Ford reveals Mustang-based concept

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Ford Motor Co. will introduce a 4-door, V-8 concept-car carrying most of the mechanical underpinnings of its popular Mustang sports car, the company said in a recent statement.

With its six-speed manual gearbox, low roof-line and massive 22-inch wheels, the design is targeted at driving enthusiasts looking for a bold design but who can't fit the family in a two-door coupe.

Ford's Interceptor, a Mustang-based concept car, mates a 400-hp engine and a solid rear axle with four doors.

"The Interceptor concept is a sedan, but with the heart and soul of a performance car," Freeman Thomas, director of Ford's North American strategic design department, said in a statement.

The car will be officially unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next week.

The Interceptor is similar in design and spirit to Chrysler's (Charts) popular Dodge Charger sedan.

The next-generation Chevrolet Impala from General Motors (Charts) is expected to have four doors and share many of the mechanics with GM's upcoming version of the Camaro.

Powering the square-shouldered Interceptor is a 400-horsepower Ford Racing 5.0-liter V-8 engine, a variant of the 4.6-liter currently in the Mustang GT. The Interceptor is designed to run on either gasoline or an E85 ethanol blend.

Like the Mustang, the car is rear-wheel drive with a solid rear axle.

Inside, the interceptor boasts a black leather interior with contrasting caramel stitching on the seats.

Other features include a speedometer and tachometer with needles that start at the center and move opposite each other as speed and RPM climb. Ford (Charts) intentionally kept many other extras out of the cabin.

"This car is about restraint, and not clouding the driving experience with too much technology," said Thomas. "There aren't a lot of layers between the driver and the road."

The car's four bucket seats sport four-point seat belts that go over both shoulders. The rear seats have belts that inflate in the event of a crash to minimize belt-related injuries.

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