby Corner Cafe was a place for folks like me. You know, people who live and breathe Ford Mustang.

Well, according to fellow Mustang enthusiast Sam Haymart, the Shelby Corner Cafe has closed its doors. Sam knows all about the cafe. It's where he kicked off the 2009 Mustangs Across America 45th Anniversary drive a few months back. According to reports, the cafe is a victim of the current recession. If you've been following the news, you've probably heard about the decline in tourism to Las Vegas. The Shelby Corner Cafe was located near the Shelby Automobiles factory. Most of the cafe's clientele consisted of those who worked in the Las Vegas Speedway area and folks like me stopping in for the occasional road trip meal. Although the cafe has closed, you can still visit the Shelby Automobiles factory. Heck, you might as well take the Shelby Factory Tour while you're there.

Photo © Jonathan P. Lamas