Posted by Alex Rae - Practical Motoring on 18th Oct 2019
Ford Australia Reveals Supercharged Mustang R-Spec
Australia Finally Gets A Supercharged Ford Mustang, But It Took Plenty Of Local Muscle To Make It A Reality.
FORD AUSTRALIA HAS unveiled the country’s first supercharged Mustang, developed and designed in Australia in partnership with Herrod Performance.
Unsurprisingly, it will be the most powerful Mustang in the Australian lineup. No specific engine output has been quoted yet, except for Ford to say it “will surpass the 345kW output of the Mustang Bullitt to take the crown as the most potent Mustang offered by Ford in Australia.”
Power for the factory-backed Mustang R-Spec is supplied from the third-generation 5.0-litre Coyote V8 engine mated to a supercharger by Melbourne performance tuning house Herrod Performance. The 2.65-litre capacity roots-type positive displacement supercharger was developed by both Ford Performance and Roush Performance and is set to produce 12psi boost. An aluminium intercooler and radiator are fed by the front air intakes to aid cooling.
“Herrod Performance is so proud to be able to work with Ford on this special collaboration, bringing a unique Mustang R-Spec equipped with genuine Ford Performance Parts, and honed with the expertise of both Ford Australia and Herrod Performance teams,” said Herrod Performance managing director, Rob Herrod.
“We’ve worked together to ensure that we have a consistent product that delivers a driving experience that meets the expectations of a factory-delivered product.
“The R-Spec has to be great to drive, as well as delivering the added power and creaminess of the supercharger – it’s what customers expect, and what we have worked on as a team to deliver.”
We recently drove a supercharged Mustang with Harrop’s latest supercharger kit and it produces over 500kW. Read the full review here.
Ford promises the R-Spec Mustang will have a unique grumble from its unique Herrod Performance active exhaust plugged up to the bent eight engine. Though it will likely wake the neighbours in the early hours, the active exhaust flap can be set to quiet mode at certain times of the day.
The Mustang R-Spec – available only as a fastback coupe and not convertible – was developed by both Ford Australia and Herrod, with testing and validation taking place at Ford’s You Yangs Proving Ground.
Improving handling, a number of Ford Performance parts have been added, such as firmer springs that sit 20mm lower compared to the regular Mustang GT, MagneRide active dampers, and adjustable stabiliser bars measuring 37mm (+5mm) front and 25.2mm (+3mm) at the rear.
The successor to the Mustang R-Spec which was available in 2014, the 2020 R-Spec mimics some of the elements of that car, such as matte black alloys and side striping, but there has been plenty more pen work from the Ford Australia design team in Broadmeadows, led by designer Dave Dewitt.
Extra visual impact on the Fastback-only R-Spec includes a unique rear spoiler, black Pony badging, exclusive diffuser, large bonnet air vent intakes, black surrounds on the LED headlights, and plenty of black extras which contrast against new bright paint colours.
The 19-inch alloys measure 9.5-inches front and 10-inches rear, an increase of 0.5mm for both. Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber has been selected to help gain traction when launch control is engaged and the supercharger begins to whine.
Inside is most of the best interior equipment available in the 2020 Mustang lineup, including leather-trimmed Mustang sports seats, three-spoke sports steering wheel, 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster and an 8.0-inch Sync3 infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.
The Mustang R-Spec is a limited-edition special, developed and sold in Australia only. It is also exclusively available in fastback shape with a six-speed manual transmission. All will be individually numbered from the 500 units produced.
Available to order from October 10, the Ford Mustang R-Spec is priced at $99,980 plus on-road costs and deliveries are expected to commence from early 2020. It comes with Ford Australia’s five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty and $299 capped-price servicing (payable for a standard A scheduled service) for up to 24 months or 40,000kms.
Is this the Ford Mustang you’ve been waiting for?