Ford Mustang announced as Need for Speed hero car

The partnership includes the "significant integration of Ford products" in the new film – based on the cult Need for Speed video game released in 1994 – including the movie’s one-off Ford Mustang star car, designed and created by the US manufacturer.

The Need for Speed Ford Mustang features a custom wide body, unique 22-inch alloy wheels, and larger air intakes up front to allow more air to reach the pony car’s supercharged V8 engine.

DreamWorks Studios’ Stacey Snider said with a 50-year history in film, the iconic Mustang was the perfect co-star.

“Need for Speed is rooted in Americana, and when we were casting our hero car for the film, Ford Mustang was the obvious choice,” Snider said.

A Ford F-450 pick-up dubbed ‘The Beast’ makes an appearance in the film as well, while Ford also provided the production team with another Mustang specially designed as a camera car.

The gaming franchise expands to the big screen when Need for Speed, starring Aaron Paul, Dominic Cooper, Imogen Poots and Michael Keaton, is released in 2014.

The next Need for Speed video game, Need for Speed Rivals, is also due out in November.

Earlier this week the next-generation Ford Mustang was spied for the first time, undergoing testing in the US in near-production-ready guise.