Despite the passing last May of Carroll Shelby, the company he established that bears his name still lives on and is as popular as ever. Along with its usual lineup of modified V8-powered Mustangs, the performance tuner has announced that it has some big plans in store for 2013. Shelby American's vice president Gary Patterson said that we can expect new debuts at both the Detroit and New York Auto Shows this year, but was careful to avoid any specifics.

What he did refer to, however, is what the late Carroll Shelby himself said last year: "I think you're going to see the industry going completely to small engines with turbochargers. That's the only way you can get the mileage that the government is going to be demanding." The all-too obvious translation is that we may soon see a Shelby Mustang powered by a turbocharged Ford EcoBoost engine. Bear in mind that the new Focus ST packs quite a punch already with its 2.0-liter turbo four producing 252 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque. Another option is the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 from the Taurus SHO, which produces 365 hp and 420 lb-ft.

Both engines come directly from the Ford factory so it'll be interesting to see how much performance Shelby American can make happen. We're just speculating on each of those engines for now so we'll have to wait until next month at Detroit to what Shelby American is up to.