One of the perks of having the Mustang Monthly offices located across the street from Brandon Ford in Tampa is the fact that Roush Performance utilizes the dealership as home base for its small fleet of southern press vehicles. So when Roush debuts a new model for its line of Roush Mustangs, it’s easy to get our hands on one for a test spin. The latest from Roush is the RTC – for "Roush Touring Coupe" – and we were more than happy to make the daily commute in a black-over-red version for a week. The paint scheme, reminiscent of Roush’s Boyd Coddington Edition from 2003, sets the RTC apart from the ever-growing lineup of Roush Mustangs, which includes the 427R and Stage 1, 2, and 3 models along with limited-edition versions like the P51-A, BlackJack, and 428R. The RTC is part of the limited-edition line, and as such will be available to only 200 buyers. Standard RTC equipment includes the Roush 4-piece aero body kit, 20-inch chrome wheels, nine-bar grille, fog lamps, aluminum shifter handle and pedals, white-face gauges, lowering springs, and Sport leather seats with suede inserts. Several options are offered, most notably the Roushcharger supercharger that boosts output to 430hp and 400 lb-ft of torque. Six base colors are available – Torch Red, Candy Apple Red, Brilliant Silver, Vapor, Vista Blue, and Grabber Orange. Our test car got the full complement of options, including the Roushcharger, carbon-fiber dash trim, Sport brakes, Roush exhaust, boost gauge, and short-throw shifter. Of course, the options added to the cost, pushing our tester deep into the $50,000 range, but for the most part the options were well-worth their extra expense. The Roots-style supercharger, for one, adds tremendously to the driving experience by providing tons of down-low torque. It doesn’t offer the high-rpm thrill like a centrifugal blower, but when 99 percent of your driving is done at low rpms, we’ll take the torque. The short-throw shifter is one of the best we’ve experienced in an S197 Mustang. It’s precise and less clunky than most. For our taste, we’d probably pass on the exhaust, which for some reason is installed post-title by the selling Ford dealer. It has a nice, throaty tone at idle but gets a tad harsh at mid rpms. The boost gauge installed in one of the center-dash A/C vents didn’t make a lot of sense. While it doesn’t significantly impede air flow, it does prevent changing air-flow direction. On occasion, the cold air fogged up the gauge lens. Perhaps an A-pillar gauge would work better. The RTC lives up to its name as a "touring coupe." The suspension is plenty firm but won’t beat you up on a long trip, and the supercharger’s torque is perfect for getting around big trucks on the freeway. The only hassle might be delays at the gas pump while you answer all the questions from other motorists.
|