This week Ford unveiled its 2020 Mustang, and it was immediately reminiscent.
Sure, the stripes and detailing were an obvious throwback to the retro ponies of yesteryear, but there was more to it than that.
It conjured up images of scorching summer days where only one specific treat that intertwined both an ice block and ice cream could satisfy our childhood palates.
Before our eyes we saw the humble Splice reborn as a 700 horsepower roaring beast.
[referenced url=”https://gizmodo.com.au/2018/06/the-2018-mustangs-gt-v8-have-a-quiet-mode-because-a-ford-engineer-had-the-cops-called-on-him/” thumb=”https://gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/2018-Mustang-9613-410×231.jpg” title=”The 2018 Mustangs Have A Quiet Mode Because A Ford Engineer Had The Cops Called On Him” excerpt=”A few years back, the Engineering Director of Ford had the police show up at his house. Fortunately, this wasn’t the kind of incident that would afford him a Netflix True Crime original. No, his neighbours simply found his Mustang Shelby to be too loud. This brush with the law got himself and fellow Mustang engineers to thinking — there had to be a way to make the exhaust quieter in the next generation of Ponies. There was, and they called it Quiet Mode. But for Mustang fans out there who appreciate the roar of the engine jumping to life, that hasn’t been stripped out. In fact, Aussies in particular wanted the 2018 Mustangs to be louder. Suffice to say, it’s been a complicated journey.”]
Say hello to the MY2020 Ford Mustang R-Spec, a supercharged 5.0L V8 that is rolling with 522kW of power and a casual 830Nm of torque.
Only 500 of these bad boys have been made – and all of them have a six-speed manual transmission. No autos here.
The R-Spec was developed with the help of Herrod Motorsport in Melbourne, and also contains an active muffler and upgraded suspension.
It is reported to had an average fuel consumption of 14L/100km, which is 1L more than a regular V8 Mustang.
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When asked whether they were actually inspired by true blue Aussie Splice when it came to the colour, Ford designer Dave Dewitt told Gizmodo Australia that they wanted something that would grab people’s attention. It’s for this reason that it’s been called ‘Grabber Lime’. A ‘Twisted Orange’ variant is also available.
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“The R-SPEC has to stand out visually, even at a standstill,” said Dewitt in a press release.
“That starts with the stance, and the unique 19-inch Ford Performance alloy wheels combined with the Ford Performance suspension package. When we combine these functional upgrades with the unique design cues, the result is a meaner more aggressive attitude and more flattering silhouette, the car just looks ready to go!”
“The MY2020 colour palette lends itself superbly to the black treatment, but the details go beyond this. While the alloys and side-stripes ” which hark back to the previous R-SPEC offered here in 2014 ” are matte finished, the off-set striping, mirror caps and the rear spoiler have been given a gloss treatment to add more visual impact to the changes.”
Inspiration for the design was also drawn from the old school and equally hot Mustang Boss 302 from 1969. There was one at the launch event and sadly we did not steal it.
The 2020 Ford Mustang R-Spec is available for pre-order from today for $99,980 plus on-road costs. They will appear in showrooms from early 2020.