Mustang GT-R concept is race ready

By Eric Mayne / The Detroit News


DEARBORN — In the minds of the motoring public, the Mustang is just a thinly-veiled race car.

So, Ford Motor Co. is using this week’s New York International Auto Show to bare the soul of its Mustang icon with the GT-R, a concept vehicle that celebrates the car’s ties with speed and performance.

“It’s a full-blown racer,” said J Mays, Ford’s group vice president of design. “It has more power than any man has a right to aim down the road.”

Making its debut in the same city where the first Mustang was introduced at the 1964 World’s Fair, the concept car is based on the 2005 production model and hints at what might be seen on the track when race teams get their hands on the new pony car. Ford will begin building the production model in September at AutoAlliance Inc., the Flat Rock plant it shares with Mazda Motor Corp.

The GT-R is also an homage to the imaginations of Mustang owners who can’t resist the temptation to tinker.

“It’s a celebration of things that people have done to Mustang over the years,” Mays said. “Through 40 years, they have just kept taking them and changing them and customizing them and modifying them. So we’re just trying to stoke that fire a little bit before September.”

Fittingly, the concept car is powered by a 500-hp 5.0-liter V-8, which is based on a Ford “crate” engine — so named because it offers high performance in a box. Ford builds and sells the engines for $14,995 each to enthusiasts who want to do their own customizing.
And while the GT-R remains a concept car with outlandish features such as a Formula One-style steering wheel, wide racing tires and a race-proven six-speed transmission, it still has resonance for Mustang fans. More than 85 percent of the GT-R’s body structure comes from the car that will roll off the line with a starting price under $20,000.

The GT-R was built in Troy, Mich., by Saleen Specialty Vehicles, which has its own connection with Mustang. Its California-based parent company, Saleen Inc., is Ford’s largest Mustang customer. It buys and customizes about 1,000 Mustang models annually and resells them at prices ranging from $36,669 to $150,000.

You can reach Eric Mayne at (313)-222-2443 or emayne@detnews.com.

Article With Pictures.

 

The Mustang GT-R features Ford Racing’s 440-horsepower “Cammer” crate engine that could be tuned to produce more than 500 horsepower under certain race series rules.

 

if i remmember correctly the cammer came straight with 500 horses. Why would they de-tune it?

 

I hope this isn't the only 500hp mustang. I hope they still are planning to make the Cobra with 500.

 

I'll save judgement for when I see it in 2 weeks.

 

I say that this mustang holds a lot of hints towards the next Cobra. i.e. 6-speed, side scoops, grille delete?, concept tail lights, 20" rims, 5.0L (probably not though $$ - maybe in the $50,000 version)

 

What Mustangs does Saleen build at 150K??? I thought the Extreme car was the most expensive at 60?

 

Saleen SR Coupe Base Price:
$175,000.00

 

The 2K Cobra R price just went down the toilet.

 

Thanks Boomer. I've never even seen that one before.

 

This is indeed the concept of Mustangs to come. This totally is hinting at the next Cobra, with a little Cobra R thrown in.

I can see it now, "Hey, the new Cobra looks just like the GT-R concept from New York!"

"Yes, it does, you idiot. You think we would build that car and then not use any of those ideas/technologies on a real car?"

Wow. Get rid of the obligatory racing details on this thing, and you have our next cobra. Concept lights, no grille, rear-quarter windows gone, side exhaust, RETURN OF THE 5.0!!!!!

Once you look past the rough* exterior this thing is kind of cool.


* "Rough" = totally ugly and a big let down for the famed "variant".

 

I'm offering $5K for anyone wanting to 'dump' one.

 

I'm with you rob B)

 

same, and, once again, THE GT-R is perty!

 

The cammer was relased in 3 different versions, fuel injected and carburated. HP was around 385 - 425 for the different versions so 440 HP is an increase over what was previously available on the 5.0 Cammer.

 

they just put the cammer in there because the 5.4's are still a work in progress

 

http://www.maximum-cars.com/Cars/Car.php?carnumber=624

:worship: :worship: :worship: :worship: :worship:

 

5.0 CAMMER!!! WOOHOO!!
Pity it's not the 427 cammer though... Oh well...
5.0 CAMMER!!! WOOHOO!!

 

Just my opinion. The GT-R might "hint" at some future Mustang variant. However, even if it does I seriously doubt it hints at the next Shelby/SVT model. The only things I could see making it onto a Cobra would be the wing and the front bumper w/ it's foglight hole placement and those would be sketchy. That wing would only ever make it onto an R-Model too.

Ford has made it pretty clear they want the next Shelby/SVT to compete with the M3 and have a pretty upscale image for a street car. This car was obviously done without either of those things in mind.

To me, even when I first saw the car, it looked like a modern day interpretation of a race ready Boss 302. Now that we know it has the 5.0L Cammer crate motor in it there is little doubt in my mind that this is exactly what the GTR concept is supposed to be. Headlights done in a retro 1970 fashion? A yellow paint scheme with a blacked-out hood? The full-on race ready treatment? If this car hints heavily at anything as far as styling goes it's a Boss 302 revival. Although, I could see a headlight treatment like that making it onto a Mach-1 but I won't hold my breath.

As for a 5.0L revival, as long as it's in a Boss 302 or something else besides the next Shelby/SVT Cobra I am happy about it too. Brad's recent post on here about the 500+hp 5.4L only reinforces what I have long thought and hoped for, and what the rumour mill has kept coming back to. The next Cobra will have a blown 5.4L.

IMHO this is very good news as of all the motors people have realisitically hoped for none offers greater potential factory hp, and no other even comes close in offering enthusiasts easy and inexpensive modability. Even if the car itself is expensive. Here's to the next Cobra...rwd...500+hp 5.4L supercharged V-8....and a look slightly reminiscent of the concept. Where do I sign?

 

I agree with JSaylor in that some of the elements might anticipate a future production model, a neo Boss being a likely candidate as the original was inspired/based off the Trans Am racers. Like the Boss 302, this is a road racer, not a drag racer and many of the styling elements could be adopted to a new road racer Boss 302.

The 5.0 Cammer would make an obvious link to the original Boss 302 in terms of displacement alone. Also, being naturally aspirated, it would also likely be a bit of a peaky motor, though contemporary VVT and electronics would mitigate this.

The front end seems to be an intrigueing blend of the Concept and the '70 Stang front. I certainly like it, particularly the lower clip, better than the GT.

On to the side and you have a rather RX-8'ish air vent/extractor on the side and blocked off quarter window. The fender flares are also much more prominent, presumably to fit bigger meats.

Off to the rear and there's more shades of the Concept in the full width lights. Also, another fender air extractor vent and lower venturi/ground effects ducting indicate a serious speed machine.

Interestingly for a Saleen project, it is delightfully free of the overdone cheese grater scoops and vents that Saleen typically slathers on any free square inch of their cars.

Wonder how many of these elements might be adopted onto street cars? Hopefully that hors d'oeuvre try rear spoiler will be a deletable item at most. Wonder what's holding up the rear end -- buggy axle or something of the 21st century?