2025 Mustang RTR Spec 5 Preview Peek

[robvas]

Any word on Saleen or Roush cars for the 2025 model year?

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[midtownz06]

Any word on Saleen or Roush cars for the 2025 model year?

They are going to do a new bumper package, embroidered seats and have a 3.0L whipple option.

 

[Upacurb]

You are certainly not wrong but exactly where would you find these 500 and keep the car legally sellable?

not sure if will get there but to start.....

lighter wheels
remove back seats
lighter seats in front
remove sound deadening (I think there is a ton in the S650)
lighter drive shaft
carbon fiber body panels
rip out the stereo - maybe even the A/C (A/C was optional on 15-18 GT350Rs)
thinner glass on the windows
remove resonator from exhaust - go to titanium mufflers
lighter battery
not sure if spare tire- but if so then toss it

sure someone smarter then me could come up with more : )

 

[Bikeman315]

not sure if will get there but to start.....

lighter wheels
remove back seats
lighter seats in front
remove sound deadening (I think there is a ton in the S650)
lighter drive shaft
carbon fiber body panels
rip out the stereo - maybe even the A/C (A/C was optional on 15-18 GT350Rs)
thinner glass on the windows
remove resonator from exhaust - go to titanium mufflers
lighter battery
not sure if spare tire- but if so then toss it

sure someone smarter then me could come up with more : )

So basically you're asking for a GTD. That said, a question, please. The great majority of these cars are bought for the street, and many are nothing more than garage and C&C queens. Although many of these things would reduce weight my question is why? What purpose does it serve? How much more would one be willing to spend for some of these if they were made options?

 

[midtownz06]

not sure if will get there but to start.....

lighter wheels
remove back seats
lighter seats in front
remove sound deadening (I think there is a ton in the S650)
lighter drive shaft
carbon fiber body panels
rip out the stereo - maybe even the A/C (A/C was optional on 15-18 GT350Rs)
thinner glass on the windows
remove resonator from exhaust - go to titanium mufflers
lighter battery
not sure if spare tire- but if so then toss it

sure someone smarter then me could come up with more : )

I think the best answer is these companies need to put their collective effort into a better chassis. Partner with Ford to get aluminum frames made and cover crash testing 3-4 ways split across roush, saleen, rtr, Shelby , etc.

that would save 150-200lbs alone.

then do composite roof, hood, floor pans, trunk, quarter panels, doors like a corvette. Lightweight glass, wheels, brakes.

I don’t think people know this but ford used REALLY heavy (cheap) parts on these cars.

An s650 saves 25-30lbs going to a lighter brake kit from AP racing and 30-40lbs with lighter forged aluminum wheels. It’s pretty crazy. Driveshaft is another easy 15lbs.

 

[midtownz06]

you’re being a Debbie downer. GTD has bespoke rear suspension which I also want but no I don’t want a GTD I want everything a GTD has but for $100k.

So basically you're asking for a GTD. That said, a question, please. The great majority of these cars are bought for the street, and many are nothing more than garage and C&C queens. Although many of these things would reduce weight my question is why? What purpose does it serve? How much more would one be willing to spend for some of these if they were made options?

 

[Upacurb]

So basically you're asking for a GTD. That said, a question, please. The great majority of these cars are bought for the street, and many are nothing more than garage and C&C queens. Although many of these things would reduce weight my question is why? What purpose does it serve? How much more would one be willing to spend for some of these if they were made options?

Nope - not saying to add the super sophisticated F1 suspension......

Based on your asking why.......I mean lowering weight can make a significant difference in driving dynamics.... having driven a base GT350 and my R back to back...,lets just say you can tell a difference....lighter weight wheels by themselves make a massive difference in how the vehicle responds....

I mean people were willing to spend 10s of 1000s more to get an R so I think the market is there...

 

[Bikeman315]

Nope - not saying to add the super sophisticated F1 suspension......

Based on your asking why.......I mean lowering weight can make a significant difference in driving dynamics.... having driven a base GT350 and my R back to back...,lets just say you can tell a difference....lighter weight wheels by themselves make a massive difference in how the vehicle responds....

I mean people were willing to spend 10s of 1000s more to get an R so I think the market is there...

Maybe RTR can reach out to their customers and see what they are actually willing to pay for. Some of these would be easily added as options before purchase, others after.

 

[xrs]

These S650 variations by Ford, RTR and Shelby take me back to some of the marketing methods of the 70's although they do go bit further, when a vehicle was not selling Ford would add interior upgrades and say hey this one is a denim pack, anybody remember the Mk2 Ford Escort and the various themes they came up with lol.

 

[Upacurb]

These S650 variations by Ford, RTR and Shelby take me back to some of the marketing methods of the 70's although they do go bit further, when a vehicle was not selling Ford would add interior upgrades and say hey this one is a denim pack, anybody remember the Mk2 Ford Escort and the various themes they came up with lol.

Laughing because its true !!

 

[Bikeman315]

These S650 variations by Ford, RTR and Shelby take me back to some of the marketing methods of the 70's although they do go bit further, when a vehicle was not selling Ford would add interior upgrades and say hey this one is a denim pack, anybody remember the Mk2 Ford Escort and the various themes they came up with lol.

That's exactly how my California Special came into being. And here we are 57 years later and we still have it. Pretty cool.

 

[MidwayJ]

people are upset that Ford isn't building the special models that people actually wanted (GT350, GT500), that weren't just simple add-ons to a GT. The Dark Horse isn't enough.

It's a little early to be upset about that. Ford didn't produce the S550 GT500 until 5 years into the S550 run. What the Shelby American GT350 does tell us is Ford will not be calling their special models anything Shelby. Maybe they will be Boss, Cobra, special Dark Horse editions--whatever, but it's doubtful Ford is done with special models.

 

[9secondko]

I think the best answer is these companies need to put their collective effort into a better chassis. Partner with Ford to get aluminum frames made and cover crash testing 3-4 ways split across roush, saleen, rtr, Shelby , etc.

that would save 150-200lbs alone.

then do composite roof, hood, floor pans, trunk, quarter panels, doors like a corvette. Lightweight glass, wheels, brakes.

I don’t think people know this but ford used REALLY heavy (cheap) parts on these cars.

An s650 saves 25-30lbs going to a lighter brake kit from AP racing and 30-40lbs with lighter forged aluminum wheels. It’s pretty crazy. Driveshaft is another easy 15lbs.

been sharing this for a while. The s550 and 650 are really old school platforms thst nrver reinvented anything to comply with regulations or performance demands.

the suspension, glass, frame, body panels, exhaust, interior filler materials etc. are all much heavier then need be. The current platform could lose 200 lbs as-is if ford cared to do anything there.

but that’s not the point of this generation for them. The s650 exists to keep the amustang alive while they figure out what to do.

it is an OLD platform that is extra heavy due to the additional reinforcement snd modificatiins made to keep that platform moving forward. This is ford’s breather round, doing the bare minimum.

it’s the 70’s over again, where it was the same old car, but now either some vinyl glued to the roof. It’s the same old car, but now with a diffrrrnt horse sticker. It’s the same old car? But ford thinks they are fooling people by calling third party collab efforts from RTR a new model. It’s easy to just let a tuner mod the car s bit and boom, call it s new thing.

the s550 was heavier than the s197 because it was the same old platform, but with stuff added to it to hold a new body and meet new criteria. Meanwhile tje Camaro was much lighter than its predecessor (and the mustang itself) because it started on the right foot with a new platform (amortized among s range of cars).

this generation is s wash. It just is. We may get an exciting car like a cobra coming, either msjor firepower, but it will still be saddled by the old, heavy platform.

it will take s new platform specifically designed to be lighter and tighter from inception. The other CARS this platform can facilitate, such as a new 4 door performance sedan, etc. can be accommodated by the new amustang platform and be modified to suit other needs.

but the mustang needs to get the unmodified, light platform.

Ford has the superior engine technology to GM across the board. They’ve also caught up in suspension engineering. But chassis development is sad to see lagging like this.

Ford has a recent sub platform that accommodates cars and crossovers. But not maximizing the potential of the cars specifically. This is because aFord goolidd add holy ended car production, which put the mustang in the difficult position of being an expensive proposition to modernize, because their are no other models to share amortization of its advancements with.

people want cars. Hyundai and Toyota are reaping the rewards of betting big on cars. It may not be the f series market, nothing is.

it’s a worthwhile profitable market and one that enables bringing cultural icons like the mustangs into the future in a relevant way instead of just dragging a link to the past around for posterity.

the Mustang has the potential to do it all over again. It just needs people who care in the right positions.

culturally, there is a massive cultural shift in the Mustangs homeland towards a mindset that favors things like the amustang. But not an old, underdeveloped relic. An actual NEW exciting car to be enthusiastic about.

a new specific platform that prioritizes lightweighting snd rigidity would be huge. Wrap the thing around the v8 with smaller engines as an option for those who want that, and modify the platform for other cars.

But this generation is a wash. God help is if the Mustang ends up in the recent EV/SUV/Crossover platform out now - or just as bad - carrying over the DC2+ for another decade or so.

 

[BrianJ77]

https://www.ford.com/performance/mustang-dark-horse-r/

For whomever wanted Ford to build a lighter car that is more track capable here you go.

 

[Bikeman315]

https://www.ford.com/performance/mustang-dark-horse-r/

For whomever wanted Ford to build a lighter car that is more track capable here you go.

Except for the fact this car is not street legal. It’s this part that prevents the RTR’s, Roush’s, and Shelby’s of the world from building the car your all wanting.

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