The sixth-generation 2015 Mustang came just in time for the pony's 50th anniversary, and Ford->ke31 celebrated the milestone by releasing a 50-Year Limited Edition pony equipped with a host of unique features. As 1964 also marked the Mustang's debut as a pace car for the iconic Indy 500, the Blue Oval is now paying tribute to the Wimbledon White pony that led the pack 50 years ago with a special pace car. Based on the 50-Year model, which is limited at only 1,964 units, the Wimbledon White pace car makes its debut at the NASCAR->ke3635 Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series races during the Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, between November 14th and 16th.

Specifically, the 50-Year Mustang pace car will lead the field to the green flag for the Ford EcoBoost 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on November 16th, 2014 and the Ford EcoBoost 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race on November 15th, 2014. The V-8-powered muscle car will be driven by Mark Fields, president and chief executive officer of Ford, and John Felice, vice president of U.S. marketing sales and service, respectively.

The Wimbledon White 'Stang will be joined by the Race Red Mustang GT that paced the Quicken Loans 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on June 15th as the splitter pace car for the two races.

Click past the jump to read more about the Ford Mustang Pace Car For Ford Championship Weekend.

Exterior

Finished in Wimbledon White, the pace car is equipped with all the visual add-ons available with the 50-Year Limited Edition Mustang. Unique features include a chrome ornament for the front grille, discreet chrome highlights around the taillights, bespoke louvers for the quarter windows, and exclusive, 19-inch, Y-spoke design chrome wheels.

What sets this pace car apart from its production sibling is the livery. Large "Ford Championship Weekend" decals adorn the Mustang's doors, with the lively-colored hearts and "get your heart racing" slogans of the Henry Ford Health System on the rear fenders. Ford Racing and NASCAR Sprint Cup logos add a dash of color to the front and rear bumpers, respectively. A set of blue and red stripes run along the waistline of the muscle car. Naturally, a NASCAR-approved light bar was mounted onto the roof.

Interior

Although some pace cars are fitted with a full roll cage and other race-spec features, the Mustang's interior remains bone stock, save for special communication systems and on-board fire extinguishers.

That's not to say the cabin is 100-percent identical to the regular GT's. The 50-Year Limited edition comes with a host of unique features, and the pace car gets to keep them. Add-ons include cashmere stitching for the leather-wrapped steering wheel and the instrument panel, 50-Year anniversary logos, a bespoke finish for the aluminum trim, and a serialized plate on the passenger side of the dashboard.

Drivetrain

Motivating the pace car around the oval track is the familiar, 5.0-liter, V-8 engine fitted in all GT models. Updated for the 2015 model year, the mill known as the "Coyote" cranks out 435 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 400 pound-feet of torque at 4,250 rpm. These new figures represent a 15-pony and 10-pound-feet improvement over the 2014 model year Mustang GT.

There's no word on what transmission is routing all that oomph to the rear wheels, but we do know the 50-Year Limited Edition this pace car is based on is available with both the six-speed manual or the six-speed automatic. When equipped with the manual, the 'Stang gets a Torsen differential with a 3.73-to-1 final-drive ratio, while the latter adds a limited-slip rear differential with a 3.55-to-1 ratio.

The Mustang GT needs 4.4 seconds to charge from naught to 60 mph and completes the quarter-mile in 12.8 seconds at 112.2 mph. That's quick enough for pace car duty.

Conclusion

It's rather strange that Ford chose to sacrifice a 50-Year Limited Edition model for pace car duty, but it's a fitting tribute to the original 1964 model that marked the pony's debut at the race track. A 50-Year-based pace car means less limited-edition ponies will reach customers, but it also means that one more 2015 Mustang will soon be auctioned as a unique collectible. That's a feat very few nameplates benefit from.

Ford Mustang Pace Car History

The Ford Mustang made its debut as a pace car during the 1964 Indy 500 race, when three 1964-1/2 convertible models had been prepped for track duty by having Holman-Moody-built, 5.0-liter, V-8 engines mounted under their hoods. The pony returned to the Indy 500 with the third-generation model in 1979, and once again in 1994, when Ford showcased a highly modified Cobra. The pace cars made such a big impact on the track that Ford eventually decided to build limited-edition replicas after each race. About 10,000 units were sold in 1979, with 5,000 examples delivered in 1994.

The Ford Mustang returned to pacing duties with the fifth-generation model. A Hurst-liveried muscle car paced the Miller Motorsports Park for the Ford Racing Mustang Challenge in 2010, while a red-painted GT model took yellow flag action for the Daytona 500 the same year. The following season saw another Mustang pace a full grid of thundering race cars. This time it happened at the Kentucky Speedway, where a white GT Convertible adorned by red and blue stripes became the most patriotic Mustang pace car. The unique ride spawned a production model limited to only 43 units.