SVT ROLLS UP ITS SLEEVES FOR 2005

As the Ford Special Vehicle Team closes the door on 2004 model-year sales, it now turns its full attention to the work of bringing to market an all-new generation of high-performance Ford vehicles, beginning with the next SVT Mustang Cobra.

But topping the performance value of the limited-production 390-horsepower '04 SVT Cobra won't be an easy task. With segment-busting power, acceleration, handling and braking, the factory supercharged SVT Mustang Cobra has established itself as a true high-performance icon that rivals even the world's finest two-seat sports cars costing thousands more. Priced at just $35,370 for the Coupe and $39,750 for the Convertible (including destination and delivery but excluding taxes, title and license fees), the '04 SVT Cobra takes the Mustang tradition of delivering bang for the buck to unprecedented levels. And from now through the end of the year, owning a Cobra is more affordable than ever before.

That's because Ford is offering your choice of $2,500 stand-alone Customer Cash back OR Ford Credit financing as low as 0.0% APR for up to 48 months on any new 2004 SVT Mustang Cobra Coupe or Convertible purchased from dealer inventory by January 3, 2005. If you prefer the best of both worlds, you can also opt for $1,000 Special Customer Cash PLUS get financing as low as 0.9%. Offer is applicable only in the United States , and certain restrictions may apply. But you must hurry, as this offer is being made only on the few remaining 2004 SVT Mustang Cobras that may still be left in dealer stock. When the last of the SVT Cobras are gone, this special deal is gone.

Not all buyers qualify for Ford Credit limited-term APR financing, and a number of factors can influence your rate. But cash-back deals and special financing offers are rarely available on Ford Special Vehicle Team products, so don't let this opportunity pass you by. Just one test drive will instantly show you why the SVT Cobra packs a more potent high-performance punch than any other factory-built Mustang that Ford has ever produced.

The 2004 SVT Mustang Cobra is the last of its generation to be built at the historic Dearborn Assembly Plant, and only 3,768 were produced – compared to 13,476 supercharged SVT Cobras that came off the line in 2003. What's more, SVT does not plan to offer a Mustang Cobra for the 2005 or 2006 model years, meaning if you want to experience the thrill of driving an SVT Mustang Cobra anytime soon, you need to act now before they're all gone! See your local SVT-certified Ford dealer today for specifics on this limited-time program, including financing alternatives and extended terms and rates. For the name and location of the full-line SVT dealer nearest you, call 1-800-FORD-SVT.

Also riding off into the enthusiast history books as the longest-running, best-selling high-performance pickup of all time is the SVT F-150 Lightning. In 2004, a competitor came to market to challenge the SVT Lightning as the industry's benchmark sport truck. But the bottom line remains that for the mere 0.2 of a second difference in quarter-mile acceleration times published in some magazines, the challenger carries an MSRP more than $12,000 above that of the Lightning! Plus, Lightning has more payload, towing and seating capacity with its trimmer, lighter Standard Cab, gets better fuel economy, and puts out more horsepower per liter of displacement with its SVT supercharged 5.4-liter Triton V8. When you measure dollar-for-dollar, pound-for-pound and feature-for-feature, the 2004 Lightning remains an unbeatable performance value.

While Ford has announced that development of the next-generation SVT F-150 Lightning has been delayed until its high-performance engineers can create a new version that fits into Ford's manufacturing and marketing cadence, there can be no doubt that the F-150 Lightning is a viable SVT product with a future full of possibilities.

And speaking of bang for the buck, the critically acclaimed SVT Focus ended production in 2004 as one of the most satisfying rides in the sport compact segment, offering loads of standard equipment and the kind of road-holding that absolutely pegs the "fun-to-drive" meter. Whether in three-door or five-door guise, the limited-production, 170-horsepower SVT Focus is a true "pocket rocket" that delivers world-class driving dynamics while taking you and up to four friends anywhere you want to go in both style and comfort.

Like its SVT front-wheel-drive predecessor, the SVT Contour, the SVT Focus has established a "cult" following among the sport compact crowd. Focus fanatics have flocked to a unique Website, "Revolt.Build.Rise." to explore the limits of Focus performance. One former SVT staffer actually went so far as to write a song about the SVT Focus, and an aspiring Detroit-area rapper actually recorded it! (Click HERE to listen). Clearly, SVT Focus owners of all ages can sing its praises as an affordable, honest-to-goodness driver's car that has graced the covers of a myriad of major enthusiast magazines and has won a battery of head-to-head comparison tests.