Ford offers glass roof Mustangs
2009 Ford Mustang glass roof interior.
(Credit: Ford Motor)Here's some bright news to go with your daily dose of bad these days.
It may sound like sacrilege, but owners of new Ford Mustangs may actually have a chance to look cooler than Steve McQueen while driving.
The $1,995 factory-installed panoramic glass-roof option that Ford announced last December is now available on its 2009 V-6 and GT models, the company announced Wednesday.
From the photos, this really looks like more than just your typical moonroof.
Not only will the glass roof look cool, it might also help you stay cool. Ford claims that the specially tinted glass actually "reduces energy used by the vehicle's air conditioning system by 20 percent."
2009 Ford Mustang
(Credit: Ford Motor)Those of you lucky enough to live in a state where sun is a serious issue will also be glad to know that the roof comes with a built-in roller blind.
To refresh your memory, the V-6 Mustang coupe comes with a 210-horsepower 4-liter, 6-cylinder engine in 5-speed manual or automatic. The GT coupe and convertible each come with a 300-horsepower, 4.6-liter V-8 engine also available in 5-speed manual or automatic. Both come with the Ford instrument panel that allows you to change the lighting color based on your whims that day.
Ford is also bringing back its "Warriors in Pink" package, for which it donates $500 to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure breast cancer charity for every car sold. Thankfully, this is not a pink Mustang at all but a Mustang with some zazzy little touches: a pink ribbon and pony fender badge, pink trim in the steering wheel and floormats, and pink stitching on the seats.
As for break-in fears with your glass roof Mustang, for what it's worth Ford is offering a new anti-theft security package for the GT that includes a wheel locking kit.
Of course, in my unprofessional opinion, unless you're taking the wheels with you most car alarm systems are pretty useless. If it's a professional thief after your personal Eleanor your car will really be "Gone in Sixty Seconds" no matter what you do. If it's amateurs attempting, you might as well reduce the damage done to your car when they steal your radio and whatever you "oh-so-slyly" hid under that coat on the floor.
Ford also announced that it's decided to build an additional 3,000 of the Mustang Bullitt limited edition replicas it introduced in 2008.
In a software-driven world, it's easy to forget about the nuts and bolts. Whether it's cars, robots, personal gadgetry or industrial machines, Candace Lombardi examines the moving parts that keep our world rotating. A journalist who divides her time between the United States and the United Kingdom, Lombardi has written about technology for the sites of The New York Times, CNET, USA Today, MSN, ZDNet, Silicon.com, and GameSpot. E-mail her at candacelombardi@gmail.com. She is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not a current employee of CNET. 
