This Roush Stage 3 Mustang is the very same one we drove the snot out of in Mid-Ohio. It is the base Stage 3 model – Roush calls it Phase 1 – with a selection of options added to make it more unique. Sitting somewhere between the Ford Shelby GT500 and Boss 302 Mustangs in terms of performance and price, this comes complete with body upgrades, suspension, wheels, tires and brake package.

Of course, the Ford 5.0L Coyote V8 powertrain gets RoushCharged to 575 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 505 lb-ft of torque at 3,800 rpm – that's 155 hp and 115 lb-ft over stock – thanks to the 2.3L Eaton-based TVS R2300 supercharger. The 5.0L Ford Racing Aluminator V8 crate engine is being offered on the 2014 models to access Stage 2 and 3 numbers (625 and 675 hp, respectively), and all Roush Performance cars begin with the base Ford chassis (not included), which in this case is the 2014 Ford Mustang GT.

“The base platform that Ford provides in the Mustang is excellent,” says Jack Roush Jr. “The 5.0L V8 engine has great performance. It has the ability to go to higher rpms than pretty much any Ford motor I’m aware of. The six-cylinder is excellent as well. It has great horsepower, a great price point and gets very good mileage.”

Being able to build upon these platforms with Roush Performance packages is a great starting point for any performance and racing enthusiast that might be looking for a head-turning daily driver and/or a weekend track car with some serious gusto.

“One of the things that is probably under appreciated in the market – because you can’t see it – is our calibration,” says Roush. “We spend a lot of money, a lot of time really getting our superchargers to work well. We put a ton of work into calibrations that work in a very wide variety of environmental extremes.”

There are 20 Roush Performance approved dealers in Canada and 60 parts stores nationwide. But not every Ford dealer can sell them, they’ve got to be a certified Roush dealer. Use the online dealer locator on the Roush website to find one in your area. “A heavy percentage of our dealers are in Vancouver, BC and Alberta area, but we are growing our Ontario and Eastern Canada divisions as well,” says Tony Marszalek, Director of Product Planning at Roush Performance.

Canadian-spec “Roush packages” start at $5,350 for the RS and $19,750 for the Stage 3 (prices subject to change), and you can buy the 2014 Roush Performance Stage 3 Mustang here in Canada. “It comes as a complete car, certified by the government agencies from an emissions standpoint. And it is turn-key, ready to go.”

Most Roush-approved dealers do stock inventory. “Our smaller dealers would stock two to four cars at a time, and the big (U.S.) dealers would stock 20 to 30 cars at a time,” he says. “If they don’t have something on the lot that fits your needs, you can custom order one... It takes six to eight weeks for delivery.”

To go from a stock Mustang GT to one of these Stage 3 cars is a pretty drastic transformation according to Marszalek. “We touch just about every point on the car... the body, front, back, sides... we change the complete suspension front to back, springs, bars, shocks, struts. We change out interior components as well (those are optional) but we change about 50% of the interior. Then we do exhaust, wheels, tires, brakes and then the powertrain. We take out the entire manifold and upper intake assembly and switch it for our supercharger.” Finally, updating the software not only adds horsepower, it also maintains the same drivability and durability as the stock Mustang GT.

And, like all Roush Performance vehicles, this one comes with a three-year warranty.

Race car performance meets road car drivability in the 2014 Roush Performance Stage 3 Mustang. It’s the kind of car you can drive from your house to the track, go out and have fun with and drive home in without making any modifications.

Capable of pulling 1.02 Gs on the skidpad, the Cooper Zeon RS3 summer performance tires are up to task in the dry. Of course, a fresh set of brake pads and high-temperature fluid goes a long way in getting two solid days of fade-free braking at one of the best technical road courses on the continent.

Specifications
2014 Roush Stage 3 Mustang

Engine
RoushCharged Coyote 5.0L V8 engine – 575 hp/505 lb-ft
Featuring Eaton's 2.3L TVS technology

Chassis / Suspension
Performance suspension system
Roush 18-in. chrome wheel with Cooper RS3-S tires

Exterior
R6 aerobody kit (front chin spoiler, rocker splitters, rear splitters, aero rear valence, high-flow upper grille with Stage 3 badge, high-flow lower opening, front aero pockets with fog lamps, rear decklid spoiler, hood scoop)
Square “R” fender badges
Roush Stage 3 graphics
Dual chamber exhaust tips
Jack Roush signature graphic on decklid
Square “R” faux gas cap badge
Stage 3 decklid badge
Roush windshield banner
Stage 3 serialized engine bay plaque
Engine bay plaque with chassis builder's signature

Interior
Roush gauge cluster (premium equipment groups only)
Embroidered floor mats
Centre console badge
Stage 3 interior medallion

Installed options
Roush 20-in. graphite wheels
Horizontal bar-style lower grille
Vent pod with LED-lit boost gauge
Roush engine coil covers
Suede-wrapped steering wheel
Painted X-brace and rear seat delete
Billet performance pedals
Roush Stage 3 interior package (leather seating with suede inserts and Stage 3 embroidery, suede door panel inserts, suede shift boot)
Roush shifter ball
Roush laser-cut hood struts
Rear quarter window louvers
Dual chamber performance exhaust system
Locking lug nuts
Performance braking package (front: four-piston calipers with 1-pc. 14-in. slotted rotors; rear: painted caliper with slotted rotors)
Hawk Performance HT14 front and HT10 rear brake pads
ATE Super Blue Racing DOT4 high-temperature brake fluid