With nearly all automakers making a decisive move towards smaller engines and fuel economy, it’s nice to know there are at least some aftermarket outfitters still servicing the needs of those with a heavy right foot.
In this case, it’s Roush as they have now received official CARB (California Air Resource Board) certification to allow the sale of the Stage 3, 540 horsepower Roush-charged (supercharged) 2012 Ford Mustang. Previously Roush only had the ability to sell the Stage 3 Mustang for road use in 37 states.
To achieve the 540 horsepower rating Roush added an in-house R2300 Roush supercharger, running 10 psi of intercooled air into the 5.0-liter, four-valve DOHC TiVCT Coyote engine. Other performance enhancements include four-piston calipers, 14-inch rotors, standard in black, optional in red. wheels can be had in either Hyper Black or Chrome, both 20-inches and wrapped in Cooper 2XS or ultra high-performance RS3 tires.
The suspension has also received a thorough tweaking, including Roush front struts, rear shocks, front and rear springs, front and rear stabilizer bars, jounce bumpers and an anti-wheel hop kit.
New for the 2012 Roush Stage 3 is a color options package, allowing for personal customization of three different aesthetic elements of the car: eight choices for the base vehicle color, six graphic colors and six graphic accent colors. The result is a total of 288 unique color combination possibilities.
Roush says that the 2012 model also utilizes new metallic flakes for its decals, giving a convincing allusion to custom paint.
