Perhaps the first industrial personification of American values had wings—it was the P-51 Mustang that flew over Europe and kept Allied territories secure. Hailed as the "savior of aviation," the P-51 saved countless lives and was responsible for perhaps more victories in World War II. Several decades later, that mechanical representation of America's heartland was reborn on wheels with the Ford Mustang. Today, Roush Performance unveiled its tribute of the two immortal American icons at the SEMA show in Las Vegas: the P-51A Mustang.
The homage to the Allied aircraft is inspiring in itself. But perhaps more inspiring is the effort Roush gave under the hood. The aftermarket giant is boasting this package to be "easily the highest horsepower Mustang that the company has ever produced."
Roush clearly concentrated on releasing a powerful package under the revered wartime nameplate. "I’ve often said that there was never a Mustang built that I didn't like and that includes both the car and the airplane," said Jack Roush, an aviation enthusiast who currently owns two P-51 Mustang warbirds. "This is the type of product that ROUSH has wanted to produce for at least 10 years but the right platform, the right technology, and the right timing never intersected until now."
With 510HP and 510 lb-ft of torque being churned out from under the hood, the brawn accompanies the aesthetics. Roush included forced induction with other internal engine adjustments, made some suspension improvements and adorned the P-51A’s in accordance with the nostalgic warbirds—specifically, the 357th Fighters Group, known as “The Yoxford Boys,” who used the same yellow and red accents seen on the P-51A.
Pricing has yet to be announced, but production will be limited to 100 vehicles and begin in the first quarter of 2008. For more information on Roush's P-51A Mustang, check out the
official press release from Roush Performance. Also, check out
additional photos of the P-51A Mustang from this year's SEMA show.
Photo Credit: Stangnet