The 50th anniversary of the Ford Mustang's debut on April 17 back in 1964 will be the cause for celebrations large and small this year, with everyone from Blue Oval bigwigs to the car's legions of loyal fans getting in on the fun.

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One of those celebrations will take place Friday in Charlotte, North Carolina, where restoration company RK Motors will unveil a tribute car based on the classic 1967 Shelby GT500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, coinciding with Ford Motor Company's [NYSE:F] own Mustang 50th anniversary celebrations.



Dubbed RK527, the customized GT500 makes over 800 horsepower, according to its creator, which is sent to the rear wheels through a Tremec T56 six-speed manual transmission. The car has been significantly updated, with features like Fast XFI electronic port fuel injection and modern BF Goodrich G-Force Sport tires.

The RK527 will need to be as reliable as it is powerful, because RK Motors owner Rob Kauffman plans to take it on Hot Rod magazine's annual Power Tour. The event--which begins in Charlotte this year--is an endurance test for hot rods and muscle cars of all stripes, covering seven states and more than 1,500 miles before ending in Wisconsin.

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Actually driving a Mustang seems like an appropriate way to celebrate this iconic car's 50th anniversary, but Ford has some pretty big events of its own lined up.



It will place a Mustang on top of the Empire State Building this week--replicating a stunt from 50 years ago--and host simultaneous week-long events at the aforementioned Charlotte Motor Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

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