Ford tuning specialists Steeda Autosports have been teasing the 2010 version of their Q-Series Mustang for quite some time, and apparently for some of their customers, it can't come soon enough. To help deal with requests, the Florida-based company has introduced a Sport Edition model that utilizes an array of parts already in the Steeda catalog.

This particular steed is tweaked to handle, with upgraded billet lower control arms, sport springs, and 20-inch chrome wheels wrapped with Nitto NT05 high-performance tires. Other modifications include a sport shifter, underdrive performance pulleys, a performance air cleaner, and distinctive Steeda graphics. At $8995 $6,995, the pricing seems pretty steep, especially without any significant power upgrades, but we have to admit it's one good looking pony car.

[Source: Muscular Mustangs]

*UPDATE: Steeda representatives have contacted Autoblog with correct information regarding the new Sport Edition, including a different, wallet-friendlier package price of $6,995 (the source article cited incorrect information). The full, official press release has been added after the jump.

The Fox body was hardly a high point in the history of the Ford Mustang. But every kingdom must have a king, and in the late-'80s and early-'90s this was it: the JBA Dominator GTA. Commissioned from J Bittle American by Ford in 1989, the Dominator took the pony car to new heights, installing what was likely the first independent rear suspension on a Mustang along with a long list of features that differentiated this custom muscle car from stock. The Lightning 351 engine features the iron heads from the GT40 and the intake manifold from a Cobra. A custom exhaust and aircraft-derived fuel system kept it breathing, while 17-inch rims obscured race-spec disc brakes at all corners.

The list goes on and on, and during its reign, the Dominator received plenty of media attention. The Mustang was featured on the cover of Road & Track in November 1989 in a shoot-out against other factory-backed custom muscle cars and went on to star in various hot-rodding and Ford-specific magazines. The JBA even has its own website, which will transfer to the buyer willing to pony up the $34,500 asking price for this piece of Mustang tuning history. Check it out in the gallery below and the video after the jump, or follow the link to the eBay auction page to make an offer.



[Source: eBay Motors via BAT]

Most of us take for granted the ability to enjoy driving cars. Whether it's with a clunker or a supercar, there is a wonderful freedom that comes with getting behind the wheel of an automobile. No one knows that more than Roger Keeney, a man from Athens, GA who lost his sight twenty years ago. As we reported earlier, Keeney caught Ford's attention with his application for the '10 Unleashed' program, and decided to fulfill his dream of driving a Mustang. Ford had the cameras rolling during the whole thing, and will be posting a series of videos on the 2010 Mustang web site. Both the trailer and chapter one have already been released, and we've embedded them after the jump.



[Source: Ford]

It seems that any discussion about a modern Ford Mustang inevitably turns into a debate about its solid rear axle. While Ford has done an incredible job of optimizing the pony car's suspension, many still find it unacceptable that such an antiquated technology is used on a modern day performance car. Motor Trend boss Angus MacKenzie, however, says that the S197 Mustang platform almost received an independent rear suspension a while back – and for a lot less than you might think.

According to MacKenzie, the 2005 Mustang was set to get an independent suspension shared with the BA-series Falcon sedan built in Australia. Even when it was decided that the two cars would use different platforms, Ford designers set about designing an independent suspension specific to the Mustang. So why did it still end up with a solid rear axle? According to MacKenzie, product development executive Phil Martens convinced Bill Ford Jr. that they could save $100 per car if they dropped the IRS and went with the solid axle. For all of you non drag-racing types that wish the Mustang had an independently suspended rear, this news probably makes you sick to the stomach.

But wait... there's more! MacKenzie's sources say that the cost of sorting out the current Mustang's suspension actually cost $98 more per car than the IRS that could have gone in the car. Like Angus, we love the current Mustang but have to wonder if it could have been that much better.

[Source: Motor Trend]

If anyone deserves to have his own special edition Ford Mustang, it's Lee Iacocca. The former president of the Ford division, Iacocca is known as the father of the Mustang and recruited Carroll Shelby to create special versions of the horse in his own image. Now, 45 years after the original Mustang debuted, Iacocca has built his very own version.

Known as the 2009 1/2 Iacocca 45th Anniversary Edition Ford Mustang, this coach-built pony car features a special body designed by Michael Leone and built by the legendary Gaffoglio Family Metalcrafters. The car features a reworked front end including sunken headlights and a prominent fastback look with the slope of the roof reaching all the way to the rear of the car. Inside, Iacocca's Mustang gets Diamond Design leather seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with "I" logos, and Iacocca-badged aluminum door sill plates. Finishing off the look of the car are 20-inch Iacocca Design wheels wrapped with Goodyear Eagle tires.

Performance enhancements come courtesy of the Ford Racing parts bin, all of which retain the factory warranty and include a cold-air intake system and the Ford Racing Handling Pack with new shocks and springs. Customers can also opt for a supercharger system that boosts the 4.6-liter V8 to 400 horsepower as well as a 14-inch front brake system.

Production of the Iacocca 45th Anniversary Edition Ford Mustang will be limited to a scant 45 units, available exclusively at Galpin Ford in Southern California. Follow the jump for the official press release and a full list of specifications.

Update - we've added additional photographs to the gallery.



[Source: I Legacy | Photography by Joey Julius, NGEN Media]

During the recent Ford Racing Invitational, one of the Mustangs being raced by the journalists on hand featured a newly developed intake manifold on its 4.6-liter V8. The current production manifold works very well with all kinds of engine modifications, but once the revs hit 6,500 rpm, it completely falls flat. The new manifold is designed to support a bump of that redline up to 7,500 rpm. The manifold doesn't really add much power on its own, but it does allow other mods like camshafts, valves and exhaust systems to take advantage of more engine speed.

Ford will be building tooling over the next few months and running production prototypes toward the end of summer. The manifold should be on sale later in the fall. Ford hasn't yet set pricing for the new manifold but it may come in at about $600-700. Mike Sutton from Car and Driver who drove a 2009 GT fitted with the new manifold said the engine easily revved beyond 7,000 rpm, something impossible with a stock modular V8.

When the 2010 Mustang was unveiled at the LA Auto Show last November, a collective groan arose from the crowd when it was revealed that the 2009 engine lineup was essentially being carried over. This was particularly true for the base V6 model being propelled by the ancient 4.0-liter V6 which dates back to the 2.8-liter Capri engine of the 1970s. At the debut, Ford asked us to be patient and promised that powertrain upgrades were forthcoming.

Ever since the 3.5-liter V6 debuted in the Edge and Lincoln MKX a couple of years back, Mustang have fans have wanted to see it under the hood of their favorite pony. The problem is that engine was designed for transverse front-wheel drive applications and needed some significant reworking to go into rear-drive layouts. That work has been ongoing in order to mount the new twin-turbo EcoBoost version in the F-150 pickup next year. This work is expected to translate into a normally aspirated version of the 3.5 or 3.7-liter V6 for the ponycar about a year from now, likely for the 2011 model year.

In fact, it's now being reportedly by The Mustang News that Ford showed a 3.7-liter Mustang at an employee townhall meeting recently, although no specs were revealed. In the MKS, the 3.7 churns out 273 hp with port fuel injection. With direct injection coming to the 3.5 EcoBoost, a normally aspirated DI 3.7 can't be out of the question either, with 300+ hp to match the heavier Chevrolet Camaro. Now, about that V8... Thanks to Shibby9505 for the tip!



[Source: TheMustangNews.com]
Photos Copyright ©2008 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

Saturday afternoon we went for what may have been the shortest and quickest first drive in the history of Autoblog. When we go on a typical first drive with a manufacturer, we get to drive a vehicle around for at least a few hours in a variety of environments. Not so this past Saturday, when we tried out the latest customer race car product from Ford Racing, the Cobra Jet, a Mustang conceived at the behest of drag racers who wanted a factory built car ready to take to their local drag strip.

The original Mustang Cobra Jet appeared back in 1968 with a big, powerful engine and all of the interior bits normally stripped out by racers already absent. Those cars would go on to be some of the most successful factory-built drag cars ever. A year ago, Ford began preparing to build a run of 50 brand new cars bearing the legendary nameplate. Officially designated "FR500CJ," the new cars were delivered to customers last Fall and have been seen racing regularly at strips across the country throughout the year.



Photos Copyright ©2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc., lead image courtesy of Dale Amy

At today's third annual Ford Racing Invitational at Milan Dragway in Michigan, the automaker announced the availability of a new body-in-white based on the 2010 Mustang. The bare body shells will be available to racers looking to build Mustangs for all kinds of classes. Ford will start taking orders for the shells starting in mid-July and running through the fall. In order to avoid having to carry inventory, the shells will be built in batch in late fall and then delivered in December.

In addition, a variety of interior trim kits and wiring kits will be available to meet the needs of racers depending on the rules of the class they compete in. Ford is planning to offer the shells annually for at least the next several years based on the same schedule of orders in mid-year and deliveries in December.



Photos Copyright ©2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: Ford]

At last year's SEMA show, Ford unveiled the latest Mustang to join the Ford Racing stable, the FR500CJ Cobra Jet. The purpose-built drag racer came standard with go-fast parts from the Ford Racing catalog, including a 400 horsepower version of the 5.4-liter supercharged V8 (de-tuned to meet specifications needed for NHRA's AA Stock class) and a drag-specific wheel and tire combination. The 2009 model was a success both with customers and on the track. Ford Racing sold the entire run of fifty cars in less than two weeks, and it won its very first race at the NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, CA back in February.

Building on that success, Ford Racing announced today that it will be building a 2010 version of the Cobra Jet, with production to begin during the fourth quarter with deliveries taking place in early 2010. The base price is expected to be less than $75,000, and once again production will be limited to just fifty units. Like the 2009 model, the 2010 Cobra Jet will be modified with all Ford Racing parts including the supercharged 5.4-liter V8 that is now rated at 425 horsepower. Perhaps the most exciting news is the availability of an optional 475 horsepower aluminum block motor that we dearly hope will somehow find its way into a production car. Follow the jump for the press release from Ford Racing, and look for more details and photos to come around SEMA in November.



[Source: Ford Racing]