JackJr@ROUSHperformance

Earlier this year, we released a number of teasers around the launch of the new ROUSH(R) 2010 Mustang. Now that the car has been unveiled and is in the dealer showrooms we can't do any more teasers about the car itself, but there is still plenty of interesting information to give you about the parts that are available for the Mustangs. To start off this series of articles, we'll be talking about our ROUSH body kits, and what makes them so unique in the marketplace.

The tagline (or simplified mission statement) for ROUSH Performance is that we embody "The Art of Performance Engineering." In saying this, you might think that means we focus on power and handling, and if you've ever driven a ROUSH Mustang you'll know that's certainly true. We go to great lengths to come up with highly refined suspension and powertrain packages. These aspects to our systems cover the "Performance Engineering" part of our tagline, but don't forget about the word "Art" in there either.

A ROUSH Mustang just wouldn't be the same without its distinctive styling. In addition to having the industry-leading team of engineers on vehicle dynamics and powertrain development, we also have some of the finest car designers in the business working each of our body kits.

Our 2010 ROUSH Mustang body kits include six basic components: a front fascia, rear wing, quarter window louvers, front splitter, side splitters, and rear valance. Each of these parts is designed using original design data (CAD) provided to us directly from Ford. We are able to use this data both because of our tight relationship with Ford, making them comfortable in handing this over to us, and because of our tremendous technical capabilities to actually make use of this. As a result, our parts attach to the vehicle with a high degree of precision and OEM-level fitment. Many body kit makers don't have access to this information, nor do they have the expertise in how to make use of it.

Be aware that there are a number of issues that can arise from using lower quality body kits. One is that they tend not to fit the vehicle very well. It's quite common to have to sand such parts down before they will even come close to fitting the vehicle. With ROUSH body kits, no sanding or grinding is required as our pieces will fit right onto the vehicle quickly and easily using, in most cases, existing mounting and screw locations.

Another common problem with inferior quality body kits is that they are often quite heavy. Frankly, this is because they aren't engineered well. At ROUSH, we engineer the correct amount of structural rigidity into our body kits without using too much material. As a result, our body kits are lighter and stronger than those of many of our competitors. Just remember, if your car weighs more, it won't go as fast.

Yet another common problem we've seen on other body kits is that they often don't stay attached to the vehicle. ROUSH body kits are engineered to have the proper amount of fastening to the vehicle, and they are also tested over many hours (and at high speeds on the racetrack) to ensure that the engineering was correct, and each of these packages include all required mounting hardware.

As for the materials used to make these parts, ROUSH uses high-quality plastics specifically chosen for long-lasting durability. Each of these parts are made in the U.S.A. at ROUSH's own plastics manufacturing facility in Livonia, Michigan. The materials are the same as used by Ford so they are true OEM-quality products.

The ROUSH 2010 Mustang body kits are available both unpainted as well as painted in OEM colors, including Grabber Blue, Torch Red, Performance White, Kona Metallic Blue, Red Candy Metallic, Black, Brilliant Silver Metallic, and Sterling Grey Metallic. As opposed to our previous pre-painted body parts, we are offering these parts with one single painted price for a given part (the 2005-2009 kits previously had a different price depending on the specific color), and we have made great strides in controlling costs on these to give you the best price possible.

Ford has built a great new vehicle with the 2010 Mustang. The bold vintage styling queues that caught so much attention with the 2005 Mustang were made more sleek and subtle, taking the platform to the next level. At ROUSH, our vision is to make the ultimate race-inspired Mustang. With this new vehicle, we too have made more refined packages on all levels, including styling. Luckily, you don't have to buy a complete car to buy these kits for your car. You can buy them as upgrade kits to put on your stock 2010 Mustang, or the 2005 to 2009 models as well.