POWER TO THE PONY

With the $100K R-Spec, the Mustang joins European supercars in the 500kW club

Only Ford knows exactly how much power the new Mustang GT R-Spec makes. But it won’t tell us. Packing a 5.0-litre V8 boosted by a highperformance supercharger, the new R-Spec produces grunt to rival Europe’s finest supercars.

The underground nature of Ford’s fastest car means Ford can’t say exactly how much wallop it offers.

The R-Spec has manufacturer blessing, a five-year warranty and affordable servicing at Blue Oval dealerships but it is officially the product of aftermarket specialists Herrod Performance and so doesn’t have an official power figure rubber-stamped by Ford.

Tuning guru Rob Herrod says the Mustang has power to rival a Lamborghini Aventador or McLaren 720S, which with more than 500kW are among the fastest cars on sale

Ford, Herrod says, “is not hiding anything. Everything was done properly on this car.”

On his dynamometer, the R-Spec makes “between 440kW and 460kW at the hubs”.

On that device, a regular V8 Mustang makes about 280kW, suggesting the R-Spec has about 530kW — or more than 700 old-fashioned horsepower. That thrust is a match for Ferrari’s latest F8 Tributo. For a fifth of its price.

The $99,980 plus on-roads ask for Ford’s new hero makes it about $36,000 dearer than a regular Mustang. That may be expensive for a Ford but the R-Spec is easily the cheapest ticket to the 500kW club.

There’s more to it than the mighty motor. Fatter Ford Performance rims are shod with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber, essentially the best all-round performance tyres on sale, and the list of upgrades includes beefed-up stabiliser bars, lower and firmer springs and retuned shock absorbers.

Ford’s slick 10-speed auto, standard fitment on regular Mustangs, isn’t built to handle the RSpec’s outputs so power goes to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual.

The R-Spec gets a bigger rear spoiler and larger front air intake, black mirror caps, black wheels and racing stripes. Customers who want to hunt Porsches on the track can request circuit-ready tyres, rear roll cage, highperformance oil coolers and other gear.

The package proved irresistible for Ford dealers who quickly claimed all 500 examples set to be built. Some await buyers.

The Mustang has been a hit in Australia, becoming the best-selling sports car and the most popular passenger model in Ford showrooms. Given Australia’s appetite for highperformance machines, the likes of an R-Spec seemed inevitable, yet the most powerful model in Ford’s local history only came about because customers wouldn’t take no for an answer.

America’s high-performance Shelby GT300 and GT500 were deemed off-limits to Australia and Ford HQ was unwilling to fund reengineering for right-hand drive.

Local muscle car fans demanded more grunt — enter Herrod Performance.