2006 Ford Mustang GT convertible -- Power to the people Maryland

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Like an In-N-Out burger, the Mustang GT convertible is tasty, all-American and deeply satisfying.

In the Mustang's case, the wildly successful recipe starts with the coolest sheet metal seen on any muscle car since the late sixties. That's because Ford borrowed liberally from the classic 1969 and 1970 Mach 1s and Boss 302s in redesigning the Mustang for the 2005 model year.

But style, retro or not, is only an appetizer. Any real-deal muscle car will be packing gobs of torque, and the Mustang GT rocks with a standard 4.6-liter OHC V-8 that delivers 300 horsepower and 320 lb-ft. @ 4,500 rpm. Those numbers are for left-brainers - the Mustang's delicious exhaust rumble says "Let's get it on" in any language.

A ragtop just adds fuel to the fire, and our test vehicle - which sported the new-for-2006 Tungsten Grey exterior, black top and red leather interior - drew more smiles, looks and double-takes than statusmobiles we've driven that fetch three times its $31,145 base price.

Speaking of driving, we were struck by the convertible's composure. Rough pavement and train tracks are no problem and the gap between front fender and door remained consistent when we looked for flex by driving the front wheel gently onto a curb. The power convertible top looks and feels good. Besides featuring a glass window with defroster, the easy-to-operate top does a fine job isolating occupants from outside noise.

The five-speed Tremec 3650 manual transmission is well suited to the 3-valve aluminum head-and-block V-8. Popping for the premium convertible GT package also gets you anti-lock brakes and traction control.

But just like the basic In-N-Out Burger, Mustang GTs are customizable.

Owners of 2005 or 2006 GTs who want more power and/or handling can consider three factory performance packages that were developed from Ford's FR500C Grand-Am racing program.

Ford's bolt-on Power Pack consists of a 90mm cold air kit, stainless steel muffler and a performance oil filter. The $889 package, which adds about 20 horsepower, includes a Ford Racing flash tuner to ensure proper calibration of the engine management system. Keep in mind, though, that going this route means you'll need to run premium gas. One of the charms of the 2006 Mustang GT is that it's one of the few performance cars set up to run 87 octane - no small matter in the era of $3/gallon fuel.

If raw acceleration is your game, the $1,399 Drag Pack adds a 4.10:1 ring and pinion for manual transmissions or 3.73 for automatics, "shorty" exhaust headers and short-throw shifter to the Power Pack. The Handling Pack includes performance-tuned springs, anti-roll bars, dampers and a strut-tower brace. The $1,149 kit also lowers drops the car 1.5-inches.

And that's a good thing, because even with Ford's optional 235/50ZR18 tire and wheel package, there's still too much wheelwell gap. That's easily taken care of with lowering and 20-incher wheels and tire. Check out BFGoodrich Tires' "World Hottest Mustang," created by superstar designer Chip Foose and Unique Performance. http://www.uniqueperformance.com/BFG.aspx )

Our test vehicle's interior color accent package, active anti-theft system, 60-amp battery and heat shield, wheel lock kit, interior upgrade package, front seat side airbags, convertible boot cover, aluminum trim, and Shaker 1000 audio system brought the price to $34,720. Shipping is $720. Be aware there's a price to pay for that boom-boom -- that subwoofer cuts down trunk room, already a scarce commodity in the Mustang to begin with.