Roush Stage 3 2001 Mustang

You can easily pick out a...        read full caption You can easily pick out a Stage 3 by noticing its unique front valance, which includes driving lights and a lower grille. Behind the grille you can make out the heat exchanger tasked with cooling off the dual-pass air-to-water intercooler. Our Stage 3 tester stood out from the crowd thanks to optional rocker panels, a side-exit exhaust, and chrome wheels.

Here’s the part that...        read full caption Here’s the part that gets most of us excited. The Stage 3 packs a fourth-generation Eaton M90 supercharger atop a factory 4.6 Two-Valve. The blower draws in through a factory mass air—tweaked for increased range—and a BBK 70mm throttle body. From there, 6 pounds of boost is rammed into a Roush lower intake manifold incorporating a two-core, air-to-water intercooler from Allied Signal. Coupled with Roush’s EEC V tuning, this package cranks out 360 hp and 375 lb-ft of torque without a hint of rough idling, noise, or detonation, even under the duress of a road-course environment.

Zipping the Stage 3 around...        read full caption Zipping the Stage 3 around the school track at the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving in Chandler, Arizona, proved as entertaining as you might expect. Roush actually provided several Mustangs, including Stage 2 and Stage 3 versions. The Stage 2 cars felt a bit lighter and more nimble on track, but the brute power and superb braking of the Stage 3 made it the car all the writers at the press introduction wanted to drive. The Stage 3’s power comes on early and hard in the midrange but tapers off before 6,000, so it feels a bit like the Cobra R without the sparkling top end.

Out back the Roush wing and...        read full caption Out back the Roush wing and convertible styling bar further the Stage 3’s cruising profile, but there’s no fancy IRS under this car. It does just fine with a stock solid-axle 8.8 rearend fitted only with 3.27 gears.

Stage 3s can get by with such...        read full caption Stage 3s can get by with such modest gearing thanks to the brute torque produced by the Eaton-supercharged Two-Valve underhood.

After spending a couple days...        read full caption After spending a couple days in Stage 3 Mustangs, we came away with that “nice daily driver feeling.” For most jaded 5.0&SF readers used to 500hp, super-charged 5.0s, 360 hp might not seem like much, but consider it’s warranteed and tested to standards that would make Ford happy, and then you begin to appreciate the combination of power and reliability. Obviously Roush is going after the market wanting something unique to Ford’s offerings, but a bit more aggressive. Now those in the market for a Kenny Brown, Saleen, or Steeda Mustang have one more choice to consider.

Subtle are the changes inside...        read full caption Subtle are the changes inside the Stage 3. Naturally it packs all the latest Ford appointments, to which Roush added electroluminescent, white-face gauges and supple, amply bolstered seats upholstered in Nupa leather.

Subtly embroidered Roush logos...        read full caption Subtly embroidered Roush logos adorn the driver and passenger seats, which embodies where Roush is going with the Stage 3.

The company has actually reduced...        read full caption The company has actually reduced the number of logos and badges found on the Stage 3—as compared with previous Roush Mustangs—to produce an understated look.

Big brakes and chrome wheels—two...        read full caption Big brakes and chrome wheels—two options well worth adding to any Roush Mustang. These huge stoppers proved fade-free after being beat by countless members of the automotive press, while the chrome wheels simply deliver those extra points in the looks department. Behind the wheels and brakes is the Stage 3 suspension, including springs, struts, shocks, sway bars, and rear lower control arms. It, as did all the Stage 3 components, stood up to rigorous, OEM-level testing before finally finding a home on the production car.

“I challenged my team...        read full caption “I challenged my team to find the balance between a race car and a road car,” Jack Roush says. “I started out over 30 years ago racing Mustangs. To me, it’s always been about Mustangs.”

These days, hot-rodded versions of our beloved Mustang are as plentiful as teen pop groups, though the Mustangs actually offer some substance. The latest entry into this crowded and competitive segment is a name you're likely familiar with--Roush Performance. Yes, that Roush, the one with more than 230 racing victories. Jack Roush is the guy who has fielded successful race teams in NHRA, IHRA, SCCA, IMSA, NASCAR, and IRL. This is also the same Jack Roush who heads Roush Industries, an engineering and design firm that often does the legwork for auto manufacturers, particularly Ford Motor Company.

We've heard this story before, but when the principals at Roush Performance tell you their Mustang isn't a tuner car, you've got to give them the benefit of the doubt, as Roush Industries likely helped design at least part of the Mustang leaving the Ford factory. So, in effect, Roush Performance used its intimate knowledge of the development of the Mustang platform to reverse engineer a next-generation musclecar, the Roush Stage 3 Mustang.

So as not pull the exclusivity carpet out from SVT, Roush starts out with an '01 Mustang GT and options it up with a host of appearance, handling, braking, and performance modifications to create the Stage 3. Chief among those modifications is the addition of an Eaton roots supercharger configured for six pounds of boost and run through an air-to-water intercooler. All told, this combination accounts for 360 hp at 5,250 rpm and 375 lb-ft of torque at 3,000 rpm. Better yet, the power is as smooth and quiet as to make you believe it could have rolled out of the Ford factory.

Package that torque grunt behind a stylish body package, five-spoke wheels, and a supple suspension, and you end up with quite a Mustang. If there's a downside to the Roush Stage 3, it's that most of us won't be able to own one. Roush plans to construct about 700 Stage 3 Mustangs in its new Livonia, Michigan, build facility. From that allotment, buyers can order a Base Stage 3 for $39,500 plus Ford options, a Rally Stage III for $44,050 plus Ford options, or a Premium Stage 3 for $48,975.

As you can see, 12.9/111 quarter-miles, 4.3-second 0-60s, and 0.9g pulls don't come cheap. But, for those who can afford it, a Roush Stage 3 isn't likely to disappoint.

Horse Sense: If your accountant won't approve a Stage 3 Mustang, Roush Performance also offers Stage 1 and Stage 2 Mustangs with many of the appearance and suspension parts found on the Stage 3. The company also offers tuned-up F-150s, Expeditions, Cougars, and--soon--Focus through its network of dealers. For more on Roush vehicles, check out www.roushperf.com.

Check out the sidebar below for the details on the different Roush Mustang stages.