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" The stakes keep getting higher\u2014and the performance wilder\u2014in the ongoing muscle car battle between Ford and Chevrolet. The rivalry has now gone international, as Mustang Shelby GT500 prototypes have been photographed circulating the world famous N\u00FCrburgring. It would not surprise us to learn that Ford&amp;#039;s track technicians are keen to set some sort of record they prepare the Mustang to fend off a future attack from the 2012 Chevy Camaro ZL1.   The red prototype pictured here has cutaway grille openings, possibly for easier access to engine parts or for improved cooling. The foglamps also appear to be closed off. Perhaps Ford&amp;#039;s engineers were simply protecting the lenses with some rubber covers? Or maybe this is a prelude to some bigger and badder Shelby model (a GT600?), which would need big brake-cooling ducts? We&amp;#039;re rooting for the latter option.            Independently Minded    Of course, everyone wants to know what&amp;#039;s lurking under the hood. The rumor mill is swirling about talk of a twin-turbo V-8, opposed to the 550-bhp 5.4-liter supercharged V-8 engine presently found in the 2011 GT500. Our guess is something a little less radical, though no less capable of bumping the Camaro ZL1 (which goes on sale early next year, with an identical 550 bhp) from its performance perch. A larger displacement V-8, or additional supercharger trickery, both seem possible.   Take a very close look at those rear wheels and, from certain angles, they appear to have a mind of their own. We mean this as a compliment. That&amp;#039;s because in the land of Mustang, every current model continues to have a live rear axle. So does this big, bad new Mustang have independent rear suspension? It sure looks that way, based on the apparent wheel angles. Independent rear suspension does seem long overdue, and it would only make sense for the next Ford Mustang to take the fight to the competition on equal footing\u2014if you don&amp;#039;t mind the pun.           "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/future-cars/news/a17379/caught-testing-2012-ford-mustang-shelby-gt600/>