First Ford Mustang FR500S Race Cars Delivered

[Via WorldCarFans]
By Michael Gauthier


Last year we brought you news from the SEMA show that Ford was preparing to launch a new budget Mustang racer. Now the company has announced they delivered the first 19 Mustang FR500S’ last weekend at the inaugural Ford Mustang Challenge for the Miller Cup racing series.

New owners were given the chance to meet with series officials, receive technical information from Ford Racing engineers and attend the Ford Racing High Performance Driving School. Priced at $75,000 the FR500S race cars sits below other Mustang race cars like the FR500C ($125,000) and the FR500GT ($250,000).

Power is provided by a tweaked version of the standard 4.6L V8 found in the Mustang GT, producing about 325 hp. Changes to the car include a new cold air intake, a modified exhaust system, performance tuning by Roush, a stripped down interior to remove excess weight, the addition of a rear wing and a roll cage. Co-developed by Ford Racing Technology and Miller Motorsports Park, a total of 77 Mustang FR500S’ were built by AutoAlliance International in Michigan.

The cars will compete in the Ford Mustang Challenge which will be held at various race tracks across the United States. Sanctioned by the Grand American Road Racing Association, the series will only be open to racers with the new FR500S.



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Press Release

The inaugural Ford Mustang Challenge for the Miller Cup racing series held its first official event this past weekend with 19 entrants taking delivery of their new Mustang FR500S race cars in a special program at Miller Motorsports Park.

Participants also had the opportunity to attend the Ford Racing High Performance Driving School, meet series officials, receive technical information from Ford Racing engineers and shake down their new race cars for the first time during the open track sessions on both Saturday and Sunday.

“The Mustang was a dominant showroom-based race car during the glory days of American road racing in the mid-1960’s and ‘70’s and this car certainly continues that proud tradition,” said Jamie Allison, manager of the Ford Performance Group. “Our intent was to develop a fun-to-drive reliable race car that delivers on what people have come to expect from a Mustang – V8 power and rear-wheel drive performance at an affordable price, and I think we’ve accomplished that with the FR500S.

“In the short time since the creation of the Mustang Challenge was announced at SEMA, the interest in the both the FR500S and the series has exceeded our expectations,” Allison continued. “We have a terrific mix of participants that bring experience from various forms of racing, including the Grand Am KONI Challenge Series, which should produce exciting, fender-to-fender racing.”

The FR500S was co-developed by Ford Racing Technology and Miller Motorsports Park and is the newest addition to the Mustang FR500 racing family. A total of 77 cars were manufactured at AutoAlliance International in Flat Rock, MI, with additional race-prep fabrication at Watson Engineering (Taylor, MI) and final race prep at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, UT, the FR500S is the first race car built by Ford Motor Company at a production facility intended for sale to the public.


The Ford Racing Mustang Challenge is a new professional racing series co-developed by Ford Racing and Miller Motorsports Park and appeals to racers looking to compete in an affordable, challenging V8-powered rear-wheel-drive car. Utilizing only the new Ford Mustang FR500S and sanctioned by the Grand American Road Racing Association, the series will stage eight races in support of major professional road racing events across North America:

May 2-4
Road Atlanta
HSR

June 13-15
Mosport International Raceway
NASCAR (Canada)

June 20-22
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
Grand Am

July 18-20
Barber Motorsports Park
Grand Am

August 15-16
Lime Rock Park
NASCAR (East)

August 29-21
New Jersey Motorsports Park
Grand Am

September 19-21
Miller Motorsports Park (doubleheader)
Grand Am


For more information about the Ford Racing Mustang Challenge for the Miller Cup or details on how to purchase a Mustang FR500S, please visit www.MustangChallenge.com.
Source: Ford

KITT On Conan O'Brien TV Show

[Via YouTube & KnightRiderOnline]

Conan has his desk retrofitted with KITT via a voice modulator, and comedy ensues...

Survey Study: Teenagers Say They'd Most Like To Drive A Ford Mustang

[Source: KickingTires] & [Via: AutoBlog]


When you’re young, fun takes priority over function. Once age sets in, function gets the nod.

That's the finding of a nationwide survey by TRU, a Northbrook, Ill.-based subsidiary of Research International USA, which specializes in the buying behavior and trends of two of the nation's most sought-after age groups by those with products to sell: teens and 20-somethings.

In its latest survey, TRU asked youth what new vehicle they most want to buy — with one stipulation: To keep the kids from simply inking “Lamborghini” on the dotted line and returning to their iPods, their desired car had to be one they could buy if they’d socked away enough money on their own or if their parents opened the checkbook.

Teens picked the sporty Ford Mustang first, while the 20-somethings went with the practical Honda Civic.

"Mustang pops up as No. 1 among teens because it's a lot of fun and the parents usually pay the insurance and hand the kids their gasoline credit card," said TRU spokesman Rob Callender. “Civic pops up among the older 20-somethings because they pay for their own insurance and gas, so function takes priority.”

Among teens, the most desired cars in order of preference were the Mustang, Civic (to customize), Honda Accord, Volkswagen Beetle, Toyota Camry, Toyota Corolla, Chevy Impala, Ford Focus, Ford F-150 pickup, Jeep Wrangler, Chevy Silverado pickup, VW Jetta and Nissan Maxima.

Among 20-somethings, the Beetle, Wrangler and Focus were missing.

"Beetle is only popular among teen girls, not teen guys or any 20-something, regardless of gender," Callender said.

Also noticeable in their absence were any full-size SUVs, such as the Cadillac Escalade, which only two years ago was the most sought-after SUV by youth who wanted to make a statement.

"Escalade lost its cachet when gas prices rose," Callender said, noting that only one SUV was listed be either age group, and that was the compact Wrangler.

Though teens aspire to own a Mustang, that doesn't mean one will end up in their driveway.

"Teens may aspire to the Mustang, but the parents often buy the Civic,” Callender said. “With 20-somethings, the budget holds the veto power over what they buy, but with teens, parents hold the veto power."

Ford Recalling 470,000 Mustangs (2005-2008) to Tweak Airbag Software

[Via AutoBlog & Jalopnik & Mustang Evolution]



Ford Motor Co. said Wednesday it is recalling 470,000 Ford Mustangs from the 2005-2008 model years to recalibrate how forcefully the air bag deploys on the front passenger side of the car. Internal testing showed the air bag could injure a small, unbelted passenger, said Ford spokesman Wesley Sherwood. The recall was posted on the website of the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Sherwood said the fix would address “a very rare scenario,” and there were no reports of injuries or accidents tied to the recall.

Nearly 435,000 of the recalled vehicles are in the United States, with most of the remaining vehicles in Mexico and Canada. The Dearborn-based automaker will notify customers by mail in early March. Owners can take their vehicle to a dealer to have the air bag recalibrated to deploy at a lower force. For additional details, owners can call Ford at (866) 436-7332 or visit the company’s Owner Services Website at http://www.ford.com/owner-services.

Barrett-Jackson: Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR KITTs Already On The Block

[Via AutoBlog and CarPlusMovies]


In less than a month, the legendary Barrett-Jackson auction event will be held in Palm Beach, Florida. From March 27 to March 30, hundreds of car aficionados and investors will gather in the coastal city to see and maybe buy some of the rarest and most beautiful cars in the world. The Barret-Jackson auctions are also famous because of the star cars they offer, such as Bo’s General Lee (see our article) or the Monkeemobile.

This time though, a much more recent star will be up for sale: the Shelby Mustang GT500KR from the new Knight Rider. Or to be precise, two of them, since the lot is comprised off the normal KITT and the Attack Mode KITT. The buyer will make a good action too, since 100% off the proceeds will be donated to Salute to Education (a scholarship program funded by Ford).

While this is all good and charitable, does it have a hidden meaning? Are they selling the cars because the show won’t come back as a regular series? Is it because the show is coming back but not the cars? Is it a publicity stunt?

Well, they made more one of each version of KITT, and the show did very well with 12.7 million viewers. According to the New York Times (via The Knight Rider Online), one of NBC Entertainment co-chairman, Ben Silverman, declared that ” its ratings success makes it a likely addition to NBC’s schedule when it is announced in April”. So either the cars will be replaced (or modified. Can it get the Turbo-Boost, please?), or Ford and NBC are killing two three birds with one stone, promoting the Mustang, promoting the show, and offering scholarships at the same time.

Anyway, we hope they raise a lot of money for the cause, and that the lucky bidder will take his new rides on the road. The kids will love it.

[Source: Barrett-Jackson]

New York Auto Show 2008: Saleen S5S Raptor Concept Debut

[Via WorldCarFans]

Saleen S5S Raptor
What does a supercharger bolted on to a 5.0-litre V8, running on E85 sound like? For the purposes of this piece of information, it sounds like the Saleen S5S Raptor, a concept car from the house of Saleen that's destined to show its fangs at the New York Auto Show.

Raptor is only a sketch for now, but later this drawing will come to a top velocity just north of 200 mph/ 322km/h on a flat tarmac. Bodywork is courtesy of composite panels, while the chassis runs on aluminium. Both these are in the name of weight-saving, that all-important criterion when it comes to supplying as much speed as possible between tire and tarmac.

We think a bit more intelligence will make its way to the surface before the show, which is still a good month-odd away. Before then, I’m afraid this is all we’ve got.

Star Car Battle: 1968 Ford Bullitt Mustang 390 GT Or 1970 Le Mans Porsche 911 S?

[Via Jalopnik]



Last week we had the inaugural match of Star Car Shootout, in which the James Bond's Lotus Esprit from The Spy Who Loved Me went head-to-head against the Lamborghini Countach from Speed Zone in a battle to decide which big screen star was cooler. We've counted the votes, and with most of the precincts now reporting, Jalopnik projects that the Lotus has won.

This week, we've got another big-shot superstar facing off against a relative underdog. Appropriately for our whole "Which is cooler?" hook, both cars co-starred with the "King of Cool" himself, Steve McQueen. Now, while McQueen certainly surrounded himself with some impressive rides over the years, for this shootout we had to pick just two of them. The others will have to wait their turn. So for this match, we're pitting the Ford Mustang 390 GT from Bullitt against the Porsche 911 S from Le Mans. Yes, you're now probably already visualizing those scenes in your head, but just in case you aren't, we've got the clips after the jump.



Start talking about Steve McQueen's cars, and the first one that'll come to mind for most people is the Dark Highland Green 1968 Ford Mustang from Bullitt. Thing is, McQueen never actually owned the car. Of course, that doesn't disqualify the 'stang for this contest, but it does raise an interesting question. Did McQueen even particularly like the Mustang? His personal garage was filled mostly with European sports cars, not American muscle. Watching the chase scene, you'll notice that neither the Charger nor the Mustang take turns all that well. It's even been said that the shot of the 'stang overcooking one of the corners wasn't planned at all. Though I suppose if I'm going to start critiquing the film too closely, I would also have to start counting green VW Beetles, and I really don't want to do that. Besides, this isn't some class for a film student; we're here for the car. And it must be said the dark Mustang fastback with a 390ci V8 looks and sounds fantastic. It's an automotive icon. But there's a problem with that. Being famous to a degree is cool, but being a tool for a marketing department is not. In recent years, Ford has made not just one "special edition" Bullitt Mustang, but two. Which means that you really don't have to be "in the know" to know about the car. It's like having your favorite rock band from the '60s all of a sudden become hugely popular again. You like the music still, but the all the teenage fans, the Broadway musicals, and the appearances on daytime television just sort of ruin the cool factor.


Unlike the Mustang, McQueen actually owned the '70 Porsche 911 S from Le Mans. He wanted a car to drive around in Europe while he was shooting the film, so he bought the Porsche, and when shooting was finished, he had it sent back to America. Now sure, there's no on-screen hoonage starring the 911, but you can only imagine that McQueen drove the snot out of the thing when he was off-camera. But that's not the point--this car was was cool not because it drove around jumping over hills and chasing baddies. The 911 is cool because it is understated and relaxed; it's what the tormented race car driver drove when, as McQueen's character famously put it in the film, he was "just waiting" between races. It has what the Mustang lacks: inconspicuousness. You really need to be obsessed with cars to appreciate the Porsche. For example, the current owner of the 911 was a Porsche collector who bought the car a few years ago without even knowing that it was in the Le Mans film; he just liked the car. Watch it cruise through France and you can't help but like it too.

Shelby Heaven: Superformance Complete Replicars Open New Showroom

[Via AutoBlog]

Ford Shelby GT40
We are big fans of Superformance Complete Replicars, makers of the Cobra, Daytona Coupe, and GT40 replicas that have the blessing (and licensing agreement) of Carroll Shelby. When we heard they were opening up a new showroom in Irvine, CA, we had to go check it out ourselves. Superformance Complete Replicars have actually been in the same building for the past few years, so the location is nothing new. However, they recently decided to knock down a few walls so that they could store their beautiful and wickedly fast eye candy in something more presentable to the public. On to the photos - check out the huge gallery of photos below and pick out your dream car.


Gallery: Superformance Showroom

Saleen S281 and Roush 427R Do Battle!

{Via AutoBlog}


While Saleen and Roush have always been competitors for the dollars of Mustang lovers everywhere, the two companies have somehow managed to co-exist for decades. But which makes a better Mustang? Former FIA F300 driver Derek Hill of Web Rides TV had the opportunity to pit the Saleen S281 against the Roush 427R to see which legendary pony car tuner would come out on top.



At first, the battle of the two supercharged Mustangs doesn't look like a fair fight. The S281 has 465 hp and 425 lb-ft, some 30 more horsepower and 25 more lb-ft than the 427R. The S281 also weighs 300 lbs. less than the more visceral 427R. As New York Giants fans can attest, however, just because one team looks better on paper, when the game is being played, anything can happen. Hit the jump to view a video of the 427R against the S281 in 0-100-0, slalom, and on-track tests. The video is incredible, and the two vehicles aren't nearly as evenly matched as you might think.

[Source: Web Rides TV]

NBC Knight Rider Opening Intro

New Knight Rider Opening, redone by NBC. See below. I like it. Vroom vroom!
[Via YouTube]


Original Airdate: February 17th, 2008

NBC Knight Rider Movie: AMAZING.

NBC Knight Rider Official Website


Verdict: AMAZING. 5 out of 5 Stars. Sweet. End of story.

New One-Minute NBC Knight Rider Commercial Posted!

This one really got my heart pumping, wow. This is going to be amazing, guns, fast cars, and tons of action. About time, the old 1980's series was dry and boring anyways. Only reason people watched it was for the car, honestly. You know its true. Peace out!



UPDATE (2/12/2008; 19:00: NEW ONE-MINUTE PREVIEW ON YouTube!

2010 Ford Mustang GT Convertible Caught!

[Via AutoBlog and Jalopnik]



We've shown you plenty of 2010 Ford Mustang spy shots in recent months, but after seeing the 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 in person this week at the Chicago Auto Show, our eagerness for the pony car wars to begin anew has reached a fever pitch. These new spy shots of the refreshed Mustang GT that is scheduled to debut as a 2010 model focus exclusively on the car's rear end where we get our best view yet of its new taillights. It appears that brake lights are inspired by three vertical brake lights that were on the original Mustangs. Brenda Priddy's spy photog also happened to catch this particular convertible just as a train was passing by bearing "GT" on the side of a car. It must make spy photography so much easier when random objects in your environment happen to caption the subject of your shot.



[Photo: Brian Willliams for Brenda Priddy & Co.]

New Knight Rider TV Spot on NBC

[Via Jalopnik]
Well, our good friends at Knight Rider Online have the scoop yet again on a new commercial for the new Mustang-ed up Knight Rider mini-series. The show'll be airing on the February 17th. The commercial? From what we understand, that aired last night on Conan O'Brien. The one new bit of info we're able to glean from the 30-seconds of 'stang-love is we get to see KITT's voice modulator for the first time. Oh yay. Want to see the other commercials? They're here, here and here and oh yes, here. We're going to get back to covering the Chicago Auto Show now.
[Via Knight Rider Online]


[Photos From NBC.com]

How (Camaros and) Mustangs Should Sound: VROOM VROOM!

[Via Jalopnik]


Since today's PCH has us in a Mustang/Camaro frame of mind, it's time to see a few that actually, you know, run. Turn up your speakers, because you're going to want to share this with everyone in the office. No, really. Crank 'em up all the way! What we have here is 24 Hours of LeMons Flat Rock winner ViergangFuchs, aka Jack Baruth at the wheel of a '95 Mustang Cobra in a Camaro-Mustang Challenge race last year. Power levels and suspension mods are fairly limited (those much faster cars blowing past in the video are in a different class), so what you're seeing here is the view from a not-absurdly-far-from-stock machine.

Videos Available on Jalopnik's Blog, HERE.

2010 Mustang Drawing

[Via Mustang.com]
Written by Ford Racing


Could this be the 2010 Mustang? One of our readers thinks that this is probably what the next major uplift of the our favorite pony car will look like. What do you think? Leave a comment or question in the comments section, please.

2008 Ford Mustang "Dream" Commercial

[Via AutoBlog]
By: Chris Shunk


With all the hype surrounding the upcoming production versions of the Dodge Challenger and Chevy Camaro, it's easy to forget that the Mustang is still king of the hill when it comes to pony car sales. We've had the very competent current model since Fall 2004, while any competition continues to be stuck in future-tense. Even without any direct competition, Ford has stayed on top of its RWD V8 American icon, and the 2+2 pony car is still the stuff of dreams. The marketing geeks at Ford picked up on the phenomenon, and the result is a :30 spot with some lucky Joe performing power slides and donuts in a red Mustang GT while the fuzz give him the thumbs-up. Ford added a hot brunette driving a Mustang convertible for good measure, and you've got the ideal REM of many-a-man.

NBC Knight Rider: Premieres Sunday, February 17th @ 9/8 Central

[Via NBC]


Here at Ford Mustang, we're just counting down the days until the premiere... can't wait to see the GT500KR in action. VROOOM VROOOM!!!!

CNN: "Addicted to the Rush of the Race"

[Via Jalopnik & CNN]



Jalopnik today had a report / coverage of this CNN article, "CNN All Up In Grill of Street Racing" which I highly recommend for pleasure reading. What a laugh. The original story, via CNN is below. A good read, nonetheless.



CNN: Addicted to the rush of the race"
By: Brad Lendon

* Story Highlights
* Illegal racing at "ridiculous" levels in U.S., one law enforcement official says
* No national database to track street racing arrests
* Street racers say they're drawn by adrenalin rush
* Police struggle to find appropriate deterrents

Fast and the Furious: London Pursuit - News!

[Via MustangEvolution]
By: Brent Wilson



It usually takes days, weeks, and sometimes months to create a show vehicle, but the San Diego-based Stangpede Mustang club has set out to prove otherwise. In front of a live audience at the 2008 San Diego International Auto Show, the Stangpede team transformed a stock 2008 Ford Mustang GT into full-blown show car in exactly six hours.
Stangpede Built :Fast & Furious 4″ Mustang. Click images for more high resolution pictures.

This wasn’t the first time that Stangpede has built a Mustang show car - they have previously built vehicles at auto shows in Orange County and Las Vegas as well as last year in San Diego. However, this build was somewhat different because the newly-modified Mustang will be featured in the upcoming Fast and Furious 4 movie. “We love having a live audience watch us build Mustangs, but this car is extra special because millions of people will see it,” said Ernie Sigala, Club President of Stangpede. The completed Mustang will appear in the movie with the Stangpede banner and will also appear at shows across the country.

The build-up was done using the very best aftermarket products available for the Mustang. The Stangpede team added an LNR body kit from Blow-By Racing, TruFiber GTS hood, Saleen 550-hp supercharger system, suspension and brakes, MAC full exhaust system, Classic Design Concepts Glassback roof, and a vertical door kit from Vertical Doors, Inc. Several sponsors took the extra step and even helped out with the build. Chris Jones, owner of Blow-By Racing helped install the supercharger, and Mac Jones Jr. of MAC Performance took on the installation of the exhaust system. DiabloSport co-owner George Najarian was on hand to tune the car using a Predator tuner, and Brad Diez from Speedzone Paint and Bodyworks was present to make sure the Mustang’s Candy Apple Red paint remained spotless. NOS Energy Drinks provided plenty of beverages to keep the team energized during the build. “We had tremendous support from our sponsors and couldn’t have done it without them,” said Sigala.



You can check out what the car is made out of by reading up on their impressive list of sponsors:

* Legacy Entertainment: Owners of 2008 Mustang GT
* Blow-By Racing: LNR body kit
* TruFiber: GTS ram-air hood
* Saleen: 550-hp supercharger kit, 20-inch wheels, Racecraft suspension with watts-link, shocks, springs, and sway bars, 15-inch brakes, Speedlab carbon fiber racing seats
* MAC Performance: Complete exhaust system include shorty headers, h-pipe, and side exhaust kit, chrome radiator cover, chrome fuse box cover
* Classic Design Concepts: Glassback roof, deck lid trim panel, dynamite sequential taillights, hood pin appearance kit, hood struts, detail corral
* SS Inserts: Under-hood stainless hardware kit, 8-inch fixed black antenna, billet chrome fuel door, polished stainless interior trim pieces, stainless steel license plate and frame
* Vertical Doors, Inc: Vertical door kit
* Kustom Shop: Candy Apple “Legacy” Red paint
* Hardcore Mustangs: Pre-show preparation of Mustang
* DiabloSport: Predator custom tuning
* Killer Glass: Borosilicate glass radiator hose
* >Modern Image: Vinyl decals
* Aces Land and Sea: Fuel and oil catalyst
* Speedzone Paint and Bodyworks: Painting and buffing
* Mechanix Wear: Work gloves for build
* Lucas Oil

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Also Recommended: See Jalopnik for their coverage!
And! Mustang Evolution has a full gallery HERE.