Jack spins up 510 horsepower for the runway crowd.
11-02-07: Jack Roush is a consummate enthusiast. Most everyone who has been around Fords, Mustangs and NASCAR is well aware of this. What some may not know is that he is also an enthusiast of Mustangs, the flying variety. At the SEMA Show he told the story of how he built his first P-51 Mustang model as a child and how he has been hooked on them since. He went on to elaborate about his love for flying which has culminated in his ownership of a number of airplanes including his prized P-51 Mustang.
He has wanted to find a way for some time to combine his love for both the Ford Mustang and the P-51. But over the years he told that it was hard to come up with a way to build such a car that would not only be contextually correct, but have the hardware to give it credibility.
At SEMA, Jack Roush unveiled the P-51A Mustang. The vapor colored special edition Roush Mustang has 510 horsepower and 510 lb.-ft. of torque. It will be offered early in 2008 as a 100 unit production run, all of the cars outfitted in the same color scheme.
The Roush P-51A is easily the highest horsepower Mustang that the company has ever produced, and represents the first time that internal engine components have been upgraded by ROUSH technicians in their Livonia, Mich., facility. It was determined that the only way to give the P-51A moniker its due was to completely break into the 4.6L, 3V and rebuild several of the functional internal components, which include a forged steel eight-bolt crankshaft, forged aluminum pistons with increased dish to lower the compression from 9:8 to 8:6, and forged steel H-Beam connecting rods. These upgraded parts were necessary for the stock Ford engine to be able to withstand the additional power generated from the newest iteration of the legendary ROUSHcharger supercharger system.
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"I've often said that there was never a Mustang built that I didn't like and that includes both the car and the airplane," said Jack Roush, an aviation enthusiast who currently owns two P-51 Mustang war birds. "This is the type of product that Roush has wanted to produce for at least 10 years but the right platform, the right technology, and the right timing never intersected until now."
Additional alterations include a custom aluminum upper and lower intake manifold for the high capacity air-to-water intercooler and ROUSHcharger. The new supercharger is a larger Eaton based unit than the company has been using for its popular Stage 3 and 427R Mustangs. It uses a new design compressor called TVS. Roush has entered a new partnership with Eaton to develop together a number of new products and this is the first fruit of that collaboration. Roush installs a custom fuel rail and high-flow fuel injectors, a high-flow capacity fuel system, as well as a dual electronic throttle body.
The new Roush P-51A engine has a preliminary rating of at least 510 horsepower and 510 lb.-ft. torque. It is anticipated that final figures may even be slightly higher than this when final testing and calibration is approved by the Roush engineering staff. Jack Roush shared that they still have some additional cold weather testing and tuning to do before they complete final certification for all 50 states.
The visual context of the P-51A starts with a standard Roush are body kit which includes a front fascia, chin spoiler, hood scoop and rear spoiler. The paint treatment of the body kit components is a slightly different hue of silver which corresponds with the theme of the World War II fighter. “The original P-51 Mustangs had varying shades of stainless steel and aluminum as they were repaired and retrofitted in duty”, said Jack Roush. “So it looks like the paint might not match here and there, but it is deliberate”. There is also a Roush black high-flow grill is added along with cooling side shields to give the car the aggressive look it needs while stalking the streets.
Other thematic touches include special olive drab green striping, graphics, and emblems. The rear deck and fenders each have unique OD green Roush emblems. Another cool touch is that the owners name will be added above the driver’s side window, in the same fashion that pilots had their name emblazoned on the airplanes.
Inside the car will come with Roush sport leather seating and custom floor mats, both with an embroidered P-51A emblem. The white face gauges and billet aluminum pedals will get a lot of use as the driver bangs through the gears with the Roush short throw shift lever and retro black ball.
For those who look behind the 18-inch forged five-spoke wheels will see the vaunted Stage 3 suspension underneath this vehicle. Designed to handle even the tightest twists and turns, this suspension includes 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.
Pricing for the P-51A Mustang has not been set, but Jack Roush alluded that it will come in somewhere just below $70,000. The vehicle is slated to begin production in the first quarter of 2008 and will be limited to 100 vehicles. As with all Roush vehicles, the P-51A will carry an industry-leading 3 year/36,000 mile warranty.
The car represents the first volley in providing what many Roush enthusiasts have been asking for - more power. The current crop of supercharged engines are maxed out in the 430 hp range for warranty reasons, keeping the bottom end together. Custom building a forged internals engine and one with a lower compression ratio was the only way to break the barrier and allow a larger supercharger while still retaining a factory warranty.
The new P-51 Mustang is a niche product that will have an appeal to both aviation enthusiasts as well as Mustang nuts who want more power. But will Roush put this newly developed power train into a more mainstream Mustang down the road? Our guess is that they will. With the costs of developing, proving and EPA certifying a new engine configuration like this being in the six and seven digit range, you really need to build more than 100 cars to make it worthwhile. So we will be anxiously awaiting to see what else Roush does with this new 500+ horsepower bad boy!
