During the 2007 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, Monterey's idyllic 17-Mile Drive was overrun with some of the most striking shapes sheetmetal has dared to form, from 1920s Duesenbergs to a fleet of Bugatti Veyrons, and everything between. On the futuristic end of this tantalizing spectrum is the Mustang by Giugiaro Concept. We were fortunate enough to get some seat time and chat with its designer, Fabrizio Giugiaro, who has worked on such notable vehicles as the Maserati 3200 GT and the Lamborghini Gallardo.

The Giugiaro Mustang is like a Spaghetti Western: an Italian ode to an American icon. Like most drivable concepts, this one is not yet sorted out for the street. Its Ford Racing underpinnings have all the right intentions, hunkering down the car with an aggressive stance that works surprisingly well on smooth surfaces, but the chassis shudders and flexes over road irregularities, which becomes exaggerated thanks to stiff spring rates and a rigid rear axle. The howl of its unrestricted exhaust becomes satisfyingly intrusive at mid-range engine speeds, and the car lurches insistently ahead with small amounts of throttle input, thanks to a 500 horsepower, Whipple supercharged 4.6 liter V8.

Styling is a swoopy, sophisticated spin on the Mustang's unmistakable shape. Activate the electric scissor doors and you're treated to an airy interior trimmed in horse hide (get it?). The cockpit is decked out with several screens displaying the view from rearward facing video cameras, all encased behind a flush glass screen. The 'Stang's most striking feature is the glass roof that gracefully flows above the entire greenhouse, allowing an uninterrupted view of the sky above, from the tip of the windshield all the way to the fastback-style tail.

With his take on the Mustang, Giugiaro captures the idea that few things are more American than freedom, space, and power. Check out our video, which includes driving footage and an interview with Fabrizio Giugiaro.