We've driven faster cars before. Heck, we've driven faster Ford Mustangs before, but few cars, no matter their make, model or country of origin, have bested the all-out balance--and fun--of Roush's latest creation, the 2010 427R Mustang.
With 435 horses on tap and a full 400 lb-ft of torque twisting the tires via a
supercharged and intercooled 4.6-liter V8, the 427R certainly makes exhilarating off-the-line starts. Power is prodigious and nearly endless, the car showing only a bit of lag before launching in a glorious roar at every twitch of the right pedal. As you let the revs build, the supercharger screams to life, its climbing wail joining the Roush exhaust's growling, spitting, bubbling rumble in a cackling mélange of sound.
The short-throw shifter, replete with white-ball-knob grip, clicks off the shifts in quick and easy fashion, even if it lacks the ultimate precision of more exotic rides, while the steering always feels perfectly weighted. The upgraded brakes, big four-piston front calipers grabbing 14-inch rotors, haul the whole thing to a stop in a hurry.
But it's the 427R's overall attitude that makes it so enjoyable to drive, how the car balances outright speed with a thrilling corner-carving confidence and civilized (for a muscle car) ride.
Aim the nose toward any turn, set up for entry, and the steering wheel and gas pedal work in perfect concert to direct the back end wherever you ask, sliding in controlled fashion or hooking up, hunkering down and powering on through. The summer-rated Coopers wrapping 18-inch cast-chrome wheels chirp or squeal in response.
Lifting the 427R's skirt reveals the reason: Roush engineers stripped away much of the stock equipment and swapped in their own performance-tuned front struts, rear shocks, front and rear springs, front and rear sway bars and jounce bumpers.
Driving the latest Roush isn't for the fainthearted, however, and not simply because of its joyous road manners. A loud but tasteful body kit finishes off the package, made up of a unique front fascia and splitter, rear fascia, side splitters, power-dome hood and big three-piece rear wing, variously dressed in go-fast stripes and decals. We can't remember a car not of Italian heritage that attracted more attention.
The 427R packs 435 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque.
Inside, the 427R gets a generous slathering of Roush badging--on the seats, the shifter, the doorsill, the pedals, just about everywhere your eyes land. The seats get special sueded inserts and do a good job of keeping the driver from
sliding around in response to all of those lateral g's.
The release of the 427R marks the first time the Mustang-tuning shop has launched a package simultaneously with the factory release of a new car. Of course, it also means that Mustang fans get a chance to stack the Roush against Ford's own specialty 'Stang, the similarly priced Shelby GT500, which starts at $47,175 to the Roush's $47,296.
With its 105-hp advantage, the Roush can't hope to keep up, neither in a straight line nor when powering out of corners. But again, we have to give the Roush a nod for overall composure. It simply outshines the more muscular Shelby in handling, with its near-perfect turning response and exhilarating cornering ability.
2010 Roush 427R Ford Mustang
ON SALE: Now
PRICE AS TESTED: $55,218
DRIVETRAIN: 4.6-liter, 435-hp, 400-lb-ft, supercharged V8; RWD, five-speed manual
CURB WEIGHT: 3,450 lb
0-60 MPH: 4.5 sec (est)
FUEL ECONOMY (EPA/AW): 18/16.5 mpg
With 435 horses on tap and a full 400 lb-ft of torque twisting the tires via a
supercharged and intercooled 4.6-liter V8, the 427R certainly makes exhilarating off-the-line starts. Power is prodigious and nearly endless, the car showing only a bit of lag before launching in a glorious roar at every twitch of the right pedal. As you let the revs build, the supercharger screams to life, its climbing wail joining the Roush exhaust's growling, spitting, bubbling rumble in a cackling mélange of sound.
The short-throw shifter, replete with white-ball-knob grip, clicks off the shifts in quick and easy fashion, even if it lacks the ultimate precision of more exotic rides, while the steering always feels perfectly weighted. The upgraded brakes, big four-piston front calipers grabbing 14-inch rotors, haul the whole thing to a stop in a hurry.
But it's the 427R's overall attitude that makes it so enjoyable to drive, how the car balances outright speed with a thrilling corner-carving confidence and civilized (for a muscle car) ride.
Aim the nose toward any turn, set up for entry, and the steering wheel and gas pedal work in perfect concert to direct the back end wherever you ask, sliding in controlled fashion or hooking up, hunkering down and powering on through. The summer-rated Coopers wrapping 18-inch cast-chrome wheels chirp or squeal in response.
Lifting the 427R's skirt reveals the reason: Roush engineers stripped away much of the stock equipment and swapped in their own performance-tuned front struts, rear shocks, front and rear springs, front and rear sway bars and jounce bumpers.
Driving the latest Roush isn't for the fainthearted, however, and not simply because of its joyous road manners. A loud but tasteful body kit finishes off the package, made up of a unique front fascia and splitter, rear fascia, side splitters, power-dome hood and big three-piece rear wing, variously dressed in go-fast stripes and decals. We can't remember a car not of Italian heritage that attracted more attention.
The 427R packs 435 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque.
Inside, the 427R gets a generous slathering of Roush badging--on the seats, the shifter, the doorsill, the pedals, just about everywhere your eyes land. The seats get special sueded inserts and do a good job of keeping the driver from
sliding around in response to all of those lateral g's.
The release of the 427R marks the first time the Mustang-tuning shop has launched a package simultaneously with the factory release of a new car. Of course, it also means that Mustang fans get a chance to stack the Roush against Ford's own specialty 'Stang, the similarly priced Shelby GT500, which starts at $47,175 to the Roush's $47,296.
With its 105-hp advantage, the Roush can't hope to keep up, neither in a straight line nor when powering out of corners. But again, we have to give the Roush a nod for overall composure. It simply outshines the more muscular Shelby in handling, with its near-perfect turning response and exhilarating cornering ability.
2010 Roush 427R Ford Mustang
ON SALE: Now
PRICE AS TESTED: $55,218
DRIVETRAIN: 4.6-liter, 435-hp, 400-lb-ft, supercharged V8; RWD, five-speed manual
CURB WEIGHT: 3,450 lb
0-60 MPH: 4.5 sec (est)
FUEL ECONOMY (EPA/AW): 18/16.5 mpg
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