Roush Mustang Stage 3
Written by Joe Hayes
Saturday, 28 July, 2007
Jack Roush issued the engineering team at ROUSH Industries a challenge - “Design and engineer a true high performance, reliable and exciting Mustang, true Muscle Car, and I will see that America will get it.” They delivered the ROUSH Stage 3 Mustang – a winning combination of affordable performance and OEM quality - designed, engineered and manufactured with the motorsports legacy of ROUSH Racing and the technical expertise of ROUSH Industries. The Stage 3 combines increased horsepower and torque with carefully engineered changes to suspension, braking, and body systems. The result - unbridled performance with the superb handling of a true thoroughbred.
The Roush Stage 3 Mustang packs 415 horsepower with 385 lb-ft of torque under the hood, thanks to the addition of the Roushcharger system. This is the quickest, best-handling, and most stylish Mustang in the history of Roush Performance, a company with a long and rich heritage of Ford Mustang upgrades.
Or, as Jack Roush succinctly said, “This is the best Mustang we have ever built.”
The Stage 3, 4.6L, 3-valve V8 powertrain system includes the intercooled Roushcharger system with custom Roush-calibrated ECM and several other performance modifications. This upgrade is a vast improvement over the factory stock engine which is rated at 300 horsepower and 320 lb-ft of torque.
But this car is more than just being quick on the throttle as the more than 1G rating on the skidpad attests. The suspension upgrades include specially-engineered and tuned front struts, rear shocks, front and rear springs, front and rear sway bars and jounce bumpers. The front brakes are also upgraded with 14-inch front two-piece rotors and four-piston calipers. Each component was specifically engineered so that ride comfort was not compromised at the expense of the tremendous gains in performance.
Exterior styling is enhanced through the addition of a seven-piece body kit constructed from OEM-type materials which sees a front fascia, front chin spoiler, hood scoop, rocker panels, rear fascia valance and rear wing installed by Roush factory technicians.
Other amenities include lower valence fog lamps, custom 18-inch forged rims with high-performance tires, sport leather seat covers, embroidered floor mats, billet aluminum pedals including a new dead pedal, and the Stage 3 electro-luminescent white face gauge cluster. The car also has Roush badging throughout and a serialized engine bay plaque indicating the car was hand-built in the Livonia, Mich., facility.
“This new Roush Stage 3 Mustang will literally turn heads twice,” claimed Joe Thompson, general manager of Roush Performance Products. “The first time is when they see how much better this car looks, and the second comes as you put your foot in it, kick in the Roushcharger, and blow by just about anything on the road.”
Optional components to further customize the car include racing stripes, interior dash trim kits, locking lug nuts, trunk tool kit, short throw shifter, billet aluminum shift knob, and more.