Mustang Convertible Gets Top Government Safety Ratings

The Ford Mustang convertible, the best-selling convertible ever, is now the first specialty sports car in history to earn the highest possible safety ratings in all New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) test modes performed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).The iconic 2008 Ford Mustang convertible stands alone as the only convertible of any type that can be called a five-star safety vehicle, having aced all NCAP crash testing and rollover resistance evaluations.

• Frontal crash evaluations for both driver and front-seat passenger
• Side impact evaluations for both driver and rear-seat passenger directly behind the driver
• NHTSA’s rollover test, a two-tiered evaluation used to gauge a vehicle’s resistance to rollover

The new Mustang convertible also earned the highest side-impact performance rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

“The five-star ratings confirm our own analysis of the safety performance of this excellent vehicle,” said Jim Vondale, director, Ford’s Automotive Safety Office. “The Mustang convertible is another example of working at all levels to offer a vehicle that is both sporty and safe. It was developed with a dedicated focus on safety, making it the highest rated Mustang ever built.”

For 2008, Mustang adds standard side air bags to an already comprehensive safety package. Along with the addition of seat-mounted thorax side air bags, safety features include the Personal Safety System – a suite of restraint technologies designed to tailor their response to the severity of the crash and other factors. The system includes dual-stage driver and front passenger air bags, safety belt pretensioners, seat weight sensing system for the passenger seat and crash severity sensing.

A vehicle occupant’s best line of defense in crashes remains the safety belt. Ford Motor Company’s industry-leading technology, Beltminder, reminds the driver and front-seat passenger to buckle up. The technology has been installed in more than 20 million vehicles. Both NHTSA and IIHS have noted the effectiveness of Beltminder as a significant life-saving technology.

Mustang convertible features a crash-optimized structure designed to help absorb and dissipate crash energy and maintain occupant compartment integrity. Ford designs all of its vehicles with the objective of reducing the risk and severity of injury in a crash. Ford safety engineers and experts use the most advanced computer modeling technology in the industry to ensure its vehicles meet or exceed our stringent internal crashworthiness standards. Ford incorporates an array of other stringent safety testing in the development of its vehicles, including frontal offset, side impact and rear impact.

Mustang remains one of the greatest automotive sales success stories of all time and is America’s best-selling convertible. Nearly one out of every two sports cars sold in this country is a Mustang. The 2008 Mustang intends to hold on to that sales leadership with new available features that will add personal appeal, including High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps, 18-inch wheels on the V-6 coupe, and an interior ambient lighting system.

2008 Shelby GT Mustang

The collaboration between Carroll Shelby and Ford Motor Company will continue in earnest with the 2008 model year. Last summer, Mustang enthusiasts were thrilled when it was announced that Shelby would be offering a hotted up version of the standard Mustang GT. The lure of course was the theory that it would be less expensive than the GT-500 while offering a “real” Shelby built by the man himself. While the cars have ended up getting a dealer mark-up treatment every bit as disgraceful as the GT-500’s they still remain more affordable in a relative sense.

For 2008, Shelby has announced to dealers that key changes in the colors and availability for the Shelby Gt will be coming. The previous black and white colors with silver graphics will give way to a single scheme of Vista Blue with silver LeMans stripes.

Further, production will be brought down to only 2100 units. Of note, this lower production will now include a convertible model which will surely be welcome. Unfortunately for performance purists, the percentage of production for the convertible is said by some sources to be at minimum 70% and possibly higher. This means that getting a coupe for the autocross hobbyist will be more of a challenge.

Production for the new Vista Blue Shelby GT’s will begin in September with dealerships taking delivery shortly thereafter. Automatic transmissions will be again available in up to 25% of production. Features and specifications for the 2008 Shelby GT Mustang will be identical to that of the 2007 models. The car will continue to use the Ford Racing Power Pack to increase the output of the naturally aspirated, three-valve, 4.6-liter V-8 to 319 horsepower, and about 330 pound-feet of torque.

The Power Pack includes a 90 millimeter cold-air intake and a new performance engine calibration for improved response. The high-flow exhaust system with X-pipe crossover offers better power delivery and a throaty V-8 exhaust note. A shorter rear-axle ratio is installed to capitalize on the Shelby GT coupe’s extra power, especially accelerating off the line. For Shelby GT models equipped with a manual transmission, a Hurst short-throw shifter is installed for more precise shift action.

The Shelby GT driving dynamics are fine tuned with the Ford Racing Handling Pack, which was developed by the same engineers that developed the Ford Racing FR500C, which won the 2005 Grand-Am Cup Championship. New coil springs drop the overall ride height by an inch-and-a-half for a more aggressive stance and reduced body roll. Stiffer dampers and front swaybar further enhance cornering feel and body control. To showcase the key performance modifications, Ford Racing painted all the key suspension components, including the damper, spring, and swaybar Ford Racing Blue.

A front strut-tower brace adds additional strength to the chassis structure, and P235/55ZR18 high-performance tires maximize the benefits of the chassis upgrades. “The Shelby GT is great fun on the track,” continues Shelby. “It’s got the heart and soul of the Mustang GT pumped up with a strong motor, nimble chassis and great sound. It’s one of those rare cars that’s easy to drive really fast.”

The powerful face of the Shelby GT features a unique front fascia, with a more aggressive lower air dam. The brushed-aluminum grille is accented by an offset Mustang logo. In addition, the Shelby GT has a new hood scoop that comes directly from the famed Shelby Cobra roadster.

The side profile features chrome-finished 18-inch wheels and unique side scoops just before the rear wheel arches. The rear fascia frames the larger dual exhaust tips, and is topped by Shelby badging on the trunk lid.

Inside, features include ‘Shelby GT’ logo floor mats and custom sill plates with Shelby GT nomenclature. In addition, the Shelby GT features an authentication plate on the center dashboard, as well as matching tag underhood. This tag features the CSX number, which is recorded in the Shelby Automobiles registry.

2008 Roush 428R

We write about Roush Mustangs a lot here on TMN. We get the cards and letters asking if we are on the payroll. If that were only true. The reality is that Roush is the big company making the news, along with Shelby. This week Roush announced yet another model in their line-up; the 2008 428R.

So what does 428R stand for? Does it have 428 cubic inches? No. Does it have 428 horsepower? No. Then what? It is “paying homage” according to Roush. After all, in the history books of the Mustang, “428” has its own chapter. So after building 427R’s for 2007, the company decided that 2008 was the year to honor the 428. Next year we will be given a 429R.

“We are continuing to honor and celebrate the heritage of the proudest models of Ford racing history – the 427, 428 and 429 (engines),” stated Jack Roush. “These are iconic numbers in the Ford world and it is an honor to put them onto Roush Mustangs and insert them back into the muscle car world.”

It may or may not make sense to the casual observer and the owners of these cars will surely need to practice a spiel of marketing mumbo jumbo to answer the common questions they will get at car shows, gas stations, and cruise ins.

The 2007 427R while of the same cloth as the new 428R was highly successful for Roush last year. “The 427R is easily the most popular Mustang model that ROUSH has ever introduced to the market,” said Joe Thompson, Roush Performance’s vice president and general manager. “That vehicle will remain the cornerstone of our lineup, but to celebrate Ford’s history of automotive breakthroughs we will build a 428R in 2008 and a 429R in 2009. These cars are intended to be a collector’s edition with limited production that pays respect to Ford Muscle Car history.”

The cars themselves are indeed a performance purists dream. Based on the 435 hp ROUSHCharged Stage 3 concept, the 428R is a more bare bones performance oriented variant, with less in the way of standard equipment, add ons, and frills.

Add a Custom Hood to your Mustang

Adding a custom hood can definitely change the way your Mustang looks, sometimes the way it performs also. For instance, checkout the picture of the Mach 1 Mustang up above. This Mustang is sporting a shaker hood, the hood scoop actually sucks in cold air from the outside and transports it right to the engine. Now look at the bland hood of the Ford Mustang down below, so which one looks better? Obviously the Mustang with the shaker hood. So if you’re not getting a lot of looks around town or picking up any hot chicks, lol. Try adding a custom hood to your Mustang, it definitely changes the overall appearance of your Mustang.

Best Catback Exhaust

The truth is that there isn’t a number one catback exhaust out on the market. Some may be a little superior than others, but not by much. I would just make sure your exhaust pipes are 3″, stainless steel, mandrel bent, and have great sound. The thing is, just about all catback exhaust systems have most of these features nowadays, that’s why there’s not a huge difference in horsepower. The big thing for me is sound, I just love flowmaster’s unique sound for the Mustang. Yeah, a lot of people say that everyone has those mufflers and they want something different. I say the hell with that, Flowmaster sound is too good to pass up. Another good exhaust to go with is Magnaflow, as you notice in the upper left hand corner, their exhaust has a lifetime warranty. Magnaflow mufflers sound great too! Other great companies to look at are Bassani and Dynomax. Also, be sure and checkout a few Mustang forums to see what other people are running and read their reviews.

Modifications to Start With?

A lot of new Mustang enthusiasts ask me, what modifications should I start with. Well, you first want to ask yourself how much horsepower do you want to make. Because if you’re looking to produce some huge numbers such as 100hp-200hp in upgrades, you definitely should start beefing up your Mustang with subframes, stronger transmission and rear end. Last thing you want is to be stranded somewhere because of a good launch. The more power you add, the stronger you’re gonna have to make your car.

A lot of people start backwards, throwing on a supercharger, then heads and cam. After a few runs at the track, they start breaking stuff. It’s stupid, a lot of people do this because they don’t have the money for all the mods and they just want to be show offs. Don’t be stupid, start smart and beef up your car.

But if you’re just looking to upgrade your Mustang with 40hp-50hp, you can almost start anywhere. Personally, first thing I would do is add a high performance intake on your Mustang with a K&N air filter. You want to get your muscle car to breathe. Imagine your car as a human being, the more air the person gets, the healthier they are going to be. Same goes with cars, more air they get, better the engine is going to perform. Second step would be upgrading your car with exhaust, choosing a good set of headers and catback. There’s a few other things you can do to reach that 50hp mark, like getting an aftermarket throttle body or good tune.

I hope these small tips have helped you out, make sure you check back often for some more tips.

Hurst Performance Ford Mustang

Hurst Performance is responsible for making some of the most iconic pace cars in racing history. After 50 years, they are still doing it, they just announced they will be making 50 limited production replicas of its supercharged BF Goodrich/Hurst 2010 Mustang Pace Car. This limited edition muscle car features a 20″ high polished forged aluminum wheels with gold painted center spokes, wrapped in BFGoodrish g-Force KDW tires. Other enhancements include Eibach suspension, supercharged engine, and magnaflow custom tuned exhaust. You’ll definitely notice this puppy on the road with its distinctive painted gold racing stripes and official “Pace Car” logos. So if gold is your favorite color, you better capitalize on this situation.

Top Influential Car Movies

Top Influential car movies for auto enthusiasts all over the world. Even though Top Gun isn’t a car movie, everyone has to admit the movie gives you the “Need for Speed!” The movie gives you rush just watching it, then makes you go out to your garage and fire your baby up. The intro to this movie is just amazing! It’s been over 20 years, that’s right 20 years, and still not one director has topped the intro in this movie.

Last but not least, Fast and Furious. All the gear heads and muscle car enthusiasts don’t like to admit it, but Fast and Furious has influenced many of us into the car scene. I always loved Mustangs and muscle cars ever since I visited my first Woodward cruise, but after seeing this movie, I was hooked. I knew I wanted to get my own muscle car and get it to do a wheelie. A lot of tuners say just loved the movie, but like I said up above, muscle car enthusiasts are just too cool to admit it was a decent car movie. Yeah, there’s a little too much rice and foreign cars, but the ending made up for it.

If you know any more movies that have influenced you into the car scene, mention them down below in the comments section.

2010 Mustang Competition Kits

Because of the 2008 Cobra Jet being a recent success, Ford Racing thought it would be great to offer a racer friendly competition kit for Mustang fans around the world. These industry-first kits greatly reduce the complexity and build time typically associated with a body- in-white build. For little more than the competition is offering the body shell alone, the Mustang Competition Kits include interior, exterior (including glass), and seats. Cobra Jet power-train components are also available through the Ford Racing catalog. This is a perfect setup if you’re planning on building a race car Mustang for next spring.

2010 ROUSH 540RH Mustang

Want the ultimate sleeper Mustang package? Well look no further than the 540RH Ford Mustang, it’s a big horsepower package put together by Roush Performance. The 2010 Roush 540RH will actually have the same forged internals as the Stage 3 Roush Mustang and making 540 horsepower. The thing that truly is amazing is the price, Roush is setting a price tag of only $46k. That’s not bad for a car that has this much horsepower and performance, it’s about time a someone did this. Props goes out to Jack Roush’s crew! I’m sure many Mustang fans are going to be very happy with this muscle car. The recorded quarter mile time they got out of this car was 11.8 seconds at 121mph, not bad at all! If I had the money, I know what Mustang I would be buying this year.

The only thing that will define this Ford Mustang as a Roush car is the decklid spoiler and short throw shifter, other than that your opponent won’t know the difference. Look out Mopar and GM drivers!