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The Boss Legend Is Reborn With The All New BPM Boss.
Stonger Than The Original!
Bickford Performance Mustangs is your one stop for Ford high performance
Mustangs.
Face it, you're chompin' at the bit to grab the reigns and gun the gas. If it's any consolation, you're experiencing what more than 8 million buyers have felt since Mustang first kicked
loose. It set the '60s a-swingin.' It's inspired fan clubs on 6 continents. It's starred in over 600 motion pictures. It's in the winner's circle at the track and on the strip. And it helped
drive the Firebird to extinction. What's it all mean?
Mustang is America's pony car, and Mustang owners have way more fun! Whether its the ever popular Mustang in all it's forms: GT, Cobra, Shelby, Boss or one of the other potent Ford Performance cars of the present or the past. It seems everybody has a favorite Mustang. With so many different generations to choose from the list is varied. To some, a '66 convertible, red with a white top, a Pony interior and a 289 is the best ever. Or how about a fastback with the HiPo V8 and GT package? GT: wilder the better California Special This mod version pays tribute to the original West Coast wild thing - the '68 GT California Special (GT/CS) that's become a collector's classic. Today's new, exclusive-to-GT option is available in limited edition nationwide. Its front fascia flaunts a prominent air intake, and a chin spoiler that's a good 1.5" lower than Mustang GT's usual one.
There's a slick pair of side scoops, mid-body GT/CS tape stripes, plus 18" polished-aluminum wheels. The rear fascia houses a racing-inspired diffuser, and the exhaust brandishes bright, rolled tips. Inside, Dark Charcoal leather-trimmed seats (at right) are uniquely contrasted with Dove or Parchment leather inserts. Let Mustang GT/CS happen to you! Others consider the 5.0L Mustangs the best ever largely because of the variety of low cost add-on parts available. These cars are relatively inexpensive to buy and to modify. The 4.6L DOHC Cobras come ready to run from the factory.
2005 - The Mustang moves to a new platform, the S197, a modified version of the DEW98 rear-drive platform with independent suspension that's shared with the new T-Bird and the Lincoln LS. The base six cylinder and the GT will get a live axle (and a panhard bar). The base engine is Ford's 4.0L SOHC V6 producing 210 HP. The GT will get a three-valve SOHC 4.6L with 300HP (still running on 87 octane) with the same five-speed manual as before. Special limited-availability Shelby GT500 and GT models for 2007. The open-air Mustang has reclaimed its rightful "America's best-selling convertible" crown. From the word go, Mustang was engineered to convey true solidity with the top down. Every model incorporates an ultra-rigid chassis structure - joints and rocker panels on the convertible are as rigid as those on the coupe for a remarkably smooth, quiet ride.
The Z-fold design of Mustang's all-weather ragtop is low profile, with 3-layer construction, featuring a waterproofed outside layer, a sound-deadened middle layer, and an eye-candied inside layer. And something new this time around: The soft top comes optionally in black cloth too. Air conditioning, power locks with remote keyless illuminated entry, power windows with driver and front-passenger one-touch-up/-down, power sideview mirrors, a pair of power points, an audio input jack, a Tire Pressure Monitoring System, cruise control, and a glass rear window on the power up/down convertible top (should you choose to go vert) are all standard. So safe too. Not only is Mustang America's best-selling sports car, it's even earned the government's highest frontal crash test rating* - 5 Stars for both the driver and front passenger - based on evaluations by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Every Mustang GT arms you with the award-winning 4.6L 3-valve V8, serving up a potent 300 hp and a street-scorchin' 320 lb.-ft. of torque; more to the point, 0-60 in 4.9 secs.* The 4.0L V6 dishes out a rousing 210 hp and 240 lb.-ft. of low-end torque. These powerplants are more than 50% cleaner** than the last generation, along with being pretty darned fuel efficient - getting 25 mpg with the V8, and achieving 28 mpg with the V6. Both offer up a short-throw 5-speed manual as finger food; a 5-speed automatic trans is optional.
The original BOSS 302 was a race winning engine. Sharing the DNA from the original BOSS 302, the new BOSS 302 begins with a block designed with racing in mind from the beginning, said Jamie Allison, manager, Ford Racing Performance Group. Whether racing in a sealed engine class, building an all-out drag racing engine or looking for a street performer, the BOSS 302 block and engine family meets the needs of all Ford 302 enthusiasts at a price that is comparable to a performance-prepped stock 302. Ford has rolled out a host of new Mustang and Mustang-based models for 2007, including the GT California Special, Shelby GT/GT-H, and Shelby GT500.
An auxiliary audio input jack is standard on all models, and Sirius Satellite Radio and a DVD-based navigation system are now optional. What's New? Ford has rolled out a host of new Mustang and Mustang-based models for 2007, including the GT California Special, Shelby GT/GT-H, and Shelby GT500. An auxiliary audio input jack is standard on all models, and Sirius Satellite Radio and a DVD-based navigation system are now optional. The Mustang has been a part of the American motoring lexicon for over four decades. When it first debuted in 1964, the Mustang spawned a new class of cars called pony cars-a segment Mustang has led ever since, and that Chrysler and GM are planning to re-enter with the upcoming 2008 Dodge Challenger and 2009 Chevrolet Camaro. Like the original Mustang, the 2007 model is a rear-wheel-drive 2-door coupe with a choice of six-cylinder or V-8 engine, the latter known as the Mustang GT.
For 2007, the GT lineup adds the GT California Special (which, despite its name, is available in all 50 states). It features unique exterior styling, a lowered suspension, California Special tape stripes, and a black leather interior with contrasting inserts. Carroll Shelby was famous for his high-performance Mustangs of the 1960s. Shelby is once again teaming with Ford to create three new limited-production models. The Shelby GT coupe features engine, suspension, and shifter enhancements from Ford Racing that boost horsepower from 300 to 319 and give the Shelby GT track-ready handling.
The GT-H is an automatic-only version that will be available to rent through Hertz Rent-A-Car; at the end of their rental tenure, the cars will be auctioned to the public. The Shelby GT500, available as a coupe or convertible, boasts even more enhancements, including a 500-hp supercharged V-8 engine. As with the Shelby-enhanced Mustangs of the 1960s, the modern-day Shelbys are expected to become collector's items. Ford plans to further expand the Shelby lineup for 2008 with a convertible version of the GT-H, again available to rent through Hertz Rent-A-Car, and a 540-hp version called the GT500KR "King of the Road." Clever those Ford marketing types ? their new favorite phrase regarding the Mustang is "A steed for every need." True, or just banal hyperbole? After driving a 2007 Mustang GT, Shelby GT, and a Shelby GT500, I see some truth in this advertising. On a pleasant day in October, Ford rented the road course at Moroso Motorsports Park near Palm Beach, Florida . They populated the track with all manner of Mustangs, ranging from the basic 300-horsepower GT to a full-blown Shelby GT500. The Mustangs were there for the press's driving pleasure, and it was just that.
From garden variety to near-exotic Our baseline for the day was the garden variety Mustang GT. It's a pretty happy car around the flat 2.25 miles of Moroso. But things you'd expect from a standard production car surface in the GT. As you upshift through the gears, the suspension relaxes, then recompresses. This is never unsettling; it's just the way a high-volume production car is set up. Same for the brakes - they get hot and fade after a few hot corners. On the street, these things don't matter, but you notice them after turning a bunch of hot laps. On the plus side, we noticed how balanced the GT is. It's an easy car to drive quickly because it responds to the helm and the throttle with equal aplomb. Stepping up to the Shelby GT, we experienced what a bit of tuning does for the base GT.
The Shelby GT gets hardware developed by Ford Racing and Shelby's team (the old man himself was involved), and it changes the car markedly. The hardware includes packages from Ford Racing called the Power Pack and the Handling Pack. The former includes a low-restriction muffler, a cold-air intake system, and new engine electronics mapping. The result is a verifiable 20-horsepower gain at the rear wheels. The latter package drops the Mustang a good 1.5 inches using new springs and dampers. Different sway bars and a strut tower brace finish off the package. On the track, the Shelby GT feels much more composed than the standard GT. Gone is the seesawing at gear changes, and the car's attitude in corners is much more neutral. This suspension makes a driver aware of just how much understeer is dialed into a standard GT.
The Shelby GT's rear end is much livelier, making this model feel the lightest and most responsive of the trio we sampled. While I'd like to say I could feel the extra power, my hind side is not finely enough calibrated to pick up on an increase that works out to be around seven percent. My ears could hear how good the low-restriction exhaust sounded. Nirvana achieved Moving up to the Shelby GT500, the driving experience changes completely. Powered by an iron-block 5.4-liter Triton V-8 with a Roots-style supercharger running at 8.5 psi of boost, the alpha male of Mustangs puts out an even 500 horsepower. The transmission is a Tremec TR6060, a special six-speed manual with high torque capabilities. Its suspension features plenty of unique performance pieces, and the brakes are massive 14-inch, four-pot Brembo units. Both front and rear brake discs are vented. Rolling stock measures out at P255/45ZR18 in front and P285/40ZR18 out back.
Pulling out of pit lane, the increase in power is immediately apparent, as is (surprisingly) the quietness of the exhaust. This car swooshes along vacuuming up track like a rabid Hoover. While clearly faster than the Shelby GT, the Shelby GT500 feels much heavier because understeer is more prominent, in part due to 57-percent of the car's weight being over the front axle. (The 4.6-liter in the two lesser GTs is an aluminum-block engine, the 5.4-liter is iron.) From outside the car, the supercharger's characteristic whine signaled big power, but inside the greatest sensation was never-ending torque.
Thankfully, the big brakes were up to track duty. Our on-track impressions of the Shelby GT500 were confirmed with a week of road time in Michigan. Around the streets of Detroit, the big Shelby felt like a classic Motown muscle car - big, brawny, and ready to brawl. Giving in to its desire to fight, we took it to Milan Dragway to see how it would do facing off against others during a test-and-tune Wednesday time-trial session. Easily ripping off quarter miles in the low 13s at over 109 mph says much more about the capabilities of the Shelby than the capabilities of the driver.
The author was dusted in the first round of bracket-racing eliminations. With the demise of the truly fantastic Ford GT, the Shelby GT500 is left to carry Ford Motor Company's performance mantle. While it is clearly the king of all current Mustangs, it's no Ford GT. However, this is an appropriate time to utter, "The King is dead, long live the King."