We got wind of Saleen's new value-oriented brand last week, and they made it official with a press release introducing Racecraft and its first product, the 420S. The sub-$40,000 Mustang will have a focus on pure performance and offers up a supercharged V8 with 420 horsepower as well as an upgraded suspension, lightweight wheels, exterior graphics, and a few interior accents. If buyers want a little more, they can also shop the Saleen Speedlab catalog for items like the 475 horsepower upgrade kit that retails for just under a grand and doesn't void the 3-year/36,000 mile warranty. That's near GT500 territory, but for $5,000 less (not including markup on the Shelby), and about 300+ lbs lighter. The car will be officially unveiled at Mustang Week in Myrtle Beach, SC on July 26, and if you're in the area we hear they will be offering demo rides.
We've driven our fair share of Mustangs, but it's a rare occasion that we get to drive one at the track. That's part of the reason why we made the seven hour trek from Southern California to Thunderhill Raceway in Willows, CA, to get behind the wheel of Roush's new 427R Trak Pak Mustang. What's so special about the Trak Pak? For starters, it's got a supercharged V8 packing 435 horsepower and an abundance of race-ready items like an adjustable suspension, carbon fiber wing, and 14-inch brakes that all make it ideal for the weekend warrior who wants his vehicle to handle the daily grind and track-day floggings. With only 100 being built, this may be one of the few opportunities to see one in the sheetmetal, let alone to drive it on the track. While inclement weather the night before threatened to ruin the trip, we were blessed with a rain-free day, allowing us to explore the limits of the Trak Pak'd 427R.
Doug Pelmar's 1987 Ford Mustang LX Coupe might have just become our favorite X-Prize competitor. How come? Well, first off, LX Coupes are awesome to begin with, but Mr. Pelmar's is even more special. Rather than neuter his 'Stang in the name of high efficiency, he's gone and created something that should contend in the X-Prize's "Mainstream" category, but would also be right at home on the pages of Muscle Mustangs and Fast Fords. The car's engine runs on E85 for emissions purposes and has several modifications that Mr. Pelmar designed (mostly electronics, it seems) allowing it to run much more efficiently -- to the tune of a claimed 80 miles per gallon -- while producing 400 horsepower and 500 lb-ft of torque. He admits that he could squeeze more MPGs out if he dialed back the power some, but where's the fun in that? 80 MPG and 400 horses in a Fox body seems like a completely reasonable compromise to us.
Saleen has launched a barrage of new products since company founder Steve Saleen left the company last summer including the S302 Extreme, H302SC, Dan Gurney Signature Series Mustang, Sterling Edition Mustang, and the S5S Raptor Concept. While these new Saleen vehicles are pushing the level of performance upwards, it seems that the price has ballooned, as well. We'd love to have a Sterling Edition Mustang in the garage, but realistically, how many people can afford a $90,000 Mustang? While Saleen may have increased desirability with its new models, the obtainability went down as a result.
Saleen may have the answer. In a recent letter to its dealers, Saleen announced that it would be introducing "a new brand of performance products...at a more competitive price point." Like Toyota/Lexus, Nissan/Infiniti, and Honda Acura, Saleen will be able to have both a value and a high-end brand. Using the RaceCraft name, which has previously been the name of suspension components, the first vehicle in the lineup will be the 420S Mustang featuring a supercharged V8 with 420 horsepower, an array of suspension upgrades, 18-inch wheels and tires, aluminum instrument panel, leather-wrapped steering wheel, 420S graphics and more. All for $38,995. Considering a fully loaded Mustang GT can easily exceed $30,000, the 420S actually seems like a pretty good deal. Also in the works is a RaceCraft Ford Focus with a target price of $20,000. Hopefully they'll keep the nitrous out of the car this time and won't get fined by the California Air Resources Board.
Can you believe we've assembled five galleries so far of 2010 Ford Mustang spy shots? This is our sixth, and the pics contained show the pony car's derriere largely uncovered. Spy photographers caught the convertible with its pants down just long enough to capture an uncluttered view of the Mustang's new taillights. They contain three large vertical rectangular elements separated by two long, thin white elements. Modern Mustang taillights have always incorporated "threes", which harkens back to the original Mustang that first sported three long taillights per side. We also learn from these spy pics that the Mustang 'vert will be dropping its raised spoiler in favor of a decklid spoiler that's more integrated with the rear trunk lid rather than sitting above it. Finally, the large, round rear Mustang badge that's notched on current models appears to have met a belt sander and now features smooth edges all the way around. Can't wait for the seventh gallery of Mustang spy shots!
Despite the Shelby GT500KR's claim of supremacy over the dominion that is the open road, there is yet another Mustang that is even more extreme. Shelby's Super Snake package for the GT500 offers up to 725 horsepower and even more aggressive options for the suspension and braking systems. Available as a post-sale conversion for the GT500, the transformation can be performed at the Shelby facility in Las Vegas or at one of the official mod shops around the country. There have been a handful of owners who have already converted their GT500s, and one is already for sale on eBay. Something seems wrong with the seller's math, however, because a "Buy It Now" price of $200,000 is far more than the cost of a GT500 plus the $31,995 needed for the 725 horsepower conversion. We could understand the markup if these were in high demand, but pretty much any GT500 owner can send his car to get converted.
This morning we were patiently awaiting our daily news regarding a new version of the Mustang, and ROUSH came through by sending us a sneak peak of its new RTC Mustang that will be officially unveiled this weekend at the National Mustang Show in Dublin, OH. There's no press release available, but from what we can gather it's a coupe version of the aesthetically-pleasing ROUSH Speedster. Standard equipment includes a special red and black two-tone paint scheme, a 4-piece body kit, upgraded suspension, 20-inch wheels, and more. A supercharger, 14-inch brakes, and a short-throw shifter can also be installed as options.
It's been just a few months since Saleen announced its Dan Gurney Signature Series Mustang at the New York Auto Show in April, but the limited edition Mustang has already hit showroom floors. Apparently the car at the show was fairly production ready, although we heard that Gurney spent the last few months helping fine tune the suspension just the way he wanted it. According to Saleen, he still would be if they had let him. In addition to the specially tailored suspension settings, the Gurney Edition also features unique bodywork, graphics and interior as well as lightweight 19-inch wheels and Saleen's supercharged V8 pushing out 465 horsepower. We attended a kick-off party at Galpin Ford in Van Nuys, CA where Dan Gurney was on hand to show off the car and sign autographs. We were also able to take a closer look at the car so we could choose which of the three color schemes we like best, but we're still undecided. A high resolution gallery is below that should help you decide for yourself.
It seems to be getting easier to take spy shots of the 2010 Ford Mustang, as reader Chris F. chatted up the drivers of these two prototype 'Stangs in Lake Zurich, IL who told him they were both base models with the 4.0L V6. The coupe also features a glass top, which suggests this relatively new feature will carryover to the redesigned '10 Mustang and be available on all models. Unfortunately, the fact that both base models were still powered by the same old 4.0L V6 suggests that, at least when it debuts, the '10 Mustang will not feature the 3.5L V6 that can currently be found in nearly every other Ford product.
We can see all the tell-tale signs of the redesigned Mustangs in these pics, including its new headlights, new grille, new front fascia, new wheels and new taillights. Out back there's only one tailpipe, confirming their base modelness. Unfortunately, the cool drivers Chris met up with asked him not to photograph the interior and weren't willing to give up any other juicy tidbits, but we'll take what we can get.
Ford has a long history of creating factory-built racers based on its regular production cars. Over the past four decades, most of those have have been derived from the Mustang. Since the mid-90s, that has included several runs of Cobra Rs, and today, a couple of variants of the FR500. Later this summer, Ford will revive another Mustang variant from the first generation when the Cobra Jet is reborn. The original Cobra Jet was built as a drag racing special with a high-torque long-stroke 428 cu. in. V8. Forty years later, Ford will be building a new Cobra Jet this summer.
The new Cobra Jet will be powered by a supercharged 5.4L 32-valve V8 based on the GT500 engine. The Cobra Jet engine will be built on the same niche engine line as the GT500 and will have plenty of capacity for modifications by racers. (note: post edited at the request of the manufacturer) Ford is only planning to build 50 new Cobra Jets at the behest of a handful of dealers, who may end up buying all the cars and then re-selling them. The new drag racing specials are expected to be priced at $69,900.
