Detroit-area recording star Kid Rock stormed the stage in Ford's Mustang GT-R race car at the New York Auto Show, filling a Manhatten dealership with the raw, soul-stirring sounds of the concept car's 440-horsepower engine and race-tuned exhaust.

The 2005 Mustang, another Detroit legend, will storm the scene this fall with one of the industry's most potent factory-installed audio system.

As is the case with its 300 horsepower engine, the Mustang finds itself in rare company with its available 1000-watt audio system. Only a handful of factory audio systems are capable of this kind of output.

Legends of the 'D'

Like the new audio system, the all-American V-8 in Mustang is specifically engineered to reach the ear of the driver in just the right doses at the right times, such as under hard acceleration. At cruising speed, that sound fades away to allow the audio system to fill the cabin.

The foundation for great sound begins with Mustang's new architecture and body structure that shields occupants from unwanted sounds. This all-new solid structure combines with Mustang's new controlled area network electrical system to deliver unmatched audio performance and capability.

This networked electrical system allows the audio system to communicate with other parts of the car, such as a vehicle speed sensor. The vehicle speed sensor matches the speed of the vehicle with the audio level, allowing the audio system to increase volume as the speed of the car increases and then decrease at slower speeds. It also allows the radio to continue playing for several minutes after the ignition key has been switched off and the key removed. The audio system shuts off once a door is opened.

Jams for Every Budget

Three audio systems are available. The base one includes a single in-dash CD player with 80 watts and four speakers. Premium models come standard with the Shaker 500 audio system, which has two door mounted subwoofers with unique enclosed chambers and additional tweeter speakers. The aptly named Shaker 500 has 500 watts of peak power available.

For the customer who just can't get enough sound, Ford offers the Shaker 1000. The Shaker 1000 adds two trunk mounted subwoofers and an additional 500 watts of amplifier to exclimate the thump of the door mounted subwoofers.

Using computer aided design methods, Ford engineers were able to design a trunk mounted subwoofer enclosure that provides more bass but occupies significantly less trunk space. The unit is mounted in the right side of the trunk of the car, freeing the rest of the trunk for cargo.

Shaker 500 and Shaker 1000 systems augment the in-dash CD player of the base system with an in-dash 6-CD changer that has the capability to play discs burned with MP3 files. This means that 6-CDs full of MP3 files could provide more than 1200 songs or about 40 hours of continuous music.

The Shaker 500 and 1000 systems are available on both V-6 Premium and GT Premium models as an option.

More Roars

Mustang's bad-boy swagger continues with the 2005 model. This intimidating attitude was built with a unique blend of an exciting design, dominating performance and an all-American V-8 growl that grabs the attention of onlookers.

The classic throaty engine sound can be traced back to the original Mustangs 40 years ago. While Mustang engines evolved over four decades to reflect cultural and socioeconomic influences, the most successful models featured powerplants with punch.

Nowhere is this more evident than the 1968 movie Bullitt in which Steve McQueen's Mustang GT390 growls through the streets of San Francisco to create what many critics hold to be the definitive movie car chase scene. The featured engine sound holds the audience's attention, along with a faded audio track, in a 13-minute scene void of dialogue.

In a modern engineering twist, 2001 Mustang Bullitt GT engineers tuned the car's 305-horsepower engine and exhaust sounds to Steve McQueen's legendary co-star. This engine sound was duplicated on the 2003 Mustang Mach 1, another limited-edition performance derivative with magical Mustang history.

Of course, today Mustang engineers create the engine sound on computers before a single motor is built.

Yet another example of how the all-new 2005 Mustang blends modern engineering and technology with the most recognizable cues from the car's storied past.