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The technical side of the Mustang in Supercars

Sports have rules, regulations, guidelines. Sometimes they’re easily interpreted and implemented, sometimes they’re not.

Motorsport is a great example of this, and in 2019 there’s been a measure of controversy about a new entrant to the category now known as Supercars.

Ford’s Mustang is the new kid on the block, and it’s been greeted with both open arms and raised eyebrows. The main cause of its mixed reception has been to do with the regulations that Supercars run and this has affected the aerodynamics of the car that’s been built. [More]

The New Mustang Supercar

In motorsport’s evolution in Australia, the category known as Supercars, formerly known as V8 Supercars Australia, has opened the door to cars not of a four door body shape. With the success of the Ford Mustang in a retail sense, it makes sense to have the “tudor” as the first to be built under the new guidelines. But first, some history. The Gen 2 design regs mandates a common chassis for any team entering the category. Builders are open but have to build a chassis and cage to the pre-determined specifications. It’s this bit that has caused some consternation and raised eyebrows, as the end result may have a car not of the same physical dimensions as the one it’s based on. The V8 engine is located 100mm further back and down to the preceding chassis style, for weight balance and safety. Wheels must be 18 inches in diameter and thanks to the upward change it means bigger brakes can be fitted. The drivetrain is a transaxle, meaning the drive axles and gearbox are in one case. For extra safety the fuel cell has been moved forward and the windscreen is now of a polycarbonate build, which is 250 times as strong as glass. Specific to Gen 2 also is being rear drive, right hand side drivers’ seat, four seats, and based on a car available to the public, meaning it must reflect the look of the car accurately. What this means for the Ford Mustang Supercar is proven strength and reliability. It also means that thanks to the common chassis and cage, only a slight rejig of the Mustang’s familiar profile has been required. There will be a little piece of history when the car makes its debut in 2019. Chassis DJRTP 02 or Dick Johnson Racing Team Penske 02, which was used for Supercars’ tyre and aerodynamic testing last year, will become one of the first Mustang Supercars. It will be used for testing and is set to be the team’s spare race car. DJRTP will build one brand new car and convert another. It is currently the team’s second spare, last raced as a Falcon FG X in Fabian Coulthard’s hands during 2016. Work began on converting the chassis in mid 2018. Tickford Racing will also build a pair of new cars and convert two cars to the new body style. Anticipation from teams was seen in 2017, with Cameron Waters driving a car whose chassis was earmarked to be a Mustang. After a point in time had been reached where the signoff was past to have a Mustang run in 2018, the car was built as a Falcon. The chassis’ build commenced in March of 2017, such was the timeline teams were hoping for in order to see the Mustang body run on Australian circuits this year. Specialist graphic design outlet ssMedia, headed by Scott Yorston, has produced 3D visuals of many V8 Supercars and the current Supercar designs. Working from concept drawings and with a livery idea from the US, Scott has also produced his view of the Mustang Supercar which has been greeted with acclaim in the Australian motorsport fraternity. It shows, as much as Scott is able to produce due to legalities, a car very close to the road going version. With panels placed around the control chassis it appears a little taller in height and perhaps a little shorter than the road goer as a result. Testing of the 2019 Mustang Supercar is underway, and we can’t wait to see it hit the track in anger! Are you looking forward to having the Mustang back on the grid of Australian race tracks? Let us know in the comments section below this article on our Facebook page!  

Ford Announce 50th Anniversary Bullitt Edition Mustang

At the Detroit Auto Show earlier this month speculation was rife that Ford Motor Company had a special release up their sleeves. While there were a few murmurings of a special edition Mustang on its way, the huge crowd was still a gasp when the covers were pulled off a Dark Highland Green 50th Anniversary Bullitt Edition Mustang. The attractive coupe of course pays homage to the ’68 Mustang Fastback driven by Steve McQueen in the 1968 classic film “Bullitt”, which features a car chase that will forever be remembered as one of the greatest in film history. While the Bullitt is definitely quite the looker thanks to its unique wheels, de-badged grille, cue ball shifter and Recaro seats - the real gains come under the hood. With a bigger radiator, larger throttle bodies, a GT350 intake manifold and open air filter element the Bullitt will produce an impressive 354kw (475hp) off the showroom floor, an increase of 15hp over the premium GT offering on the regular 2018 Mustang. Handling is kept under control by Brembo six-piston front brakes, a larger anti-roll bar and a Torsen LSD, meaning that the coupe will certainly have no issues in getting from ‘0 to the speed limit’ in a flash. If the classic Dark Highland Green isn’t to your liking the car will also have the option of coming in Shadow Black, with both colours receiving a special Bullitt rear badge to let others know that this isn’t just a regular Mustang. In a throwback to ‘the good old days’ the Ford special will come in manual only and set customers back somewhere between $US45,000 and $55,000, however the first edition has already been sold at a heavily inflated price. Build no.1 was sold at auction in Arizona for an incredible $US300,000, with one hundred percent of that figure going to charity – Steve McQueen’s former school for troubled youths. This year’s 50th anniversary edition isn’t the first Bullitt edition Mustang released, with the option first available in 2001 when 5,500 were produced with a host of features not included on the regular GT. The concept was revisited in 2008, with a $US3,300 upgrade package offered to the standard GT Premium. Now to the question many of you will be asking, will we see this car on Australian shores? Unfortunately no plans have been announced for the export of the special pony car. Ford hasn’t exactly rushed to bring any of the Mustang’s other premium offerings such as the GT350 over here either. Although with the Mustang already Australia’s hottest selling sports car, and the relative ease of RHD conversion, hopefully a premium edition Mustang isn’t just a pipedream. What are your thoughts on the new Bullitt Mustang? Does it live up to the “Bullitt” name? Head over to the Rare Spares Facebook page and let us know in the comments section below.

The Camaro is coming to Australia!

With Holden’s manufacturing in Australia now wrapped up, our attention turns to HSV and what they have on the horizon now that the RWD V8 Commodore has gone the way of the Dodo bird. Well, although not yet 100% confirmed, the word doing the rounds in the automotive industry is that HSV will be importing and converting both the Chevrolet Camaro SS and Silverado to right hand drive for the Australian public. While the idea of a right hand drive Silverado somewhat excites us, it’s the 339kw Camaro SS that really gives us hope of an exciting future for HSV fans. In 2016, the long awaited arrival of the Ford Mustang came to fruition and left in its wake year-long waiting lists and a complete obliteration of all expected sales figures. For the first time in decades Holden and in turn HSV are facing the short term prospect of a car lineup without a V8 and quite frankly are being left in the dust by Ford and it’s pony car. With the above factors considered, GM execs and the Walkinshaw group have reportedly come to an agreement to import the Camaro and convert it to suit the Australian market in HSV’s Clayton factory. So, GM will bring the Camaro and take a decent chunk out of the Australian performance car sales market now dominated by the Mustang, right? Well not quite, while the cost of importing the car won’t be astronomical, unfortunately once you throw in the cost of the right hand drive conversion it’s expected the final sale price will be around the $90,000AUD mark, some $30,000 north of the Mustang GT. So, why bother you may be asking? Well it’s not all that straight forward; the Camaro will be marketed as a more exclusive alternative to the Mustang (only 1,000 per year will be built) while offering some serious power in the name of Chev’s 339kw LT1 V8 (33kw more than the GT). So who will be purchasing the Camaro? As much as the Ford v Holden rivalry has died down over recent years, there are still a huge number of people who would rather drive a 1997 Holden Barina than anything with a Ford badge… even if it is a Mustang. So now these people have an option, and quite a good looking, fast one at that. Word in the industry suggests the Camaro could be gracing showroom floors as early as 2018 and don’t stress, it will have Chevy badges gracing the grille, not Holden. How do you feel about the Camaro hitting Australian roads? Will you be trading in your Commodore for the aggressive coupe? Head over to the Rare Spare Facebook page and let us know in the comments section below.

Ford Mustang – Australia’s new favourite?

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last few years, you’ve probably heard that Ford and Holden have or are in process of shutting down their Australian manufacturing operations. And you’ve probably also began to notice the abundance of new Mustang’s on Australian roads, leaving us with a big question. Can the Mustang replace the hole left in the market by the departure of cars such as the Falcon XR8 and Commodore SS? In this article we’ll discuss this issue and have a look at Ford’s new pony car. The Mustang is quite a different beast to the outgoing Aussie V8’s; firstly it’s a coupe, so it’s unlikely that you’re going to see a Mustang with three kids in the back and a caravan in tow. It does however stack up pretty well from a performance point of view, the outgoing (supercharged) XR8 packed 335kw and 570nm, the outgoing SS features 304kw and 570nm while the Mustang is right there with 306kw and 530nm. All three will take you from 0-100 in around 6 seconds with the XR8 the quickest of the bunch with its instant supercharged power separating it from the pack. The one area that is unlikely to be disputed is the sheer breathtaking appearance of the Mustang. In comparison, the 4 door Aussie sedans have nowhere near the presence on the road of the American coupe. The Mustang breaks the mould of cookie cutter international cars that err in favour of practicality over anything with the slightest amount of character. And at the end of the day that’s what the Australian public will miss the most about Australian built cars – the character. They may not have been the fastest, or the best built, but they offered a crazy amount of ‘bang-for-buck’ and won the hearts of countless men, women and children throughout the journey. In 2017, close to 10,000 Mustang’s will fly off the showroom floor, and if supply could keep up with demand that number would very likely be higher. It hasn’t all been rosy for the Mustang in Australia though, with namely a dodgy ANCAP safety rating scaring off many potential owners, while build quality issues continue to take the shine off what’s an otherwise very impressive package from Ford. None the less, with Ford’s move to an international friendly range of cars, the Mustang is here to stay and the Aussie public has taken to it like a fish to water. What are your thoughts on the new Ford Mustang? Is it the high powered replacement for Commodores and Falcons that the Australian public is itching for? Or is it a short-lived fad that will be gone just as quick as it came? Head over to the Rare Spares Facebook page and let us know in the comments section below.

American Hero – Top American Import

When it comes to American muscle cars it’s hard to look past the iconic Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro. Although there are a number of other stateside classics that will go down in history as American greats, it’s the Mustang and Camaro which typify what the scene is all about. In this article we’ll take a look at the two US classics, what made them special and how they were received in Australia. In 1961, Lee Iococca, the Vice President and General Manager of Ford had a vision. This vision was to build a car that could seat 4 adults, have bucket seats, a floor mounted shifter, weigh no more than 2500 pounds, be no longer than 180 inches long and sell for less than $2500. After a few years and a couple of interesting looking prototypes, from this vision the Ford Mustang was born, with the first car rolling off the production line in March 1964. In Australia, the Mustang has gone through periods of great popularity mixed with periods of little interest, mostly as a result of the cost of importing and RHD conversion proving to be a bridge too far for local consumers. However, early Mustangs were a hit from the get go, with up to 200 first generation Mustang’s being imported by Ford Australia in 1965, converted to RHD at their Geelong plant and sold to the public for around $6000. The timeless design was received well by enthusiasts in Australia. Throughout the last 50 years, early year Mustangs have remained a desirable car for Aussie enthusiasts which are reflected in modern day re-sale values. Of course, it would be remiss of us not to mention the current 6th generation Mustang which has proved to be a hit on our shores. The rear-wheel drive 5.0 litre V8 producing 306kw/530Nm is somewhat filling the void that has been left by the departure of the Falcon, providing the public with a high powered substitute for the XR8, albeit in coupe form. On the General Motors front, the main competition to the Mustang over the years has been that provided by the Camaro. The Camaro was born in September 1966 as an answer to the booming popularity of the Mustang. Featuring a long hood, short deck, seating for four and a unitized body construction with a separate front sub frame, the Camaro came with engine options ranging from a 230ci straight six to a 427ci V8. The Camaro was received well in Australia in the beginning, and was successful in Australian motorsports, further thrusting the classic car into stardom. Bob Jane would win both the 1971 and 1972 ATCC at the wheel of a Camaro ZL-1. Much like the Mustang, the Camaro went through a period in which they were less desirable to the Australian public which, unlike the Mustang, has not really recovered in the form of Camaro Australian sales. Unfortunately for Australian motoring enthusiasts, in its current 6th generation guise, there are no formal plans for the Camaro to reach Australian dealership floors. Which generation Mustang’s and Camaro’s are your favourite. Would you like to see the latest Camaro on Australian showroom floors? Head over to the Rare Spares Facebook page and let us know in the comments below.

New 2015 Ford Mustang

When it comes to motoring legends, they don’t come much bigger than the Ford Mustang. Ask any car or movie buff for a short list of the greatest ever Hollywood car chases and invariably at the top will be Bullitt, the cult classic starring “The King of Cool” himself, Steve McQueen, driving the other star of the show and poster pin-up car of the sixties, the Ford Mustang. Released in 1964, it has truly become a motoring icon and now the legend returns with a brand new version for 2015. The new “Stang” started making waves before it was even built. "The buyer response for the 2015 Ford Mustang has been extraordinary," says David Blackwood, Dealer Principal of the Bayford Group in Victoria. "As soon as Ford announced Mustang was coming to Australia (in December 2013) our phones started ringing. A few customers even made deposits before pricing and specifications were confirmed. I've never seen anything quite like it." Indeed, when the first batch of 500 became available in Europe, they all sold out in 30 seconds! If you would like to get your hands on one, then be prepared to wait. Put an order in today and you probably won’t see your new car until next June, such is the demand. You won’t even get to see one in the showroom until December. So, what’s all the fuss about? Well, quite a lot actually. The new Mustang will be available in two variants; the EcoBoost model featuring the all-new twin-scroll turbocharged 2.3L I-4 engine pumping out 310 horsepower, giving you awesome performance (0-100kph in about 5.5seconds) with reduced fuel consumption. The other option is the 5.0L Ti-VCT V8 engine, putting out a whopping 420 horsepower launching it to 100kph half a second quicker than its smaller sibling. While sports suspension is an option in the US, all Australian cars will come with the performance pack (stiffer suspension and limited slip diff) as standard. The technical advancements found in the new Mustang are just as impressive. Keyless entry and push button start is just the beginning. Selectable Drive Modes let you dial in handling dynamics to your liking. The system adjusts its handling and response characteristics for enhanced control in changing conditions. Toggle between “normal”, “snow/wet”, “sport”, and “track”. Mustang’s SelectShift gives you the thrill of using a manual transmission with the ease of an automatic. Simply toggle the race car-inspired Paddle Shifters on the steering wheel to shift gears up or down, for smooth and effortless gear changes without having to use a clutch. Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Traction Control System (TCS) work in unison to understand changing road conditions and your responses, reducing the risk of skidding, sliding sideways and over- and under-steering in corners. Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) balances brake force between front and rear wheels, while the Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) prevents wheels from locking. And Electric Power Assisted Steering lets you adjust your steering effort between comfort, sport and normal. Inside you’ll find all the creature comforts you’ll ever need. From the fully integrated voice activation system that lets you use your favourite devices while your hands stay firmly on the wheel, satellite navigation system, customisable 8” colour LCD touch screen and rear view camera, to MyKey, where parents can program their key to restrict driving modes that promote good driving habits, the new Ford Mustang looks set to continue the legend. I think Steve McQueen would be impressed, don’t you? The 2015 Mustang ranges in price from $44,990 for the four-cylinder manual coupe, to $63,990 for the V8 automatic convertible.