Many people are curious about what the 2010 Ford Mustang will look like. Since aficionados don’t have very much to go off of, we are forced to search for clues that can help us take educated guesses.

One such clue has surfaced…

To the right is displayed the new Mustang emblem for the 2010 series of the famous muscle car. Can you tell which one is the new emblem and which is the old?

If you guessed the top one is new, you were correct. A closer look at it reveals a few minor changes that help give us some insight as to what is to come in the near future. The new pony is more defined and muscular. It has a sleeker look and is probably more likely to catch the eye of Mustang enthusiasts around the globe.

Design manager for the 2010 Mustang, George Saridakes, says, “Its just a faster looking steed.”

…and it is!

This stronger badge will charge across the grills of the V-6 and GT versions of the 2010 Mustang with its defined edges and crisp shape with a subtly tinted-chrome finish. Also, for the first time, a black-chrome version of the Mustang pony will be available on the new GT grille.

Cheif Designer of the 2010 Mustang Douglas Gaffka explains their thought process during the creation of the new pony…

“We wanted to give the Mustang pony a more realistic feel. We lifted the head to make the pony more proud, tipped the neck into the wind to give it a feeling of greater speed and better balance. It’s more chiseled and more defined and looks more like a wild horse. It’s more realistic in terms of proportion to an actual Mustang.”

After taking a look at this new emblem, one thing becomes certain. That is, just as Ford is concerned with detail and precision in their cars, they have strived to make the Mustang pony just as good as the car itself. In fact, hours of research actually went into crafting the new look. The designers reviewed video and spoke with experts and horseback riders in an effort to learn the balance and proportion that is present a mustang is in full gallop…and in my opinion….there effort shows.

In an unexpected move, Chrysler has decide to sell its Dodge Viper business as a part of its strategy to focus on a smaller number of core products.

The U.S. based company said that it has been approached by a number of potential buyers for the Viper unit, which analysts claim could be worth up to a potential $100 million. Of these buyers, included are East Asian and Indian automakers that have been seeking to gain instant entrance into global markets by purchasing pre-existing brands. For example, the Indian automaker Tata purchased the Land rover and Jaguar brands from Ford earlier this year.

Perhaps “supercar” builders such as Shelby or Saleen would be potential buyers, however, anaylsts seem to agree that the price tag may be a bit steep for outfits of that size.

Originally, The Viper, which was introduced in 1992, was pegged as a “halo” car. The sole intention was to generate buzz, not big sales. It seems that this buzz is beginning to wear off. While The Viper does have a very loyal following, it seems that the “halo” may be dimming a bit as sales have slowed to a crawl.

Reasoning? David Healy, an analyst at Burnham Securities had this to say…

“I’m not sure how many people go into a Dodge showroom and buy a Caliber after they ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ over a Viper. I’m not sure it’s as much of a traffic builder as it might have been when it was new.”

Vipers, which are actually hand built at a plant in Detroit, start with a sticker price around $82,000. Last year’s sales fell 70% to a ridiculous 435 cars having actually been sold. However, sales jumped to 682 this year when Dodge put a new 8.4-liter V-10 under the hood, increasing HP from 510 to 600.

General Motors’ Hummer sport utility vehicle brand is also for sale. All three of the Detroit automakers are losing money as they try to meet shifting consumer demand for more fuel-efficient vehicles.