Roush unleashes 540-horsepower Stage 3 and 540RH Mustangs

We had very few bad things to say about the 2010 Roush 427R Mustang after spending a week with the car, but we did have a few questions. First, why not use the new TVS2300 supercharger system that debuted on the P-51A Mustang, and second, why not add a billet grille like the previous model so that there wouldn't be six different lights up front? Roush has answered our questions in the form of the 2010 Stage 3 Mustang. The new stallion atop Roush's Mustang lineup gets a 540-horsepower upgrade complete with a second-generation R2300 supercharger, forged internals, hig h-flow fuel rails and injectors, upgraded fuel pump and a beefier clutch. The $59,945 price tag also gets you 18-inch wheels and tires, 14-inch brakes, a Roush suspension system, various interior enhancements and a Roush body kit complete with a billet grille.

If the you're the type of person that is only interested in performance and not the rest of the fluff, Roush is also offering a sleeper package called the 540RH. Along with the drivetrain and suspension upgrades, this budget Roush only includes the rear spoiler, a short-throw shifter, and a subtle stripe package. Roush claims they have already tested the car at the drag strip (with the optional Cooper RS3 tires) and came away with an 11.8 second time slip. At $46,145, the 540RH tucks in nicely under the Shelby GT500's price tag while offering similar performance. Hit the jump for full details on both cars.

[Source: Roush]


PRESS RELEASE:

ROUSH® introduces a pair of new 2010 Mustang models, each with 540 horsepower and 510 lb.-ft. of torque ready to be unleashed by the touch of the throttle.

The 2010 ROUSH Stage 3™ Mustang will once again take its rightful place atop the hierarchy of Jack Roush's lineup. The vehicle comes fully-loaded with the ROUSH body components; resonator exhaust; four-piston front brakes with 14-inch rotors and painted rear calipers with slotted rotors; and the new upper billet grille which removes the fog lamps and streamlines the appearance of the new Mustang while improving cooling performance. Interior enhancements include ROUSH leather seats with an embroidered Jack Roush signature; four-piece performance pedals; ROUSH illuminated sill plates; short throw shifter with black or white ball; and a new interior Stage 3 badge with the car's serial number engraved.

The 2010 ROUSH Stage 3 Mustang will ride on 18-inch chrome wheels with high-performance Cooper RS3 tires; 20-inch chrome wheels with Cooper RS3 tires are one of the few options available on this model. The suspension package includes ROUSH front struts, rear shocks, front and rear springs, front and rear stabilizer bars and jounce bumpers.

"The ROUSH Stage 3 Mustang has traditionally been among the halo vehicles of our lineup and I'm really proud that it sits atop the pecking order once again," said Jack Roush. "This new iteration of the Stage 3 represents our highest horsepower and most sophisticated ROUSH Mustang yet, and is sure to resonate among our fans."

The suggested retail for the 2010 ROUSH Stage 3 Mustang is $59,945*. The 2010 ROUSH Stage 3 Mustang will have a limited production run of only 103 vehicles.

The second Mustang unveiled with the 540 horsepower powerplant is the new 2010 ROUSH 540RH™, a limited content, full powertrain vehicle. Also known as the Hammer®, this car comes armed with massive horsepower, a ROUSH rear decklid spoiler, and short throw shifter with a choice of white or black ball, the 540RH is a stoplight slayer.

Proving just how quick this car can be on the optional 18-inch Cooper RS3 tires, ROUSH engineers recorded an 11.8-second elapsed time at 121 mph during testing at Milan (Mich.) Dragway in early September.

"The new ROUSH 540RH is really intended to be a 'sleeper' car," Roush explained. "It will be purposely built with minimal content as it was designed for the buyer who wanted the ROUSH horsepower but with a blank canvas that can be customized into their own personal one-of-a-kind ride."

The 2010 ROUSH 540RH has a new suspension package which includes front and rear springs, front and rear stabilizer bars and jounce bumpers, and a subtle tone-on-tone striping package. All this comes with a suggested retail starting at $46,145* when built on a base Ford Mustang GT chassis.

Both the 2010 ROUSH Stage 3 Mustang and the 2010 ROUSH 540RH Mustang use the same engine that debuted in the 2009 ROUSH P-51B™ Mustang. In order to get this type of power from the Ford 4.6L, 3-valve engine, ROUSH technicians replace many of the internal components with stronger parts including forged aluminum pistons (with an increased dish to lower the compression ratio from 9.8 to 8.6), forged steel H-Beam connecting rods and a forged steel crankshaft. The fuel rails are changed, as are the fuel injectors and an upgraded fuel pump. ROUSH also upgrades the clutch and includes a custom-calibration for the ECM to manage the performance of the next-generation R2300 ROUSHcharger®.

As is standard with all new ROUSH Mustangs, both cars will come with the anti-wheel hop kit installed during the assembly process. This part (No. 401788) is an outstanding addition to any 2005-2010 Ford Mustang GT.

Both vehicles are covered by a 3-year/36,000-mile warranty and will be available with a manual transmission only. The 2010 ROUSH Stage 3 is expected to start production by the end of September; the 2010 ROUSH 540RH should start showing up on dealer lots in October. For more information on either of these new models, or to see the complete content list, visit www.ROUSHperformance.com.

Based in Livonia, Mich., "The Art of Performance Engineering" takes place at ROUSH Performance. To get a look behind the scenes at what goes on at ROUSH and how the vehicles are designed, manufactured and produced logon to www.ROUSHtv.com. For more information see your local ROUSH dealer, visit www.ROUSHperformance.com or telephone toll-free (800) 59-ROUSH. Follow us on Twitter @_ROUSH_

*Price includes current Ford incentives