Ford plans to add top-shelf muscle to its Mustang lineup and take the Dodge Challenger Hellcat and Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 down a peg.

Spy photos of a camouflaged Mustang variant published by Motor Authority shows a winged, high-performance beast that should appear in 2018. The existing Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 is a hot number, but its power output doesn’t measure up to its Detroit competition.

When the 662-horsepower Shelby GT500 bowed out after 2014, Ford found itself with a performance gap. The GT350 makes 526 hp and 429 pounds-feet of torque — no slouch, for sure — but the Hellcat beats it by a mile with its 707 horses. The ZL1, with 650 hp, is another thorn in Mustang’s side.

As we’ve seen with its truck lineup, the Blue Oval doesn’t like coming in second. Power is prestige, as well as PR.

The spy shots don’t tell us anything more than what we can see. The aggressive front end, possibly wider track, and the need for plenty of downforce in the rear definitely means there’ll be more power up front, but how much? No one outside of Ford knows, but it’s rumored that the model might host a twin-turbocharged version of the GT350’s 5.2-liter V8.

Expect to see a 10-speed automatic offered in the new ‘stang. That unit, jointly developed by Ford and General Motors, also finds a home in the ZL1.

To be a true competitor, the new model’s output must beat the ZL1, at the very least. If it ends up undercutting the Hellcat, Ohio’s Lebanon Ford has a solution for any emasculated Mustang driver. As for a name, Mustang could stick with the GT500 badge, though the long-rumored return of the Mach 1 can’t be ruled out.

[Image: Ford Motor Company]