Any color you want, as long as it's orange.

Although some people might think that the long-awaited Ford Escape Hybrid* in actual operation was the big news from the Blue Oval at the New York Auto Show, let's face it: horsepower rules. So it has to be the Ford Mustang GT-R concept, a bright Valencia Orange 440-hp beast that was the real showstopper--even if Kevin Bacon didn't have the opportunity to pilot it. About the vehicle, J Mays, Ford group vp, Design, remarked, "We think the Mustang GT-R is an appropriate tribute to the car's 40th anniversary, and a hint at what's to come." (See the cover story of this issue for further clues.) Whether it's "to come" from Ford or not is probably somewhat of a moot point in that there was care in developing this concept to use lots of existing '05 Mustang: e.g., 85% of the body components are stock (well, will be when the car comes out this fall) and the Ford Racing "Cammer" crate engine that's available to racers right out of a catalog (if you have $14,995 that you'd like to put under a hood). The GT-R was built at Saleen Special Vehicles (Troy, MI).

The concept differs from the forthcoming Mustang with items such as fulsome fender flares, giant side air scoops, aero effects, and an unfinished carbon fiber hood with appropriate bulge. And there's a comparable composite rear spoiler to balance things out. What's more, there are carbon-fiber belly pans. Inside, there is also carbon fiber, on the IP. As this is a race vehicle, there is a Formula One-style steering wheel fitted: it contains most of the gauge information, with the oil pressure and water temperature gauges being the only two in the IP. Explains Doug Gaffka, design director, Ford Performance Group, "Most racers cobble together interiors. The Formula One-style steering wheel significantly reduces dash gauges to help preserve Mustang's powerful instrument panel, which is the next evolution of our interior design leadership." Another thing that isn't inside: seats other than the driver's--although there are seat mount tracks on the passenger's side, just in case.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

* Ford executives have been talking about the Escape Hybrid for a long time. Less time, however, than the 37-hour drive around Manhattan that was used to launch the real vehicle (finally). The drive was to prove the fuel efficiency of the Escape Hybrid, which proved that it could get 38 mpg. Among those driving were the soon-to-be mentioned Kevin Bacon. Perhaps if all of the people who have six degrees of separation from him buy one ...