Mustang IV, launched to much fanfare, managed an all-new body - in two-door coupe or convertible layout, the three-door shape abandoned - and Ford boasted that 1,330 of its 1,850 components were new, but whilst it looked radically different on the outside, underneath it was still based on the ancient Fox platform. It was roomier again, though, with a longer wheelbase and wide track, which helped the handling a little; ABS brakes were now optional, and disc brakes on all wheels standard. The four-cylinder 2.3 engine was finally pensioned off, replaced by a new aluminium-block 3.8 V6 (145bhp); the 5.0 V8 was modified to give 215bhp and a Cobra model was tuned for 245bhp. A stripped-out Cobra R limited edition of 250 models was produced, as were 1000 Indy 500 pace car replicas. The Cobra R was only supposed to be available to racing licence holders, and came with competition-spec fuel tank and engine cooling, though buyers were expected to install their own roll cages and competition seats. For 1995, the R's 351-cu in V8 was breathed on by Jack Roush to give 300bhp, and further revisions were made to the suspension, wheels and transmission, but by 1996, the engine was discontinued. The next Mustang Cobra had a new, more modern 4.6 V8 (305bhp), and this was offered alongside the mainstream 3.8 V6.
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Nostalgia has been keeping the Mustang alive - special edition, carefully themed models have helped to keep the flame burning. The Bullitt Mustang of 2001, the Mach 1 of 2002, with 'shaker' air scoop and 'heritage' wheels and a series of show cars. New for 2004 will be a further 305bhp Mach 1 edition, and the SVT Mustang MystiChrome Cobra, supercharged to 390bhp and finished in two-tone paint which can flip from Topaz Green to Cobalt Blue to Royal Purple to Onyx Black, depending on the light; there is also, inevitably, the 40th Anniversary model, with special stripes and badging, an uprated interior and unique alloy wheels. The latter does, however, preview the all-new 24-valve 4.6-litre V8 engine to be offered in the Mustang V...
The Mustang GT coupe and convertible concept cars shown at the 2003 Detroit Motor Show demonstrated that Ford really was returning to the original recipe for Mustang V, thankfully, and after years of neglect, the Mustang range could finally live up to the promise of the iconic first-generation car. To develop the prototypes, the design teams spent ages looking at the silhouettes of the early pony cars. "Getting the proportions right is the magic to making the entire design work," design chief J Mays told 4CAR last year. "When you're designing a new Mustang, you're the steward of 40 years of automotive history." And history is key: retro detailing abounded in the GT concepts, and Ford's emphasis on reviving the Mustang name was made clear in its repetition of the galloping pony logo and 'Mustang' scripts, all in the style of the '60s 'Stangs. Well, it had to be, as this is all about heritage, tradition and keeping the Mustang brand alive for the 21st century.
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