“The investment in another generation of Mustang is a powerful step at a time when many of our competitors are exiting the combustion vehicle space,” Ford CEO Jim Farley said in a statement. (Photo: Ford)

DETROIT — Ford (F, $15.09, up 2.93%) unveiled the seventh generation of the iconic Mustang at the Detroit Auto Show on Wednesday, hours after visiting Joe Biden singing praises of electric cars.

The latest version of the sports car, which inspired a song by Serge Gainsbourg and has appeared in more than 3,000 films, has interior features and “fighter-inspired” performance that make it, according to Ford, “the most exciting” to drive. .

The company, which invests tens of billions of dollars in new electric models, has made no apologies for introducing this gasoline-powered vehicle.

“The investment in another generation of Mustang is a powerful step at a time when many of our competitors are exiting the combustion vehicle space,” Ford CEO Jim Farley said in a statement.

He added that the group “also puts the throttle on internal combustion engines (ICE), adding connected technologies (…) and hybrid versions to our most lucrative and popular vehicles.”

The latest version of the sports car features a “fighter-inspired” interior and performance features that make it, according to Ford, “the most fun to drive.” (Photo: Ford)

The new Mustang borrows traits from the car’s previous versions in the design of its grille or lighting. It also offers newer technologies, such as a button on the key to hear the sound of the engine boom with a simple click.

Showing low ambitions after two versions were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and with manufacturers now preferring to bring their latest new products online, the Wednesday evening Mustang launch brought back some of the flair of the earlier versions.

Ford had invited Mustang owners to come, in the form of trailers, onto the city streets and encouraged those attending the evening to come dressed in their favorite period clothing in the car’s history.