COBRA TO RECEIVE MORE POWER INCREASES?

10 June 99

Revised 20 April 00

A few weeks back we reported that Ford and Roush were testing engines for the next generation Cobra Mustang; however, our source at Roush has informed us that these engines will most likely appear in the Cobra Mustang as early as 2002.

The apparent decision to speed up the development of the engine and possibly introduce it earlier than planned might stem from repeated reports that the upcoming next generation Camaro and Firebird will get a boost in power.

That alone doesn't have Ford worried. What does is that it's also speculated that the next generation Camaro/Firebird and Mustang could ALL be introduced at the same time (2002-2003 depending on the month of production).

If both cars are in fact introduced at or near the same time, the last thing Ford wants is to be underpowered. The last time the Mustang and Camaro both appeared together as new models was in 1967. The Camaro sported the SS-396 while the Mustang used the 390 GT. It wasn't until lost sales and a year later that Ford introduced the 428 CJ, which more than made up the difference.

To avoid the possible GM mousetrap, Ford feels it might be more prudent to jump the gun on GM - setting up a trap of their own.

While we believe that the Camaro/Firebird will switch to a 350 DOHC engine, our Roush source said the current Cobra engines being tested for 2002 through 2003 are all 4.6 Modular V-8's.

Testing is still very much in the early stages so it's not unusual that a reported 5 of 5 engines bought the farm in the first month of testing. Note that these are EXPERIMENTAL engines and their quality have no relation to that of a production engine. We're also told that the engines were pumping out much more horsepower than the actual production engines would.

Here's the plan as reported to BlueOvalNews:

2000: You can expect that the 2000 Cobra's engine will be basically unchanged, except for some minor emissions upgrades.

2002: The 2002 Cobra will get a slight power increase.

2003: The '03 Cobra might be labeled as the "Mac Daddy Super Fly" of production Cobra Mustangs. The Cobra will drop the 4.6L in favor of an all new 5.0L.

...and this...

BlueOvalNews.com

2002 Mustang to receive more power, 2003 new 5.0L and V6 engines - more refinement.

13 August 1999. Revised 25 Oct 99

Mustang enthusiasts have been begging and some even demanding that Ford give the pony car more power and cubic inches. Some want the pushrod 5.0 back while others want the noisy 3.8 gone.

Ford's push for high-tech engines and their desire to keep a firm grip on the sports car market is forcing them to do just what Mustang enthusiasts have been suggestion for years.

First, the base Mustang's 3.8L V-6 is often described as a noisy train, especially when installed in a convertible model. The 3.8 has also been questioned in the reliability department due to frequently reported head gasket failures.

The 4.6L 2V GT has been a pretty flawless powerplant and customers have been very warm to it. The 1999's power improvements have made a lot of Mustang GT owners happy - it is still a car that's a great bang for the buck. It's surprising to learn then that Ford's concerned about the GT's market share. In an internal Ford document, Mustang boss Art Hyde said "We are seeing some softening of the market in some selected areas (particularly for GT)."

While pre-1999 Cobra owners are generally happy with their cars, thousands of 1999 Cobra owners are upset. The 1999 Cobra Mustang's 4.6L 4V performance failures are another story in itself that Ford has to address. The 1999 Cobra fiasco has not only been embarrassing to Ford, it has made a lot of first time Ford buyer's question Ford's ability to build a truly competitive performance car. The issues are far reaching - will potential customers look to Ford's competition instead of trusting Ford to get the 2000 Cobra right? That is, after they satisfy 1999 Cobra owners?

Ford will begin addressing the Mustang's powerplant problems and revisions beginning in 2002. A set of key Ford internal documents leave a paper trail of great things to come. The internal Ford memos were written by the Mustang's chief program engineer, Art Hyde.

The first key that the Mustang will get a boost in power for 2002 is expressed by Hyde in a memo stating "Since we have several years without major actions (like 2000, 2001 and 2003), we need to improve fuel economy by over 1 mpg in our proposed 2002 freshening and with the S197." S197 is the code for the all new 2003 Mustang.

In another document, Art Hyde states "The 2002 program needs better refinement." He continues "In no way can we allow the vehicle to loose its competitive edge before S197." Based on the documents, it's clear that Team Mustang is planning an engine horsepower boost for the 2002 Mustang GT and Cobra. We believe that the base Mustang's 3.8L V-6 will remain unchanged.

A Roush Technologies employee has told BlueOvalNews that both Ford and Roush engineers are already working on the 2002 and 2003 Mustang engines.

What can Mustang enthusiasts expect and when? You shouldn't see any engine changes for the 2001 Mustang. The engine changes will start with the 2002 model and carry on
through to 2003, when even more changes are planned.

The 2003 won't just be a new Mustang inside and outside, but underneath as well. The 2003 models will begin to use a modified version of the DEW Lincoln LS chassis.

Unlike the Lincoln LS's 3.0L V-6 and 3.9L V-8 engines, the Mustang will continue to use modular based V-8 engines and Duratec based V-6 engines.

Here's what you can expect the engine lineup to consist of for 2003 (all figures are from actual Ford internal documents):

The base Mustang's 3.8 will be killed off at the end of 2002 and will be replaced in 2003 by a standard 4.0L SOHC producing 210 horsepower @ 5250 RPM. An optional 3.0L 4V V6 will produce 215 horsepower @ 6250 RPM.

The GT will continue to use the 4.6 2V, but it will get a bump in power to 285 horses @ 5250 RPM. An optional 4.9L GT 2V will be an all optional engine for 2003. The 4.9L will produce 290 horses @ 5250 RPM.

The Cobra will drop the 4.6L 4V at the end of 2002 and will begin using an all new 5.0L 4V that is scheduled to pump out 350+ horses @ 6000 RPM and 340+ Ft. Lbs. Torque at 4750 RPM, according to official documents.

Team Mustang will also address the quality issues affecting the Mustang. A memo by Art Hyde to team Mustang states "better GT/Cobra performance and craftsmanship being key priorities."

Mustang fans have heard rumor after rumor about new and more powerful engines for the Mustang - although nothing ever materializes from them.

The beauty of this article? It's based from Ford's own internal documents. It's not based from rumors or speculation. Wow - the future of the Mustang suddenly looks good. Really good. Start saving your money - 2002 is right around the corner!

2003 MUSTANG ENGINE SPECIFICATIONS

ENGINE
Horsepower
Torque
Torque @1500
SAE net torque
Engine Redline
Top speed

3.0L DOHC *
215@6250
210@4500
182@1500
250
7200
120

4.0 SOHC *
210@5250
240@3250
215@1500
250
7200
120

4.6 SOHC GT *
285@5250
310@4000
265@1500
330
6500
142

4.9 SOHC GT *
290@5250
320@4000
265@1500
330
6500
142

5.0 * Cobra
350+@6000
340+@4750
250+@1500
360
7100
155

* not available in a supercharged version.

2003 MUSTANG GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS

ENGINE
Standard axle
Optional axle
Max GVW in lbs.
Max GCW in lbs.
Tire rolling radius

3.0L DOHC
2.73
3.55
3453
4453
12.746

4.0 SOHC
2.73
3.55
3453
4453
12.746

4.6 SOHC
2.73
3.27
3688
4688
12.872

4.9 SOHC
2.73
3.27
3688
4688
12.872

5.0 Cobra
2.73
3.27
3817
4817
12.89

2003 MUSTANG DEVELOPMENT DATES Follow the Mustang's development

PROGRAM TIMIMG
DATE


September 1999

AP MRD
January 2000

CP Build MRD
September 2001

1PP Build MRD
May 2002

FEU Build MRD
September 2002

JOB1 Launch
February 2003