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2012 Ford Mustang GT "Last Ride" Tribute
 
One particular Ford Mustang GT that caught our eye at the 2011 SEMA Auto Show came into fruition from a sad story that involved the death of a man considered as an important member of the Mustang community, Joe Gosinski of Chicane Sport Tuning. Last December, Gosinski was found murdered in his Chicane Sport Tuning shop in Torrance, CA shop. As a way of showing some love to the man, Matt Bernal, a former employee of Gosinski, and Sal Valdez, one of his most ardent customers, teamed up to build the Mustang "Last Ride" Tribute. Packed with a comprehensive tuning program that Gosinski will be proud of, the "Last Ride" Mustang was born when a lot of companies teamed up to create a true one-of-a-kind ride. Trufiber was responsible for putting the car’s carbon fiber hood, front splitter and side spliters, and rear valence. The carbon fiber roof skin was provided by RK Sport, while the custom billet fuel door came courtesy of Silver Horse Racing. Rounding out the exterior touches include a new grille and rear quarter covers from Saleen, fender badges and a faux gas cap from Chicane, a custom paint finish from D-BAS, and a new set of 20" powder-coated black Vossen CV3 wheels wrapped in Falken FK-452 tires. The muscle car’s chassis setup was also modified with a new Saleen adjustable coilover suspension, Hellwig Motorsports adjustable sway bars, Baer front 14-inch brakes with six-piston calipers. The interior of the "Last Ride" Mustang features new Corbeau LG1 race seats and harness bar and an Auto Meter a-pillar mount and gauges. The one-off Mustang was also treated to an impressive performance upgrade, courtesy of a Nitrous Express n-Intercooler system and purge kit, a new intake manifold from Ford Racing, and a new axle-back exhaust system. 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 by Heins Motorsports
To give the Mustang Boss 302 everything it needs to be a full-fledged racer, Heinz Motorsports gave the muscle car an extensive tuning program that encompasses all breadths of the car’s overall set-up. The exterior body of the Mustang was treated to a number of body panels from Steeda including the company’s Q-Series functional front fascia, hood, and rear spoiler. In addition to that, the car’s rear fascia was taken care of by 3d Carbon while PPG was responsible for dressing up the Mustang Boss 302 with a Sport Classic Gray finish with all the matching racing decals. Finally, Heins Motorsports gave the Mustang Boss 302 a new set of 18" Forgeline wheels wrapped in Nitto NT01 tires. The muscle car’s chassis was also given a thorough racing make-over, highlighted by a laundry list of Steeda-sourced equipment, including a biller sway bar mount kit, competition springs, a bumpsteer kit, and Tokico D-Spec adjustable front and rear shocks. Inside, the Boss 302’s usual interior was taken out in favor of a full on racing set-up, complete with a custom carbon fiber dash and door panels, Sparco Pro-ADV seats with a competition 6-point harness and steering wheel, a Safecraft fire suppression system, an ATL safety fuel cell, and a roll cage that was built to comply with FIA standards and regulations. Then there’s the engine make-over. Already carrying a powerful 5.0 liter V8 engine that produces 440 horsepower and 380 lb/ft of torque, Heins Motorsports added a custom Borla race exhaust, a Steeda cold air intake, and an Exedy clutch to round out its race-spec overhaul. 2011 SEMA Auto Show: The Muscle Cars
SEMA is different from just about every other major auto show on the planet. Its purpose is to shift focus from the automakers to the aftermarket companies that have become popular because of their custom works on some of the world’s most popular vehicles. Sure, some brands will be at the 2011 SEMA Auto Show showing off their works too, but for the most part, they share equal billing with the tuning companies. Many vehicles had their time to shine in the SEMA spotlight, but none more so than the plethora of Camaros and Mustangs - and even the Mopar-tuned Challenger. Every year, there’s a number of muscle cars that are given the royal treatment in terms of tuning, and this year has been no different. Maybe it’s the Americans’ obsession with good ol’ fashioned muscle, or maybe it’s the fact that all of the major muscle car makers are US born and bred. Either way, it was muscle car mania in Vegas, and we were there to take them all in. Check out our list of SEMA muscle cars after the jump! Full story 2012 Ford Mustang Stage 3 Premier Edition by Roush
When the RS3 Focus by Roush Performance was officially revealed, we couldn’t help but be a little disappointed in the tuning firm’s choice of vehicle. A Ford Focus, seriously? However, just in time to redeem themselves in our book, Roush Performance turned to their first love for a bit of tuning action: a Ford Mustang. The special Stage 3 Premier Edition Mustang was developed in cooperation with Roush Fenway Racing team driver David Ragan and displayed in SEMA for all to see. The Stage 3 Premier Mustang emblazoned the show floor with three different colors for the base vehicle, graphics, and graphic accents. The result is an impressive palette of unique color combination possibilities and the only standout feature from a standard Stage 3 Mustang kit. That’s right, the only additional features for this special Stage 3 are the colors. Under the hood, we still found a 5.0L 4-valve DOHC TiVCT engine equipped with a R2300 Roush supercharger to increase the total output to an impressive 540 HP. The Mustang also received a race-inspired Roush suspension and a Roush Performance tuned exhaust system from the original package. "This is a show-quality, premier paint application process. All paint is hand-applied at our Roush Performance facilities in Livonia, Mich., along with technical support from the Sherwin-Williams team," said Roush. "It’s a tri-coat application that introduces subtle hues of reflective flaking into the paint so the colors really dance and bounce as the Premier Edition adjusts to the changing sunlight angles. It’s a very intense paint process, but we’ve got a winning formula to make these Mustangs look great!" Check out full color choices after the jump. Full story2012 Ford Mustang ’Boss 302-X’ by Galpin Auto Sports
Galpin Auto Sports has proven their soft hands when it comes to the Ford Mustang, and at the 2011 SEMA Auto Show, their newest program for the Mustang Boss 302 will showcase the company’s talents for the world to see. Designed by Steve Carpenter, the program is being touted as the world’s first widebody kit for the Boss 302. It’s called the Boss 302-X and as the name evidently suggests, it comes with a comprehensive program that features aesthetic and performance enhancements. Speaking about the former, GAS went to work and first built a steel widebody panel by hand, one that literally added nine inches to the overall width of the car. From there, the panel was given a Matte Orange Pearl PPG paint finish, complete with the Mustang Boss’ unmistakable graphics. Then, GAS outfitted the muscle car with a set of one-off 20" wheels wrapped with Pirelli P Zero tires; they also added a six-point roll cage on the exterior to go with Recaro seats that come with custom embroidered logos. And last but not least is a ProCharger supercharger system, which Galpin Auto Sports ever so nicely put under the hood of the Mustang Boss 302-X. Living up to its ’X’ moniker, the supercharger system was able to take the output of the muscle car’s 5.0-liter V8 engine that produced 440 horsepower and spike it into the vicinity of 780 ponies. As comprehensive auto modifications go, this one by GAS is proof as to what a perfect Mustang tuning program should look like. 1965 Ford Mustang "Producer" by Ring Brothers
The Ring Brothers are staples of SEMA in large part to the many classic and restored Ford Mustangs they’ve shown over the past years. This year, the dynamic tuning company is back with a 1965 Ford Mustang Fastback called the "Producer". Dressed in a BASF Glasurit 90 Line Waterborne Paint BASF paint finish, the "Producer" was restyled with a number of Ring Brothers’ own accessories, including the hood pins, the door handles, and the taillight bezels. The classic Mustang comes with a full steel chassis with tubular A-arms working as front suspension and Watts-link suspension on the rear. Aesthetically, the "Producer" also makes use of a new, fully custom wide-body kit that comprises of a carbon fiber roof, a carbon fiber hood, extended rockers, a 4130 full roll cage, and a set of 18" (front) and 19" (rear) Forgeline 3-piece wheels wrapped in Michelin tires. Inside, the "Producer" is treated to a one-off dash with a custom interior, details of which have yet to be revealed. The biggest deal about the ’Producer’, though, is what’s sleeping under its hood: a Keith Craft 351/427 stroker engine mated to a Tremec T56 six-speed transmission and capable of producing a metal-bending 740 horsepower. 1965 Ford Mustang Convertible Body Shell
The list of customized Ford Mustangs to be displayed in SEMA is quite long, but it seems that everyone, including Ford, is pretty excited by one particular project: a new Ford-licensed 1965 Mustang convertible body shell. This new project will give customers the possibility to put their classic dream Mustang ragtop back on the road. The body shell is made of higher-grade steel than the original and includes the doors, the trunk lid, and all the sheet metal from the radiator support to the taillight panel except the hood and front fenders. Those items are available separately. The price for the body shell starts at $15,000. "The 1964-66 Mustang is the most restored vintage vehicle. But the number of original 1964-66 vintage bodies is shrinking every year," said Dennis Mondrach, Ford Restoration Parts licensing manager. "Most of the original Mustangs left in scrapyards are rusted or wrecked beyond repair. The new body shell is made of virgin metal and uses modern welding techniques. It comes rustproofed, and after final adjustment and finish preparation of the body panels, it is ready for painting and final assembly."
2012 Ford Mustang by MRT Performance
It’s muscle car mania at the 2011 SEMA Auto Show, and Ford has yet another Mustang project to serve as proof. The first kit announced in their SEMA lineup comes from MRT Performance and includes exterior modifications, as well as an engine boost. The Ford Mustang by MRT Performance comes with a full package, including a ProCharger supercharger, an MRT stainless steel MaxFlow h-pipe and half-back exhaust system, and an H&R coilover performance suspension. As of now, the tuner has failed to mention what these accessories have added to the car’s performance, but we imagine we’ll discover more at SEMA this week. As for the exterior, the tuner has only added an MRT custom hood and MRT custom paint accents, with Sparco race seats being the only addition for the interior. "No customer wants their Mustang to be the same as their neighbor down the street," said Melvin Betancourt, Ford SEMA design manager. "Mustang comes equipped with a solid foundation of great design and performance, but people want to express themselves through accessories and upgrades. They can go as far as making it a track car, or using it as a style standout that’s for touring." 2012 Ford Mustang by H&R Springs
H&R Springs are quite famous around the world for their impressive suspensions systems. And at the SEMA Show the tuner will unveil a very cool Ford Mustang just as another proof of how customizable the iconic pony car is. The package includes superior performance with a Flowmaster stainless steel exhaust, Edelbrock E-Force supercharger and Pirelli P Zero front and rear tires. And because we are talking about a H7R package, the chassis also receives an upgrade with an H&R Springs Coil RSS sport suspension, front and rear sway bars and Triple C camber adjustment bolts. For the exterior the Mustang has received a Street Scene Equipment body kit and a very cool blue paint by Tri-Star Enterprise. No details if any changes have been made for the interior, but we bet we will see some changes in there too. More details about this car will be revealed after its official debut in Las Vegas. 2012 Ford Mustang 5.0 GT by Forgiato Wheels
The list of customized Ford Mustangs displayed at the SEMA Auto Show was more than impressive. In fact we have lost count of how many customized Mustang we have seen in Vegas. But one of the most impressive jobs was made by Forgiato Wheels, which did a splendid job in outfitting the Mustang 5.0 GT with a comprehensive modification program that features a wide body kit, a fresh set of wheels, and an impressive performance upgrade. Forgiato Wheels partnered with TS Designs in creating a wide body fabrication kit while 3dCarbon Boy Racer was responsible for providing the body kit and the Mustang’s sexy Matte Pearl Silver paint finish. The new batch of 21" (front) and 22" three-piece wheels are from Forgiato and if that wasn’t enough, they also gave the Mustang a fresh Vortech supercharger to awaken even more ponies from the muscle car’s 5.0-liter V8 engine. If you thought the 412-horsepower output of the Mustang was impressive, this new supercharger will help it reach stratospheric numbers. UPDATE 11/07/2011: We have added live images from the SEMA Show. Find them in the picture gallery. | featured reviews:Ford Mustang latest reviews:Ford Mustang tuning:
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