2005 SEMA Show - Ford Racing Performance Packs - Power Packed

The best way to describe the SEMA Show is sensory overload. First off, there are the dazzling lights and ringing slot machines of Las Vegas to contend with. Then, once you escape the casinos and are inside the Las Vegas.

Convention Center, the senses are surrounded by bright paint under bright lights, glitzy wheels, new Mustangs at every corner, Carroll Shelby buzzing around on an electric scooter, and booth babes wearing very little in the way of clothing. Not that we're complaining ...

Once you were past the trendy pocket-rockets and trucks, there was plenty for the Ford fan to feast on. Ford Motor Company boasted the largest booth, Saleen displayed for the first time, Scott Drake wowed us with his new vintage Mustang parts, and Roush Performance made a number of announcements, including the introduction of the Stage 3 Mustang and the Roush Wheel Collection. We've got it all here, and a lot more, in our special coverage of the 2005 SEMA Show.

Remember the Staged Performance packages from Ford's old Muscle Parts program? Ford Racing is bringing the concept back with its trio of Performance Packs for the '05-'06 Mustang GT. Although not as comprehensive as the Muscle Parts packages-after all, the new Mustang provides a lot more performance to start with-the modern kits add both horsepower and handling.

Three Performance Packs are currently available. A fourth, the Super Pack, adds a supercharger for over 400 hp and is expected to release this spring. During the SEMA Show, Ford Racing demonstrated the performance of the Super Pack by inviting celebrities and members of the press to drive a Super Pack-equipped GT on a first-of-its-kind Dynojet chassis dynamometer with new drag-strip simulation software. Although many drivers had a tough time trying to launch the Mustang on the Dynojet's heavy rollers, once they got the hang of it, mid-12-second quarter-mile ETs at over 114 miles-per-hour were common.

For more information and a list of Ford Racing dealers, visit www.fordracingparts.com.

Shelby Unveils Two New Mustangs
For a man in his 80s who should be enjoying retirement, Carroll Shelby is certainly staying busy these days. At SEMA, it seemed he was everywhere as he introduced two new Shelby Mustangs, one at the Vortech/Paxton display and another in the huge Ford pavilion.

"Fast and strong but light on its feet," is how Shelby Automobiles president Amy Boylan described the new CS 6, a V-6-powered '06 Shelby Mustang concept vehicle that pumps out over 350 hp with assistance from a Paxton NOVI-1200 supercharger. Readily identified by its V-6 sport foglamps, the CS 6 package includes suspension refinements, custom hood, Baer brakes, 20-inch American Racing wheels, side stripes with the Shelby snake logo, and Borla dual exhausts exiting beneath a GT rear valance. Serving to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Shelby's first Paxton-equipped GT350s, the CS 6 will be available in the first part of 2006 through Shelby Automobiles' Las Vegas headquarters and a national dealer network.

The CS 6 is also available as an appearance package only, without the supercharger, Baer brakes, suspension mods, or Borla exhaust. Interested buyers can contact Shelby Automobiles at 702/942-7325 or visit the company's Web site at www.shelbyautos.com for more info.

At the Ford pavilion, Shelby revealed his new association with West Coast Customs to produce a limited-edition line of high-end '06 Mustangs. "We built this car for performance and style," said Shelby. "It's got the bark of the old musclecars and the look of a new sports car. It's one of the best projects I've been a part of."

The Shelby/West Coast Customs Mustang begins with a stock '06 Mustang GT. Shelby oversaw the car's performance enhancements, which adds a Vortech supercharger along with a remapped computer to develop over 500 hp. West Coast Customs then added its touch with exterior and interior modifications, including a new hood design with a single scoop for air redirection, revised fender swells and rocker panels, custom grille inserts with center-mount driving lamps, new front fascia with additional driving lamps, 22-inch Shelby/West Coast Customs-branded Lexani wheels with Pirelli tires, a bold rear wing, custom upholstery, and a powerful stereo/DVD system.

Only 25 Shelby/West Coast Custom Mustangs will be produced, available in 2006 through Shelby Automobiles in Las Vegas and West Coast Customs in Los Angeles. Potential buyers can contact either Shelby Automobiles, or West Coast Customs at 310/645-1156 or www.westcoastcustoms.com.

Roush FE, Wheels, And Stage 3
Jack Roush made the trip to Las Vegas to introduce several new products and the latest-generation Stage 3 Mustang from Roush Performance

An old drag racer himself, Roush is justifiably proud to offer a modern version of Ford's legendary big-block engine. "We recognize that people want an engine from the FE series, and to meet the demand, we came up with an engine that will help command attention for any restored car," said Todd Andrews, Roush

Performance Engine Manager.
The Roush 451R FE is not your father's FE. Starting with a Pond aluminum block, the engine is packed with forged pistons, a nodular-iron crankshaft, and a hydraulic flat-tappet camshaft, then topped off with Edelbrock aluminum heads, a dual-plane intake, and a Roush-tuned Holley carburetor for a package that delivers 480 hp and 555 lb-ft of torque. Other components include an MSD billet distributor, Harland Sharp shaft-mount roller rocker arms, and a Canton oil pan. A dual-quad version of the 451R FE, also rated at 480 hp and 550 lb-ft of torque, is available, along with an eight-stack, fuel-injected version in the near future.

Roush also announced that Roush Performance is offering multiple wheel designs for the first time, starting with four different designs for the '05-'06 Mustang. Each wheel from the Roush Wheel Collection is forged from a single block of 6061-T6 aluminum, which is pressed with over 8,000 tons of force to provide optimal strength-to-weight ratio. Using aerospace material and the latest wheel technology, the premium-forged wheels are stronger yet lighter than the factory wheels. Designed and produced in-house, the Roush wheels are chrome-finished and stamped with the Roush logo.

Introducing the '06 Stage 3 Mustang, Roush called it the quickest, fastest, best-handling, and most dramatically styled Mustang in the company's history. To obtain its 417 hp, the new Stage 3 is equipped with a Roots-style ROUSHcharger system with an intercooler, high-flow fuel injectors, an all-new aluminum intake manifold, exclusive calibration, and a performance-tuned exhaust system.

"We also went the extra mile on suspension tuning," said Joe Thompson, general manager of Roush Performance. "We've always been known for horsepower, but with the Stage 3 Mustang, enthusiasts are going to take notice of our handling and suspension dynamics." The Roush Performance handling package, which includes front and rear coil springs, front and rear stabilizer bars, front struts, and rear shocks, allows the Stage 3 Mustang to achieve a lateral acceleration of over 1g on a skidpad.

The Stage 3 Mustang also includes an aerodynamic body kit consisting of front fascia, a hoodscoop, rocker moldings, quarter-window louvers, a chin spoiler, rear fascia, and a rear wing. It comes with Roush leather interior and performance gauges.

For more information on the Roush 451R FE engine, Roush Wheel Collection, and the '06 Stage 3 Mustang, or for a list of Roush distributors, visit www.roushperf.com.

Scott Drake's Resto Row
You could hardly walk three feet without running into an '05-'06 Mustang at the SEMA Show, but over in the Restoration Marketplace, older vehicles were the primary focus. At the Scott Drake Mustang Parts booth, we found plenty of new products for '65-'73 Mustangs: '69-'70 woodgrain door panel inserts, both teak and walnut; '67-'68 hood-vent inserts, with or without sequential turn-signal indicators; Magnum 500 wheel centercaps; '65-'70 coil brackets, either stainless steel or black; '65-'70 glovebox lock; lights and reflector for '65-'66 Pony door panels, '70 Mach 1 exhaust tips, '65-'66 GT exhaust trumpet with straight 2-1/2-inch inlet for custom exhaust applications; '67-'68 deluxe door-panel light, '70 rear deck prop for cars equipped with a spoiler; '65-'66 brake warning light; metal door-panel pulls for '69-early-'70 Deluxe doors; C4 dipstick filler tube in zinc or black; and '65-'66 Rally-Paks with digital instruments. Scott Drake (www.scottdrake.net) has also introduced his own line of Mustang interior paint and vinyl dye.