American automakers, in the midst of a muscle car renaissance, have started an arms race by producing modern pony cars with staggering amounts of power. The 2013 Ford Shelby GT Mustang will produce 650 horsepower and reach 200 miles per hour.

Ford not horsing around with new Mustang

America’s “Big Three” automakers, Ford, General Motors and Chrysler, seem to have started an arms race with horsepower. All three are churning out ultra-powerful modern versions of classic muscle cars that pack as much horsepower as any Italian exotic.

Ford, according to AutoBlog, recently released some details on the Shelby GT model of the 2013 Ford Mustang. The car packs a new 5.8-liter 650-horsepower motor, which replaces the 5.4-liter motor in the 2012 model. Ford guarantees it will top 200 miles per hour. The Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, by contrast, produces slightly less horsepower and costs $300,000 more, according to Road and Track.

According to USA Today, Ford engineers made some tweaks and noticed the new motor was easily reaching 155 miles per hour, which the previous Shelby GT was limited to, so they got rid of the limiter. The production model will debut at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show.

Improvements to whole Mustang range

All 2013 Ford Mustangs are getting a style update, including slight alterations to the splitter and air intake vents close to the front bumper and a glossy back panel. All models get high-intensity headlamps. New suspension packages will be offered, though the available options will vary by model and by motor and transmission configuration. Brembo brakes will also be available on some models. Recaro seats will also be available on most models. The 5-liter V-8 in models less powerful than the Shelby GT has been boosted from 402 to 420 horsepower. The 2013 Boss 302 will get a new paint option, called “School Bus Yellow” and a new “hockey stick” graphic on the doors, to recall the famous 1970 “Boss” Mustang.

According to Automobile magazine, all 2013 Mustang models will also get TrackApps, which will be displayed on a 4.2-inch screen in the instrument panel. TrackApps will show performance stats, lap and drag race times, fuel economy, fuel-to-air mixture, oil temperature and so forth.

Redesign for 2014

The 2013 Mustang range goes on sale in the spring of 2012, but the Shelby model won’t be available until summer, according to USA Today. The Mustang is due for a new redesign, but that will have to wait for 2014, barring any setbacks. Prices aren’t available for the 2013 Mustang range yet, but the base model for the 2012 Mustang starts at $22, 310 and the base Shelby GT starts at $48,810, according to the Ford website.

The Mustang will be hard pressed to outsell the Camaro, easily the best-selling performance coupe from American automakers. From January to October this year, 76,368 Camaros were sold, compared to 61,516 Mustangs. The Dodge Challenger barely challenged those two models; 33,254 were sold.