Ford and Richard Petty have built a 727bhp Mustang GT

“The new Petty’s Garage 2016 Mustang GT King edition means that Ford’s pony will be hell for some cats."

That, ladies and gentlemen, is what you call a burn, muscle car style.

You see, Ford has announced three new special-edition Mustang GTs built in collaboration with NASCAR legend Richard Petty’s in-house tuning garage. And with the right option box ticked, the most powerful iteration trumps Dodge’s 707bhp Challenger ‘Hellcat’.

Game on, then. There are three trim levels – 'King', 'King Premier' and 'King Premier convertible' – and all three get a Ford Performance supercharger strapped to that lovely 5.0-litre V8. This bumps power up by 235bhp, for a total of 670bhp.

The Mustangs also come with a modified ECU, cold-air intake and MagnaFlow exhaust. Then some heavy-duty metal bits: TrakPak Ford Performance halfshafts, three-way adjustable front and rear sway bars, and a rear axle upgrade.

You’ll spot the wheels, too – 20s front and rear, wider at the back – and the custom body parts like the rear diffuser, a Richard Petty-designed central exhaust, a new gear knob, new sill plates, floor mats and embroidery on the headrests. Mr Petty himself personally signs every model, too.

Go for the range-topping King Premier Mustang, and in addition to the above, you’ll also find big brakes with big calipers, custom leather, stripes, and blue body cladding.

Now comes the kicker. For all models, you can option coilover racing suspension, different wheel bushings to minimize ‘wheel hop’, and a supercharger upgrade that kicks out 727 horses. 727 is more than 707. Which means Petty > Hellcat.

Prices in the States start at $67,495 for the King, and $90,495 for the King Premier. Ford and Petty are planning on building just 243 King models, 43 King Premier models and 14 King Premier convertibles.

Which pony would you back – the Hellcat or Petty’s Mustang?

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