In lower than three weeks, we’ll be again in Las Vegas for the 2024 version of the annual SEMA Present.
Whereas SEMA is an automotive aftermarket commerce present at its coronary heart, it’s additionally one of many world’s greatest levels for customized and modified automobile debuts. From the weird to the really gorgeous, we’re assured to see all of it. Ten years in the past in Vegas, Dino featured arguably the good brand-new sixth-gen Ford Mustang on the present – Vaughn Gittin Jr.‘s Spec 5 Mustang RTR. Let’s revisit that story for this week’s throwback submit.
2014 Characteristic
For those who noticed my submit on the 2015 Spec 2 Mustang RTR, there’s one query you might need been left asking your self: What when you wished extra? The Spec 2 is an superior and highly-capable road automobile in its personal proper, however simply think about what you may find yourself with when you upped it a couple of notches… Effectively, you don’t truly should think about, as a result of Vaughn Gittin Jr. didn’t waste any time placing that automobile collectively both. Then he spent every week thrashing it exterior the Las Vegas Conference Middle throughout the 2014 SEMA Present…
Seeing as how the new 2015 Mustang created such a buzz all through the present this yr, we simply needed to borrow the ‘Spec 5 Mustang RTR’ – our favorite fingers down – and immortalise it in opposition to an unmistakably-Vegas backdrop. Coming from Japan, the place shifting a automobile from a present would require you to fax (sure, fax!) numerous requests to the occasion organizers months upfront, and have them countersigned and authorised by not less than 25 individuals, I’m at all times impressed by how simple it’s to do issues like this in the USA.
Larry obtained on the cellphone to Vaughn and advised him to drive the automobile out of the Las Vegas C0nvention Middle, throughout the again streets, after which meet us up on the highest flooring of a large parking construction. Quick ahead 10 minutes and that is the view that greeted us.
You have most likely gathered that I’m fairly a fan of this new ‘Stang. Ford has managed to create a design with bucketfuls of presence, and one that permits just about anybody with a distant curiosity in vehicles to immediately know what it’s. However within the area of some months, Vaughn and his crew have taken the base automobile and pumped it stuffed with steroids to create the drift machine you see right here.
The automobile was inbuilt a collaboration between Vaughn’s RTR model, MA-Motorsports and ASD Motorsports, and was put collectively with the objective of getting enjoyable. That stated, it not solely needed to look robust, but additionally have all the power required to carry out each as a grip and drift, a fully-fledged monitor weapon if you’ll.
On high of the enjoyment that Vaughn had creating this automobile – after which driving the hell out of it at SEMA’s exhibition – this Spec 5 idea can be serving as a growth platform.
As you’d anticipate, the Spec 5’s exterior is way more in your face than the Mustang RTR Spec 2 highway automobile. The visible affect begins on the entrance finish, the place the RTR signature grille with back-lit ‘nostrils’ is carried over, albeit with inexperienced lighting to tie in with the opposite vivid particulars and the Group Monster motif.
Environment friendly cooling is super-important in drifting, and to assist direct extra air to the radiator is a secondary grille minimize into the bumper.
An aggressively-contoured chin spoiler can be fitted, and beneath {that a} skinny carbon fiber splitter which protrudes additional outwards to assist enhance front-end downforce.
Every nook of the splitter is related up with a canard that mounts instantly onto the bolt-on over-fenders, and it’s right here we discover the primary promoting level of the Spec 5 conversion.
The over-fenders fatten up the Mustang by 50mm on the entrance and 75mm on the rear, and naturally enable loads of room for broad RTR wheels with an aggressive offset to widen the monitor and permit a lot of suspension modifications to be made.
The additional girth definitely works wonders for the general stance of the automobile, which is extraordinarily aggressive from all angles.
The rear finish is complemented by a diffuser that’s completed in black to supply distinction in opposition to the flat silver wrapped physique.
Absolutely adjustable coilovers are fitted at every nook to offer Vaughn the power to advantageous tune the automobile to any particular course or monitor, whereas ASD Motorsports entrance decrease management arms enable for the precise type of steering geometry to steadiness the massive coupé in full-lock slides.
Then in fact there are the huge 20-inch 3-piece RTR wheels made by HRE – 10-inch and 11-inch broad entrance and rear respectively, and fitted with Nitto NT05 rubber.
You possibly can virtually make out the massive Brembo stoppers behind the wheels’ spokes – 6-pot calipers up entrance to make sure there’s no scarcity of stopping energy.
In my opinion, aftermarket aspect skirts are a few of the more durable aesthetic additions to design, however the RTR Spec 5 gadgets add simply the correct amount of continuity between the pumped entrance and rear fenders.
The automobile oozes presence and it appears prefer it desires to go fully sideways even when sitting nonetheless.
I’ve fairly a lot come to the conclusion that the appears have been nailed to perfection right here, so it’s over to the remainder of the main points that make up this spectacular drift machine.
First up it’s Vaughn’s workplace. Very like the surface of the automobile, what actually makes the inside stand out is the sheer simplicity of all of it. However that doesn’t imply it was simple to realize.
Opening the paper-thin composite doorways you might be confronted with an array of particulars, from the Wilwood pedal field to the customized dashboard and middle console the place the change panel is positioned.
Climbing over the rollcage’s door bars will land you in one in every of two supportive Recaro buckets – constructed from carbon fiber in fact, and outfitted with Takata 5-point harnesses. Like in all race vehicles, the seating positions are shifted barely rearwards to assist with each weight steadiness/distribution, but additionally to align the seats with the B-pillars for added security within the occasion of an affect or crash.
See what I imply once I use the phrase ‘simplicity’? Take a look at the sprint – a contoured part of polished carbon fiber that has the job of hiding the bar work, body and miscellaneous wiring, in addition to offering a good mounting level for the Bosch Motorsport DDU 7 digital show unit.
As Vaughn rapidly demonstrated, that is one trick little bit of package that’s in a position to supply some fairly cool and customizable shows. His teammates even added some photos of essential moments in his life for a little bit of visible motivation.
All of it comes collectively to type a enjoyable and really succesful new venture automobile for Vaughn to drive, however most significantly of all, develop from.
However in fact, a drift’s automobile true potential all comes all the way down to the power-making bits, and within the RTR Spec 5’s case it’s all hiding underneath a composite vented bonnet.
Carry it up and your eyes immediately observe the Ford Racing emblem atop the consumption plenum that feeds the V8 beneath it. The Mustang RTR Spec 2 Larry and I drove impressed us for its broad unfold of torque mated to a punchy mid and top-end – to not point out a pleasant willingness to rev. However the engine fitted to this explicit automobile takes these qualities even additional…
Appropriately named the ‘5.0L Aluminator V8 XS Crate Engine’, this 500hp-plus motor runs all kinds of top-notch elements to boost each side of its naturally aspirated character. It reliably revs all the way in which to eight,000rpm due to Mahle exhausting anodized cast pistons with a low friction coating, Manley H-beam connecting rods, and a lighter but stronger aluminium block with particular cross-bolted primary bearing caps. CNC-ported Boss heads and high-lift cams deal with the remainder, making this a robust and impressively responsive setup.
Vaughn’s guys added American Racing headers and a Magnaflow exhaust system, whereas the engine breathes via a Okay&N cone filer, Ford Racing consumption and the massive throttle physique you see pictured right here.
To profit from the engine setup, the driveline makes use of a close-ratio 6-speed Ford Racing transmission operating right into a Driveshaft Store Ford 9-inch diff conversion with 4:56 gears. For further energy, bulletproof Driveshaft Store aluminium driveshafts and axles are additionally fitted.
As soon as all of the mechanicals have been sorted, Revolution Automotive have been left to extract copious quantities of energy and torque, which they did.
This automobile definitely represents what the brand new Mustang is all about – a terrific bundle that’s begging to be personalised, constructed up and refined for no matter its finish use could also be.
And if that’s drifting, then Vaughn and his crew have already proven us the power this automobile has when it comes to tearing up tyres!
Because the solar set over the Vegas Strip I used to be happy that I had the chance to take an in depth have a look at this RTR idea. I used to be impressed by the general execution and appears, to not point out the efficiency. The Mustang legend is unquestionably right here to remain in all its totally different guises!
To wrap issues up, try this clip of Vaughn drifting the Spec 5 (and different machines) at SEMA.
The Speedhunters
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Dino Dalle Carbonare
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Further Images by Mike Garrett
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