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Posts tagged ‘Mustang’

6
Apr

Ford introduces twin-turbo EcoBoost Ford Mustang Cobra Jet Concept at 2012 SEMA. 2015 preview?

For drag racing (and strictly off-road use only), Ford introduced a twin-turbo 5 liter V-8 powered Cobra Jet Mustang Concept at SEMA in 2012. The engine uses EcoBoost technologies with twin ball-bearing turbochargers. Power and torque were not specified.

Unfortunately, per the SEMA picture below, the engine will not fit conventionally into a street Mustang’s engine compartment… the placement of the turbos and intercooler are totally wrong. How this engine could be used in a future Mustang is up in the air. Likely the turbos would be moved much closer to the engine, probably drawn u in front of it. But then in the current car (as well as the 2015 with it’s much tighter engine compartment), the fuse box would be directly on top of the left turbo, and the air intake on the right. That wouldn’t meet production standards, so the use of an engine like this in the future Mustang is doubtful.

2012-ford-mustang-cobra-jet-twin-turbo-concept

Ford Press Release and images:

Ford Mustang Cobra Jet Concept Goes Twin-Turbo for SEMA Debut

  • New Cobra Jet concept adopts turbocharging technology from production EcoBoost® engines in the quest for ever more performance
  • Since its 2008 debut, the Ford Mustang Cobra Jet has been the most successful production-based drag racer
  • Ford Racing engineers have continuously improved and evolved the Cobra Jet to keep it at the head of its class

LAS VEGAS, Oct. 30, 2012 – The Ford Racing Mustang Cobra Jet concept revealed today at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show proves there is indeed a replacement for displacement.

In the perpetual quest to stay ahead of the competition, for the first time ever Ford Racing has equipped its factory-built turn-key drag racer with a turbocharged engine, adopting the same award-winning technology found on road-going EcoBoost engines.
Winning heritage
When the original Mustang Cobra Jet drag racers rolled out of the Mustang factory in 1968, they relied on 7.0-liter V8 engines with massive four-barrel carburetors to propel them down the strip.
“When a new generation of Cobra Jets arrived four decades later, they immediately began winning with a modern, fuel-injected 5.4-liter V8 topped with a belt-driven supercharger,” recalls Jesse Kershaw, Ford drag racing competition manager. “Over the past four years, the Cobra Jet has gone on to become both a fan and competitor favorite, the most successful late-model vehicle in drag racing.”

“Racing pre-dates Ford Motor Company. Henry Ford himself raced the 999 and won in 1901 to generate interest for the new company,” said Jamie Allison, director of Ford Racing Technologies. “We haven’t stopped since.
“We’ve competed in almost every category of auto racing, from deserts to road courses to ovals and drag strips over the past 111 years, often with cars and trucks based on our production models, including the Mustang,” Allison added.
In 2011, the Mustang GT’s all-new 5.0-liter V8 found a home in the Cobra Jet, both with and without a supercharger.
“Despite its smaller displacement, the improved breathing of the 5.0-liter with its twin independent variable camshaft timing and Boss 302 cylinder heads provided comparable performance while showcasing the high technology available in street Mustangs today,” said Rob Deneweth, Cobra Jet powertrain development engineer.
“Ever since we relaunched the Cobra Jet in 2008, we’ve continuously evolved the engine to be more optimized for drag racing and produce more power for its NHRA class.”
While superchargers provide instant on-demand power, they can also sap a lot of power especially at high boost levels. The 2.9-liter blower used on the 2013 Cobra Jet uses as much as 100hp to drive the supercharger.. That’s power no longer available for acceleration.
Two turbochargers, no waiting
Fortunately, every internal combustion engine has a plentiful source of energy that normally goes to waste right out the exhaust pipe. Turbochargers harness the thermal and kinetic energy in the exhaust gases to drive turbines and compressors that force more air into the engine for a big increase in power without most of the parasitic losses of a supercharger.
“Ford has embraced turbocharging technology and a lot of our production engineers are working with the technology on a daily basis, so we have a lot of knowledge,” added Deneweth. “So we decided to apply that knowledge to the Mustang Cobra Jet to showcase what our engineers and suppliers know how to do.”
Turbocharger design and release engineer Dave Born joined the Cobra Jet team after working on the 3.5-liter EcoBoost® V6 for the F-150 to help make this concept a reality. “When done right, turbocharging is just as good as or better than supercharging,” Born confirms.
“To overcome the biggest perceived drawback of turbocharging – the lag – we’ve selected the smallest possible turbos that will give us the airflow we need,” he added. “We’ve also got some other enhancements to help improve the responsiveness; we have very low inertia and very low internal friction.”
NHRA competition rules for the stock classes Cobra Jet races in require parts like turbochargers to be derived from production components. Borg-Warner™ has supplied smaller, more efficient turbochargers based on the units used in the Focus ST for the Cobra Jet concept. Smaller than those found in most other drag racing applications, the turbine wheels are made from titanium aluminide that reduces the rotational inertia by 50 percent. Along with a shaft riding on low-friction ball bearings, the compressors can spin up to 150,000 rpm almost instantly.
The same integrated, electronically controlled wastegates used on production EcoBoost engines enable the turbos to keep spinning and generating the boost pressure needed for low elapsed times and high trap speeds at the strip.
One of the top reasons for a car company to go racing is the rapid learning curve it provides and the lessons that can be fed back into the vehicles customers drive every day.
“We’re already using ball bearings in the turbocharger of the 6.7-liter Power Stroke® diesel V8 in Super Duty trucks,” adds Born. “We’re also evaluating materials like the titanium aluminide for the turbine, and it could find its way into future production programs as the costs come down.”
New global Ford Racing livery
The Cobra Jet project car features its own unique take on the new global Ford Racing livery that is also highlighted at SEMA. The white body is accented with an asymmetric black and blue stripe running over the top of the car from bumper to bumper. The Cobra Jet’s flanks blend an upward sweeping version of the stripe with the traditional striking cobra head executed in black with blue accents.
Following the SEMA show, Ford Racing engineers including Deneweth and Born will continue to develop both the performance and durability of the twin-turbo Cobra Jet.
“For every Cobra Jet model we release, every powertrain goes through hundreds of hours of dyno testing and a minimum of 50 runs on the drag strip before we’ll sign off on the durability and capability of that engine and car,” adds Kershaw. “Like Ford vehicles for the street, we want to provide our racing customers with cars that are best-in-class, affordable and reliable.”
11
Mar

What’s wrong with this picture?

Yes, those are 370Z wheels on an S197 Mustang! A matched set front/rear, same as the Z they came off of. And the offset is very nearly perfect.

IMAG0247

5
Mar

Road & Track returns to blogging with “shorty” Mustang prototype

GREAT to see Road & Track, our favorite enthusiast magazine, return to blogging this  past week. And with a story of interest to all Mustang and 60′s car enthusiasts: a “short” Mustang prototype from the 1964 era. Which some of you will have the opportunity to see the car in person at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance next week.

short-64-5-mustang-prototype

18
Jan

Springtime, in Texas, for you and me

It’s been a cold and wet two weeks in Texas, and an unusual winter as a whole. This has impacted driving enthusiasts in the State: just look at our post of our HPDE event at Circuit of the Americas last weekend where we were faced with driving a new track, wide open, as an event Instructor, in the rain and freezing cold.

But being Texas such conditions are always temporary, and our weather is as of today on the way back to a daily high in the upper 60s, as it should be. And one sure sign of the good weather is great cars coming out of their garages for a drive!

Take a look at this ’66 Mustang, one of two we encountered today over a chicken wing lunch break. Absolutely beautiful! Fully optioned inside, too, with the optional (and rare) console as well as a 4-speed behind it’s 289. We weren’t able to determine which 289 was under the hood (there were three, and four if you count the Shelby variant of the K-code engine). We had a K-code ’67 Mustang ourselves so are very familiar with that engine.

Unfortunately, it did have drum brakes all around… surprising since original-style discs are easily available and very much worth the cost.

And then look behind it, at that handsome 2013 Boss 302 Mustang. It’s ours. This brings up a thought… look at the very wide-open greenhouse on the ’66, as well as its overall dimensions. Now compare to the far larger and more closed-in greenhouse of our 2013. One of the many “wants” we have for the upcoming all-new 2015 Mustang is the length of the ’66 (although wider for modern tires), as well as the same expanse of greenhouse.

1966-mustang

 

17
Dec

New high-res Ford performance V-8 engine images on DrivingEnthusiast.net

Readers may not be aware that the DrivingEnthusiast blog has a parent site DrivingEnthusiast.net that consists of (as of this day) 24,129 HTML and graphics files. The parent site is used to store information permanently on a number of our favorite brands, including press releases and high-res photos. The parent site is as of this writing over 13 years old and has been growing steadily. This includes information that is too extensive or inappropriate for blogs, and images that are too high in resolution and therefore in file size. The sections of the parent site are intended to be permanent repositories, and are updated as further information becomes available. We are using extensive (and expensive) space to provide high-res images so that enthusiasts can examine the engines in exacting detail.

New on the site this week are the following high-res images (averaging ~3000 pixels in width). These images are from our extensive Ford Engine section, which includes thousands of images of Ford engines from the past 25 years ranging from the experimental T-drive and 7-liter BOSS engines to all of the Modular, SHO, Coyote, Duratec, and EcoBoost engines. Their pages include official Press images as well as images we’ve taken ourselves at various press conferences and shows and specifications (when available).

Here’s what we’ve added this week:

1996 Mustang SVT Cobra 4.6 “Modular” engine:

2003-2004 Mustang SVT Cobra 4.6 “Modular” Supercharged engine:

2011 Ford F-150 “Coyote” engine:

2012 Ford Racing Coyote heavy-duty engine block:

And the site already has an extensive section of super high-res 2011 -2014 Mustang Coyote engine images.

 

 

13
Dec

Those were the days: 1995 Ford SVE BOSS 604

While we’re waiting for the huge number of introductions to start rolling out for the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit next month, and while we’re eagerly awaiting further spy pictures of the 2015 Mustang, we thought it would be fun to pull out a project car from 1995: the infamous Ford SVE BOSS 604 from 1995.

This is a John Coletti project car. But then, who else would have ever conceived of it?

The SVE BOSS 604 was built by the Ford SVE team in response to a challenge from the “bow tie boys” across town. They had just put a 572-cube Donovan-built “rat motor” in a late-model Camaro and thought they were tough. In response, John sent the word out to build something with a motor exactly twice the size as stock: hence 604 cubes and 853 horsepower. Only little boys wear bow ties!

We encountered the BOSS 604 at the Houston Mustang Club of America show in August 1995. Ford brought the BOSS 604, and also a prototype of the 1996 4.6 DOHC Cobra. When we were asked which car we’d like to drive, we made the wrong choice and drove the Cobra prototype. Or perhaps the right choice, since we liked the car so much we ordered one from our dealer the following Monday and took delivery that fall of the very first 1996 SVT Cobra in the State of Texas.

We drove a friend’s 1994 Cobra to the show and parked it next to the BOSS 604 for comparison. Click on the images below for a high-res image:




The race against the bow tie boys didn’t take place as planned… a few years later we encountered Coletti again and he told us that the race would happen “any day soon” and that Car & Driver would likely report on it.

We took this new opportunity to get some additional pictures of the car. We noticed the intake has been slightly modified from what we’d seen before.

Click on the images below for a high-res image.

Intake path – Dual throttle bodies. Engine compartment – details.
Engine compartment – right side. Engine compartment – left side.
Dash – gauges. Dash – note sticker “110 octane fuel only”.

Reference:

  • Driving Enthusiast network: Ford Concepts, Prototypes, and Showcars section: this section of the parent site consists of pages and images of Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, SVE, FRP, SVT, and historical car and trucks concepts, prototypes, and showcars from Ford Motor Company. Many also have press releases.

 

28
Sep

Engine swap: SHO DOHC V-6 into ’93 Mustang

As we’ve said many times in past postings, old SHO engines never die – they go on to a second life after a transplant into something else. That something else ranges from 240Z, MBG, Austin-Healey, TR-7, sand buggy, Camaro, and a Lotus Esprit. And of course other Ford products, including a rear-wheel drive Focus and even back into a Taurus SHO converted to rear-wheel drive. Sometimes the swap is a POS hack job destined to be blown up, but more often it’s been done professionally where the person doing the swap can be proud of their work. That’s what we like to see, and that’s what this great engine deserves.

Here’s an example where a SHO engine has been swapped into a Fox-body ’93 Mustang convertible, a very natural home for the SHO engine.

Unfortunately we haven’t found the build-up story of this swap, only the 11 pages of pictures here (with video of it running). We’d like to know more about this 3.2 liter SHO and Aerostar automatic transmission swap. We did learn from what little has been written that the forward engine mounts on the SHO engine interfere with the stock swap bar mounts in the Mustang. One more bit of news to save in case you or we ever do this swap ourselves.

Read more of our engine swap stories here.

12
Sep

Ford Flat Rock Assembly adds Fusion production to Mustang

Flat Rock Assembly, previously AutoAlliance, has been building the Mustang since 2005. Now the Fusion has been added as well. Which perhaps suggests that the upcoming 2015 Mustang will share its center stack electronics with the Fusion. In the following video, note the scenes of 2012 Mustangs on the assembly line:

Ford Press Release follows:

Ford Opens New Era at Flat Rock Assembly Plant, Source of 1,200 New Jobs and U.S. Production Home of All-New Fusion

  • Ford celebrates opening of a new era at Flat Rock Assembly Plant, new U.S. production home of the 2013 Ford Fusion as well as the iconic Mustang
  • Supporting its Fusion production growth plans, Ford is adding 1,200 jobs, a second production shift, and investing $555 million, taking full management control of the former AutoAlliance International plant
  • Upgraded Flat Rock Assembly Plant will feature a state-of-the-art, fully flexible body shop and an upgraded paint shop with an environmentally friendly 3-Wet paint process when production begins in 2013
  • On sale this fall, the 2013 Fusion offers customers the power of choice with the broadest selection of fuel-efficient powertrains in the midsize car segment
FLAT ROCK, Mich., Sept. 10, 2012 – Ford Motor Company and its employees today are opening a new era at the Flat Rock Assembly Plant, complete with a new name, 1,200 additional hourly jobs coming next year and plans to produce the 2013 Ford Fusion midsize sedan.
“The new Flat Rock Assembly Plant symbolizes the growth driven by our One Ford plan,” said Mark Fields, Ford president of The Americas. “Ford continues investing in people, products and plants to deliver the head-turning, fuel-efficient, fun-to-drive vehicles people really want, including the all-new Fusion.”
Previously known as AutoAlliance International, Flat Rock Assembly is now under the full management control of Ford. The plant continues to be owned by a joint venture that is split 50/50 between Ford and Mazda Motor Corp.
Following the end of Mazda6 production last month, the plant will continue to produce the Mustang before adding Fusion next year.
Flat Rock Assembly will be the U.S. producer of Fusion, employing 2,900 workers on both vehicle lines. In addition to adding 1,200 new hourly jobs tied to Fusion production, Ford also is investing $555 million to build a state-of-the-art, fully flexible body shop capable of producing multiple vehicles. With each new major plant program, Ford is significantly increasing the flexibility of its equipment and facilities to build multiple vehicles at one location. By 2015, Ford will be able to produce 25 percent more derivatives per plant versus 2011 on a global basis.
Ford also is upgrading the plant’s paint shop with an environmentally friendly 3-Wet paint process. The 3-Wet process, which Ford is rolling out across more than 15 assembly plants globally, allows three layers of paint to be applied one after another while still wet, with less manual intervention, resulting in a superior product created with fewer pollutants and less expense.
“By fully incorporating Flat Rock Assembly into our manufacturing system, we are able to take advantage of internal efficiencies that will streamline our ability to produce vehicles,” said Jim Tetreault, Ford vice president of North America Manufacturing. “This is critical as we increase our capacity to meet growing customer demand for our products.”
Introduced six years ago, Fusion is part of the fastest-growing segment in the U.S. this year – midsize sedans. Ford expects the midsize sedan segment, which totaled 2.1 million vehicles in 2011, to continue growing. Fusion’s share of the segment has doubled to 12 percent since it was introduced, and the car has set sales records in five of the first seven months of this year.
On sale this fall, the 2013 Fusion offers customers the power of choice with the broadest selection of fuel-efficient powertrains in the midsize car segment – two EcoBoost-powered gasoline engines, a normally aspirated four-cylinder engine, a hybrid and a plug-in hybrid. Fusion Hybrid’s 47 city mpg beats the 2012 Camry Hybrid LE by 4 mpg in the city. The Fusion Energi’s MPGe of 100 tops the 2013 Volt’s by 2 MPGe.
Fusion also offers consumers seven must-have technologies, including a Lane-Keeping System, adaptive cruise control, active park assist and MyFord Touch®.
Opened in 1987 as Mazda Motor Manufacturing USA, the plant in Flat Rock first produced the Mazda MX-6. In 1992, Ford purchased a 50 percent share in the plant and it was renamed AutoAlliance International. Over the years, the plant produced the Mazda 626, Mazda6, Mercury Cougar and Ford Probe. Mustang production was shifted to the plant in 2005.
24
May

SEMA and Ford sponsor “SEMA Mustang Build Powered by Women”

Voting Now Open to Determine Final Design of First-Ever SEMA Mustang Build Powered by Women

DEARBORN, Mich., May 24, 2012 – Voting is now open to help select the final concept for the first-ever SEMA Mustang Build Powered by Women. To vote now through June 3, the public is invited to visit: http://www.hotrod.com/all-female-mustang-build-ford-sweepstakes/ to view three different design concepts and vote on the one they would like to see used for the build. Voters will be entered into drawings to win several prizes.

Announced earlier this week, the SEMA Mustang Build Powered by Women is a collaboration between Ford Motor Company and the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA). Led by the SEMA Businesswomen’s Network (SBN), a 2013 Mustang GT donated by Ford will be completely modified using the winning design from start to finish by women.

Beginning with three concepts developed by women designers and concluding with women volunteers performing the hands-on modifications, the project is meant to shine light on women working in the automotive aftermarket and to encourage more women to pursue careers in the industry.

The three concepts are:

  • High Gear: Designed by SBN Member, Jennifer Seely of Ford Motor Company, High Gear –a luxury Mustang concept – is inspired by international products in categories such as jewelry, couture clothing and architecture. Designed to stimulate the senses by fusing luxury and power, the results are fresh and exciting, propelling Mustang into a whole new arena
  • Chromatic: Designed by SBN Member, Jennifer Seely of Ford Motor Company, the ultimate pop culture edition Mustang takes a futuristic design approach drawing inspiration from such pop culture elements as street art and products for an exciting color palette that is free of all boundaries and disciplines. The anthracite-colored chrome body as a base exemplifies the neon colors bringing this Mustang to life. Design details include anthracite-colored chrome exterior, bright cyan wheels and white leather racing interior coupled with an aggressive track suspension and V8 roar
  • Fast Metal: Designed by SBN Member, Theresa Contreras from L&G Enterprises. Theresa takes the American muscle car to a whole other level using tone-on-tone dark metallic finishes and red accents for a dramatic design that underscores Mustang’s DNA, raw speed and power

SEMA Mustang Build – High Gear Exterior by Jennifer Seely

SEMA Mustang Build – Fast Metal Exterior by Theresa Contreras

SEMA Mustang Build – Chromatic Exterior by Jennifer Seely

Source Interlink Media (SIM), a partner in the project, posted the three concepts on several of its websites so the public can vote for the design that will ultimately be selected. The concept with the most votes will be used for the build, which will take place at SIM headquarters in El Segundo, Calif.

“Women play a significant role when it comes to customizing a vehicle,” said Bryan Harrison, senior manager of councils for SEMA and project manager on the build. “From purchasing the vehicle and determining what modifications to make, to executing the actual modifications and driving the customized vehicle, women are key players in the entire process. The SEMA Mustang Build demonstrates just how integral women are to customizing today’s cars and trucks.”

The completed vehicle will debut at the 2012 SEMA show in Las Vegas. The modified Mustang will then be auctioned off on eBay, with money raised to benefit the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund. The fund is dedicated to fostering the next generation of automotive aftermarket leaders and innovators by awarding cash scholarships to winning applicants.

To learn more about the SEMA Mustang Build Powered by Women, visit http://www.automobilemag.com/, http://www.hotrod.com/, http://www.mustangmonthly.com/ or

21
Apr

Lost Mustang History: Ford Designs an SLA and IRS for the SN95 Mustang

The SVE Mustang King Cobra (1994) and the SVE Super Stallion (1997) were two Ford engineering exercises built to explore modernization of the SN95 platform by the addition of state-of-the-art SLA (short-long arm) and IRS (independent rear) front and rear suspensions. Ford knew that the SN95 platform, with architecture originally designed in the mid-seventies for the 1978 Fairmont, couldn’t remain competitive or leading edge in the market for very much longer, much less meet upcoming Federal safety (gas tank location) or crash (structural integrity) standards. The SN95 platform itself was simply was an update of the original FOX platform (an all-new platform designed for the 1978 Fairmont and 1979 Mustang, later used for the Thunderbird, LTD 2, Lincoln Mark VII, and several other cars). The SN95 is so closely related to the FOX platform that most SN95 parts easily bolt onto earlier FOX Mustangs.

Why is the story of the King Cobra and Super Stallion story important? Because these two cars, along with the MN12 based Mustang production prototype, the FR500 showcar, and doubtless other lost engineering exercises, are an important part of the history of the Mustang. They show that Ford had a much greater vision for the Mustang than what we eventually received in production. They also show that Ford’s budget – as well as the vision and acceptance of the top Executives, was the constraining factor (with the exception of Jacques Nasser, who personally sponsored both the 1999 Cobra and the 2003 Cobra – and said at the time of the 1999 introduction “Isn’t it about time we offered an IRS on the Mustang…!”). Those constraining factors continue to this day, and in the case of the current Mustang originally cost it use of the full DEW platform and then before production an IRS suspension developed for the (dumbed-down DEW) S197 platform.

Ford’s Special Vehicles Engineering (SVE) organization was at the time the internal engineering arm of the Ford Special Vehicles Team (SVT). SVT was purely a marketing organization at the time, and as of this date is a shell of its former self with basic engineering and testing carried out by the platform teams rather than a separate organization such as SVE. This change was introduced (with some internal controversy) because of the severe engineering and quality issues introduced by SVE re-engineering the cars as they saw fit, with much less rigorous engineering and testing before production release. Warranty issues were first seen in the 1994 Cobra (magnesium seat brackets and front suspension bushings, differing from the standard parts) and (as the SVT products further differentiated their engineering from the base products) in the 1999 Cobra horsepower and cooling recall. Clearly a “post-engineering re-engineering” methodology had to stop and Ford eventually put an end to it. But before that, the two SVE cars shown here were examples of just that type of “band-aid” engineering. Only the supercharged 4.6 DOHC engine persevered, and it had more than its share of severe quality and warranty issues (perhaps the worst ever for SVT) as well (as this author personally suffered thru).

Let’s review the King Cobra and Super Stallion (from our Ford Motor Company concepts, prototypes,. and show cars section – with over 150 examples), along with images from the time:

SVE Mustang King Cobra

The SVE Mustang King Cobra came first, almost at the same time the production 1994 Mustang was being introduced. Due to cost constraints, the 1994 Mustang was introduced with ye olde iron pushrod 4.9 liter OHV engine. This was not what was originally intended when the SN95 platform was conceived (which itself was only a last-minute substitution for an MN12-based Mustang originally intended for the 1991 timeframe). Ford had planned to use the “modular” 4.6 liter engines from the start, including the 4.6 DOHC engine introduced 1993 Lincoln Mark VIIII. However cost constraints held Ford back, so the old engine would have to suffice for the time being. Meanwhile, the future of the Mustang was being examined internally with the King Cobra. Images of the King Cobra - and it’s very existence – have never been released or discussed by  Ford. It was purely an internal prototype of the originally intended SVT Mustang Cobra – a plan that was considerably dumbed down (and delayed) before final production in 2003.

The supercharged 4.6 is related to that of the Mustang Mach III, with changes suitable for production use. You’ll note that the layout below is very close to that of the 2003-04 Cobra.

Elements of the 1996 Mustang 4.6 V-8 (SOHC U& DOHC) can be seen here including the use of the Hydroboost braking system, the pre-production air filter, and the placement of the fuse box and other underhood elements.

Many of the engineering elements of the future 2003 SVT Cobra can also be seen here – from the supercharger placement (although not the same supercharger), to the expansion tank for the intercooler, to the shape and location of the MAF, air filter, and air inlet. The battery, however, is located in the trunk – something that would prove impossible for the eventual production car. Note that the power steering reservoir is located where the battery would normally be found and that would also change by necessity.

There was also an emphasis on building in anti-lift geometry in the rear suspension. It was apparent that this car would have a very heavy engine up front, and this architecture was necessary for handling and braking ability. Anti-lift would be an important benefit of the final production 1999 SVT Mustang Cobra IRS suspension as well.

Features

  • IRS with special attention paid to achieving low unsprung weight and anti-lift geometry
  • SLA front suspension
  • PBR fr/rr brakes w/specifically-tuned ABS
  • Torsen differential
  • Unique body components – hood for clearance, and functional side scoop to cool rear suspension
  • Unique interior trim

The Mustang King Cobra shows that SVE had in mind a demonstration of its suspension ngineering capabilities.  As we know, none of these major engineering elements made it to production. Nor has Ford been able to actually offer such a front and rear suspension on a production Mustang. It’s a shame that SVE and Ford fell so far after showing what they were capable of here, and again later on with the FR500.

Specifications

0-60 mph 4.9 seconds (estimated)
60-0 mph 130 ft. (estimated)
1/4 mile 13.0 @ 105 mph
200 ft radial skidpad 0.87g  (estimated)
600 ft slalom 65 mph  (estimated)
Horsepower 380 hp
Torque 440 ft.-lbs.

SVE program managers included Al Suydam and Steve Anderson. Team members included Ron Smith and Eric Tseng.

A number of issues were encountered in the development of this car (and the related show car Super Stallion – which perhaps was one and the same car underneath?). The chief problem was excessive heat in the shocks – pushrod operated, and located in a “tray” in the trunk. The side vents cooled those shocks, but only to a degree.

Also, of course, was the entire issue of cost: since the SN95 hadn’t been engineered for an SLA up front and an IRS in the rear, production costs would be excessively high – especially for a short run of 8-10,000 cars per year. As it turned out, as we now know for the 2003 Cobra, the SLA front suspension was dropped, the IRS was totally redesigned to make it considerably more production-friendly, and the supercharged engine would continue in development for a few more years before finally appearing in 2003.

SVE Mustang Super Stallion

While the SVE Mustang King Cobra was originally an exploration of intended things to come, the Super Stallion was nothing more than a show car (introduced at the 1997 SEMA show). However, it did reveal to the public for the first time the front SLA and rear IRS development work that had been done. Several magazine articles of the time showed detailed photos of the front and rear suspension. Unfortunately, none of these unique suspension pieces would ever be seen again, much less in production. However, the improved 4-valve cylinder heads, the T-56 (previously seen in the Mustang Mach III show car), and the use of front Brembo brakes were an early indication of things to come on future SN95-based Mustangs.

The bodywork of the Super Stallion takes a step forward from the King Cobra by providing proper room for much-needed larger wheels and tires. Custom front and rear fenders provide extra width and opening size. The King Cobra, given the standard early SN95 fender wells, was left at a strange angle in order to get the needed wheels and tires under the car.

Possibly this car was simply the King Cobra underneath, with the new engine added. In any case, when the car was revealed, the production 1999 SVT Mustang Cobra with it’s entirely different IRS suspension was already well in the pipeline and would be shown to the press 6 months later. The reworked 1999 Mustang was the result of a 750-million dollar (over-)budget project, led by Janine Bay, including the cost of the design and production prep of the IRS that was used in production.

This car, and the King Cobra, showed that Ford engineers were trying to give the Mustang a world-class suspension, despite the desperately outdated and unbalanced platform – and the intent to replace it with an entirely new platform after the turn of the century (delayed until 2005). A prior “last shot” at improving the FOX platform had been seen in the FR500, although that car was never (despite press releases to the contrary) intended as anything other than a show car.

Specifications

  • Engine:
    • 5.4L “modular” V8 with improved 4V cylinder heads and 16 injectors
    • Flex fuel compatible
    • Dual MAF and throttle body assemblies
    • Garrett (Allied Signal) Positive Displacement Supercharger w/Cockpit Controlled Disengagement Clutch
    • Garrett Air to Water Intercooler
  • Borg Warner T56 6-speed
  • Suspension:
    • Front: SLA Front Suspension w/Koni DA shocks
    • Rear: SLA IRS w/pushrod actuated Koni DA coil over shocks mounted in the truck
  • Brakes:
    • Front: Brembo 4 Piston w / 13″ x 1.25″ cross drilled and slotted rotors
    • Rear: stock Cobra rear calipers w / 12″ x 1.0″ cross drilled rotors
  • Wheels/tires:
    • Speedline 3 Piece Racing Wheels (18″ x 8.5″ Front / 18″ x 9.5″ Rear)
    • Goodyear 265/40ZR18 Eagle F1-GS Fiorano Tires

Engine Output

Gasoline Flex Fuel
545 HP @ 6000 RPM (101 HP/Liter) 590 HP @ 6000
497 Lbs-Ft @ 4750 (84% of Max Torque at 2000 RPM) 536 Lbs-Ft @ 4750 RPM

Development Team Members

  • Steve Anderson – Program Manager
  • Bill Lane, Kevin Lambert, Dave May, Primo Goffi, Al Oslapas, John Moore

Photos

 

 

Press Release

Mustang Super Stallion – technology with attitude

LAS VEGAS, Nev., November 3, 1997 – Roaring down the Las Vegas strip, the Mustang Super Stallion technology concept makes its debut at the Specialty Equipment Market Association Show.

“The Super Stallion is a showcase of the innovative high-performance technology that Ford has up its sleeves,” said John Coletti, manager, Special Vehicle Engineering (SVE). “We’ve enhanced some of the already great Mustang features and added a few new twists to make this car every performance enthusiast’s dream.”

Technology Leadership

Leading the way in innovative powertrain and chassis technology while developing exciting, high-performance cars and trucks is the focus of Ford’s SVE group.

Super Stallion serves as a test bed for new engineering processes in addition to reinforcing Ford’s product passion. While Super Stallion is not intended for production, many of its technologies may be considered for mainstream application in the future.

Under The Hood

Powered by a 5.4-liter four-valve DOHC V-8 engine with a high capacity Garrett supercharger, Super Stallion is capable of 545 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 495 foot-pounds of torque at 4750 rpm. Super Stallion’s engine was built at Ford’s Windsor, Ont., engine plant and was modified by SVE in Allen Park, Mich. The engine modification was made possible by the flexibility of Ford’s modular engine family. The overhead cam engines are easily modified because they share basic architecture, tooling and components.

Out on the track, Super Stallion puts up some impressive numbers with a top speed estimated at 175 mph, a 0-60 mph time well under five seconds and a quarter-mile time of less than 13 seconds at 112 mph.

Specially modified aluminum cylinder heads provide better air flow, while 16 injectors keep fuel pumping through the performance hardware. The engine compression ratio is 8.2:1.

Air enters the engine through twin throttle bodies that are mounted to the high-capacity, clutch-activated, Garrett supercharger. This configuration relieves the engine of the parasitic losses incurred during the normal periods of “non-performance” operation. The end result is a significant improvement in fuel economy.

Shifting into gear is made possible by a multi-disk McLeod clutch system and a Borg-Warner T56 six-speed manual transmission.

Super Stallion’s engine is also equipped for flex-fuel operation. It is capable of running on gasoline, alcohol or any combination of the two. The system’s optical fuel sensor tells the computer the exact composition of the fuel allowing the EEC-V module to make necessary changes automatically. The benefits of having flex-fuel capabilities include cleaner emissions and improved performance, with the ability to achieve 50 more horsepower on E85 fuel.

Chassis Highlights

Super Stallion’s suspension is tuned for optimal performance, ensuring the car will remain stable even under maximum handling conditions.

The front independent short/long arm suspension features an all new SVE design, replacing the standard McPherson strut system, and includes Koni double adjust shock absorbers. This configuration provides more negative camber during maximum turning, for improved cornering performance and anti-dive characteristics.

Another innovative design is the competition-style independent rear suspension. The springs and shocks are part of a unique module that is mounted in the trunk minimizing the unsprung mass while providing exceptional anti-squat during acceleration and anti-lift during hard braking.

The five-spoke, three-piece aluminum wheels from Speedline measure 18 x 8.5-inches in the front and 18 x 9.5-inches in the rear and feature 265/40ZR18 Eagle F1Fiorano Goodyear performance tires. Stopping power is provided by Brembo calipers and 13-inch vented discs on the front. The rear uses 12-inch vented Brembo discs. In addition, hard stops are controlled by electronic ABS. Stopping distance from 60 mph is 116 feet and from 100 mph is 310 feet with exceptional anti-fade characteristics.

Performance Look

The aggressive stance and sleek lines of the production Mustang are enhanced by unique graphics and carbon fiber accents to give the Super Stallion a distinct performance look.

An all-new hood design, with nostril-like openings, allows this beast to breathe a little easier. Improved air-flow into the engine compartment keeps the 5.4-liter V-8 cool under the most intense driving conditions.

The front fascia has been modified to include two large, round driving lights along with integral ducts that feed air to the engine, while the rear fascia features integrated dual exhausts. Both the front and rear treatments as well as the mirrors and scoops are made of carbon fiber to keep weight at a minimum.

The quarter window ducts and quarter panel scoops allow for rear shock and brake cooling, which ensures peak performance of these vital components. The rear decklid and spoiler have been modified to improve the aerodynamics of the car and provide outstanding high-speed stability.

A dramatic exterior graphics package completes Super Stallion’s “street racer” appearance. The car takes on two different personalities with radically different color configurations on each side. The passenger side is painted in a deep metallic blue base color giving the car an unassuming look, disguising its true power. In contrast, the driver’s side is white and stands out to give Super Stallion a menacing look, hinting at its true capabilities.

Innovative Interior

Super Stallion’s interior features four leather-wrapped ebony bucket seats. The front seats include integrated three-point safety restraints, which improve the rear seat ingress/egress, and dynamic seat bolsters. The seat bolsters are unique in that they articulate to hold the occupants in place during hard cornering. The bolsters retract to make entry and exit of the vehicle more comfortable.

Keeping track of all of Super Stallion’s systems is made possible by an on-board performance diagnostics system mounted in the headliner. In addition, two extra gauges are mounted on the A-pillar to monitor intake manifold vacuum/boost and fuel system pressure. The rest of the performance-oriented white faced gauges are housed in the instrument cluster.

The supercharger is activated with the flip of a switch that is mounted in the center stack area of the console. When the system is on, the “armed” light is illuminated and Super Stallion is performing at its ultimate. Also found in the center stack area is a digital readout that measures the amount of alcohol present in the vehicle’s fuel.

The center console runs the length of the car and houses the leather-wrapped shifter. It also provides extra storage space and cup holders for the rear passengers.

To complete the driving experience, Super Stallion is equipped with a Mach 630 watt sound system from Visteon Automotive Systems. The radio/CD unit is housed in the instrument panel and features two amplifiers, a center image speaker mounted in the dash, 2.5-inch speakers in the A-pillar sails, 5.5 X 7.5-inch woofers in the doors, three sub-woofers and two mid-range tweeters mounted in the package tray.

“We’ve taken high-performance technology to a new and exciting level with the Super Stallion,” said Coletti. “It’s the ultimate ride!”
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