With a new tagline, Detroit Muscle Redefined, Roush finally lifts the veil on their new 2012 Stage 3 Mustang. The top dog ROUSHcharged Mustang took a short hiatus for the 2011 model year as the engineers at Roush took extra care to engineer their halo model.
For 2012, Roush offers their supercharged and intercooled Stage3 Mustang based on the new 5.0 liter V8. The 540 horsepower engine now features the larger and more efficient R2300 TVS Eaton/Roush supercharger that stuffs some 12 psi of boost into the 5.0 engine.
And while the Stage 3 was on vacation it got some new finishing touches that answered some criticisms the Roush line had gotten in recent years. All new two-tone graphics in a palette of custom colors, new emblems and badges, and new featured trims raise the bar for the Roush Mustang line including the new Stage 3.
The RS3 as Roush now terms the Stage 3, features 8 choices for the base vehicle color, 6 stripe colors, and 6 stripe accent colors. Roush says that these options offer a total of 288 unique color combinations. “In addition to the powerful ROUSH power train and tuned suspension, we’re really excited about the new graphics and design options,” says Gary Jurick, VP/GM of ROUSH Performance. “The ‘Redefined’ graphics introduce new metallic colors utilizing automotive paint-grade materials. The result is a breathtakingly deep tone to the RS3’s graphics. We’re now providing our ROUSH consumers a very broad spectrum of graphics and color combinations to consider for their 2012 RS3 Mustang.”
Additionally, a customer can specify the paint color of their brake calipers to better work with the color combination of the car. Roush also designed a mean looking new set of 20” Hyper-Black Wheels to be chosen along side their trademark 20” Chrome Wheels. Because of the many variations and custom combinations available for the Roush Stage 3, the company has for the first time created an online configurator that allows you to completely check out each and every possibility.
Because of Roush’s partnership with Cooper Tires, the RS3 comes exclusively with Cooper RS3 tires. Fancy that coincidence of name huh? A top of the line performance suspension comes standard on the RS3 including unique ROUSH front struts, rear shocks, front and rear springs, front stabilizer bars and jounce bumpers. The company tuned all the components to work in perfect harmony with the big brakes and sticky Cooper RS3 tires. Welcome news is that the RS3 will come with an anti-wheel hop kit standard as well.
If you want more however you can opt for the Competition Brake Upgrade to 6-piston calipers and even a competition grade suspension with double adjustable coil-over struts inspired from the Roush Track-Pak Mustangs of the past.
One thing you can always count on with the RS3 is that it comes fully-loaded. Exterior appearance includes a full Roush body package with front fascia with driving lights, chin spoiler, side rocker splitters, rear valance, rear deck-lid spoiler, and newly designed square exhaust tips that fit elegantly into the ROUSH rear valance cutouts. The latter was a bone to throw to the rank-in rile Roush owners and enthusiasts who had complained about the stock looking round exhaust of the 2010 models.
Inside you will find some very nice custom Roush leathers custom tailored to the exterior color combinations. Also there are all the fun touches like a set of four-piece performance pedals, Roush illuminated sill plates and console badging. A newly designed shifter ball with the Roush “R” in the Reverse position can be had in either black or white. And if you want an automatic, sorry the RS3 is only available with the six speed manual.
The 2012 RS3 Roush Mustang is not yet available for sale in California and other states requiring CARB emissions standards. If that wrinkles your nose, call your local legislators and tell them to stop being such namby pambies. You will just have to wait a little longer for Roush to work through the system to achieve full approvals.
The estimated retail price for the typically equipped 2012 Roush Stage 3 Mustang will be about $59,945. That’s right about where it has always been for almost a decade. Pretty good huh? Actual final retail pricing will vary based on options selected. Like all the Roush Mustangs, the RS3 is backed by a 3-year/36,000-mile warranty.
The new 2012 Roush Stage 3 shows up at dealerships within the next few weeks. So get with them now and order yours if you have one of those wild new color combinations in mind.
Story and photos compliments of our partner site FnSweet.com – Roush Enthusiasts
