All-new Ford Mustang will feel the ‘Need for Speed’

THE ALL-NEW Mustang will make its pop-culture debut as the star of the “Need for Speed” movie in March.

Metro Manila is expected to grind down to slower than snail’s pace—amoeba pace?—in the coming months thanks to the 15 scheduled major road construction projects. As such, any dreams of being able to cruise along the major roads will be just that: a dream. If, like Maverick, you feel the need for speed, the only solution is to plug into your favorite gaming console, or live vicariously through a car-themed movie. With the “Fast and Furious” money-making machine put on hold due to the death of star Paul Walker, another potential car-movie franchise is set to roar onto the big screen in March. “Need for Speed” will feature the all-new Mustang as well as at least one other custom version.

The Mustang, of course, is no stranger to the screen. In its five decades of existence, the sports car has logged in more than 3,200 film and television appearances, and is the subject of its own IMDB site, MustangIMDB.com. Some of its more memorable moments are: a Wimbledon white 1965 convertible dicing with James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 in Switzerland in “Goldfinger,” the 1968 GT fastback powering Steve McQueen through the streets of San Francisco against Dodge Chargers in “Bullitt” and the Shelby GT500 acting as one of Will Smith’s remaining best friends in “I Am Legend.”

On March 14, the all-new Mustang will make its debut on the silver screen, before going on sale later in the year. “Need for Speed” is based on the long-running Electronic Arts (EA) video game series. Hollywood was one of the six venues for the all-new Mustang’s reveal in December. It duly got its tire prints onto the forecourt of the TCL Chinese Theatre, beside the prints and signatures of nearly 200 human and robotic stars of the movies.

“NEED FOR SPEED” Mustang will feature custom wide bodywork, 22-inch alloys and twin nostrils to feed that hungry supercharged engine.

Aaron Paul of “Breaking Bad” fame will be the pilot of the custom-built 2014 Mustang hero car in the movie. The “Need for Speed” Mustang, designed and built by Ford, features a custom wide bodywork, 22-inch alloy wheels and large nostril-type air intakes on the hood to feed the supercharged V8 engine.

“Need for Speed” will reportedly be modeled on the car culture films of the 1960s and ’70s, highlighting the mythology of the American open road. The heroes—car and pilot—will be embarking on a cross-country mission of revenge, on the way to their redemption.

“The ‘Need for Speed’ movie will embody everything that fans of action racing films want to see—hot cars, high-stakes street racing and mind-blowing stunts,” said Scott Waugh, director of the “Need for Speed” film. “The adrenaline-fueled story across America will keep viewers on the edge of their seats.”

Meanwhile, the video game will allow players virtual drives of the new Mustang, available as a free in-game download in EA’s “Need for Speed Rivals.” They can also customize their Mustangs within the game.

“Need for Speed” will also star Dominic Cooper, Imogen Poots and Michael Keaton. The DreamWorks movie opens in March.