New ROUSH 428R Mustang Revealed

2008 ROUSH 428R

By Zack
September 24, 2007 11:12 PM
Filed Under: American, Ford, Specialty Marques, Tuners

ROUSH Performance has added another version of the Ford Mustang to their lineup of specialty cars.  The 2008 ROUSH 428R* Mustang's V8 matches 435 horsepower with 400 foot-pounds of torque, and is guaranteed to open a can of whup-ass on the straight-a-way.

The mean machine features a bevy of chrome under-the-hood, the ROUSHcharger* supercharger system, and an upmarket suspension system can be found on the beast.  Upmarket shocks, springs, and sway bars find themselves working in tandem with upgraded 18-inch cast wheel and high-performance tires.  The company has even installed their own custom ground effects.

Making the inside of a Mustang pretty is no small task, and ROUSH has attempted to do so with sport leather seats, white face gauges, and their own branded sill plates and mats.  Driving experience is made a little nicer with their own short-throw shifter (on the five-speed manual transmission, of course).

Their street racer is rounded out with feder and decklid badging.

The ROUSH 428R* package costs $16,999 on top of the cost of the Mustang, according to company spokesman John Clark.  There is an additional $800 delivery charge, and U.S. buyers face a $1,000 charge from the government for the new pony's gas inefficiency.

ROUSH Performance will deliver 200 of their highly-tuned Mustangs to select authorized Ford dealerships across the U.S. and Canada beginning in October 2007.  The 428R* will not replace the ROUSH 427R*, their most successful machine to date.

ROUSH is also working on a 429R* for next year.

Press Release

ROUSH CONTINUES THE HOMAGE TO FORD HISTORY WITH 428R* MUSTANG


ROUSH Performance continues to pay tribute to Ford's legendary history with the 428R* Mustang, a limited edition pony car which follows in the tremendous success of their 427R* model introduced last year and which remains in the ROUSH product lineup for the 2008 model year.

The ROUSH 428R* Mustang will arrive at participating Ford dealerships in October 2007.

"We are continuing to honor and celebrate the heritage of the proudest models of Ford racing history - the 427, 428 and 429 (engines)," stated Jack Roush. "These are iconic numbers in the Ford world and it is an honor to put them onto ROUSH Mustangs and insert them back into the muscle car world."

"The 427R* is easily the most popular Mustang model that ROUSH has ever introduced to the market," said Joe Thompson, ROUSH Performance's vice president and general manager. "That vehicle will remain the cornerstone of our lineup, but to celebrate Ford's history of automotive breakthroughs we will build a 428R* in 2008 and a 429R* in 2009. These cars are intended to be a collector's edition with limited production that pays respect to Ford Muscle Car history."

The 2008 ROUSH 428R* Mustang is limited to 200 vehicles, each a potent street slayer with 435 horsepower and 400 lb.-ft. of torque thanks to the famous ROUSHcharger* system, which, in the 428R* is a chrome powdercoat which glistens when the hood is raised. Other under-the-hood goodies include ROUSH billet radiator and intercooler radiator caps, oil cap, and strut tower caps which add to the sparkling engine compartment.

The looks of the car continue on the exterior also, with the ROUSH front fascia, chin spoiler, hood scoop and rear wing adding to the muscular look. The locking hood pins show the world that there is something lurking under the hood, and the black bar high-flow grille adds to the aesthetics.

As for handling, the ROUSH suspension package makes it simple to manage the left and right turns. Changed by the ROUSH technicians are the front and rear shocks, front and rear springs, front and rear sway bars, jounce bumpers and an anti-wheel hop kit is installed at the Livonia, Mich., factory. ROUSH 18-inch cast wheels and high-performance tires grip the road, and the offroad exhaust system gives the ROUSH 428R* the necessary growl expected from a V-8 Mustang.

The interior of the 428R* gets the ROUSH treatment as well as ROUSH sport leather seating is installed, the white face electro luminescent gauge cluster, and the ROUSH short throw shifter with retro ball makes quick gear changes. Rounding out some of the interior upgrades are ROUSH sill plates and floor mats.

As with all ROUSH vehicles, the 428R* comes with unique fender and decklid badges as well as a pair of engine bay plaques to authenticate this as an official ROUSH vehicle. Each vehicle comes with a Certificate of Authenticity signed by Jack Roush. The ROUSH 428R* is available with either a five-speed manual or automatic transmission.