MOTOR CITY MACCHINA; The Giugiaro Mustang shows what Turin can do for Dearborn, and vice versa.(News)

Byline: MARK VAUGHN

Italdesign is the Turin firm that made the Maserati Merak, the BMW M1 and the Lotus Esprit, among many others. But the many others were almost all European. The company wanted to show American carmakers that it can do design and engineering for them, too. But, as they taught you in art school, show me, don't tell me. So Italdesign built this, the Mustang Italian-Style.

"The U.S.A. is very difficult,'' said Fabrizio Giugiaro, styling director. "Nobody in Europe can work for an American brand. So we chose an American brand to show what we can do.''

The first thing they can do is that glass roof, mamma mia! You get into the car, and the roof, she goes on forever, from where the hood ends to where the trunk begins-it's like walking under the glass in one of those shark-tank aquariums. Slide under the "Lambo-style'' doors onto those splotchy cow-fur-covered seats, and you see nothing but sky above.

When you push the button to start the beast, molto bene, that's no stock 4.6-liter V8. Ford Racing added a supercharger to get output up to about 500 hp. It sure feels like 500 hp. The racing clutch shudders the first few times you use it, but you get used to that.

With its ...