Here is a real good write-up on the FR500. All of the other articles I have seen have been weak.

Less obvious than the radical FR500 bodywork is the unique double-A-arm front suspension. According to Ford Racing’s Jay O’Connell, this short-long-arm suspension allowed for lengthening the Mustang wheelbase from 103.1 to 106.3 inches, which helped with weight distribution, while also providing for more consistent handling. According to Jay, "...The car understeers less when braking and entering turns and oversteers less when exiting turns."

 

At first glance, the FR500 interior doesn’t seem that far from the showroom floor. The standard ’99 Mustang dark charcoal interior is accented with two-tone leather seats with added bolstering, a white-face instrument cluster, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and a JBL sound system. What doesn’t hit you right away is this cozy cockpit is inside a powerful, track-worthy Mustang. About the only thing the Ford Racing guys are going to tweak inside the car is the lateral support of the seats.

 

This is what we’ve all been waiting for--a 5.0 modular engine. Called a spray-bore engine, the 5.0’s aluminum block receives a sprayed-in, ferrous-metal liner. According to Ford Racing’s Andy Schwartz, in addition to being lighter and less expensive than a separate liner, "The specific advantage (of the spray-bore technology) for our situation is it allows us a larger bore that otherwise would not be feasible due to the close bore spacing. It allows us to achieve the increased displacement." The obvious benefit of the extra cubes is more torque and more horsepower, but Andy says the real goal was to improve the car’s driveability via more midrange torque, which is a challenge on the high-strung Four-Valve engines.

 

While it is likely Ford Racing will reproduce the FR500 bodywork for those wanting to replicate its look, the parts will not, however, be made of carbon fiber like the real FRs. According to Ford Racing’s Tom Berkery, most of the FR500 bodywork will likely be produced for standard-wheelbase Mustangs in urethane, while some parts like the hood, deck lid, and C-pillar moldings would likely be made in fiberglass. Look for the body parts to be available by summer. If you’re anxious, you can check out www.fordracing.com/performance parts for availability updates.

 

How’s this for different? The FR500’s unique exhaust system begins in a traditional H-pipe, runs through two mufflers and into an X-pipe. That’s right, the X-pipe is after the mufflers. According to Ford Racing’s Hank Dertian, the benefits of the late X are two-fold: It better reduces noise and exhaust backpressure--the latter due to a reduction in bends to get exhaust routed around the complex independent rear suspension. The good news, as with most parts on the FR500, is the aftermarket company that created the system will be offering it for ’99-and-later Cobras, as well as developing new systems for pushrod 5.0s.

 

Jay O’Connell recently worked on the Lincoln LS, before he joined the FR500 program. Both have SLA front suspensions, but they differ considerably. "The Lincoln has a tall spindle, with the upper control arm located above the front tire," he says, "while the FR500 has a short spindle with the upper arm located inside the front wheel rim." Suspension buffs might be interested to know the FR500 SLA decreases "...kingpin inclination from 18 degrees (stock) to 12 degrees, while increasing caster from 4 degrees (stock) to 7 degrees," according to Jay.

 

Carved from billet magnesium, these striking, lightweight wheels contribute to the FR500’s superb 50/50 front-to-rear weight distribution. Measuring 18x9 inches in front and 18x10 in the rear, these prototype wheels provide ample room for the 14-inch (front) and 13-inch (rear) Brembos. Ford Racing is considering production of the wheels in forged aluminum or magnesium. Clamped by four-piston calipers, the massive front rotors are 1.25 inches thick and are vented, crossdrilled, and cooled by ducting from the front fascia. In back, the vented, 1.1-inch rotors are grabbed by Lincoln LS single-piston calipers. All that hardware is still mastered by the stock four-channel Antilock Braking System.

 

FR500 Specifications


Engine

Block: Cast aluminum 4.6L-4V enlarged to 5.0L

Bore x Stroke: 94mm x 90mm

Displacement: 5.0 liters

Compression Ratio: 9.85:1

Crankshaft: Forged steel, fully counterweighted

Rods: Production Cobra 4.6L-4V

Pistons: Forged aluminum

Heads: High-flow Four-Valve heads with two 37mm intake valves and two 30mm exhaust valves

Induction: Dual high-flow air filters, dual 80mm mass air sensors, dual 70mm throttle bodies and magnesium intake with variable-geometry runners

Exhaust: High-flow stainless steel headers, four high-flow cats, all 2-1/2-inch pipes with 3-1/2-inch tips

Support Systems

Engine Controls: Unique EEC-V calibration

Ignition: Distributorless coil-on-plug

Fuel Pump: 170 lph

Fuel Injectors: 33 lb/hr

Drivetrain

Flywheel: Unique eight-bolt billet steel

Clutch: 8-1/2-inch dual disc with vented floater

Transmission: T56 six-speed

Shifter: Pro-5.0

Rear Axle: FRPP 8.8-inch with 4.10 gears

Differential: Torsen T2R

Half-Shafts: 51mm OD with 31 splines

Suspension

Front: Double A-arm utilizing a bolt-on tubular No. 2 front crossmember, Lincoln LS aluminum rear upper control arms as front upper control arms, fabricated steel lower control arms, Cobra spindles, Lincoln LS-derived aluminum coilover shocks, 11/4-inch stabilizer bar, and ride height lowered 1 inch from stock. Front axle moved forward 5 inches

Rear: Cobra IRS with revised spring rates and shock valving, lowered 1 inch from stock

Weight Distribution: 50/50

Wheels: 18-inch FR500 prototype

Tires: BFGoodrich G-Force T/A KD

Brakes

Front: 14-inch Brembo rotors, vented and cross-drilled, with four-piston Brembo calipers

Rear: 13-inch Brembo rotors, vented, with Lincoln LS single-piston calipers

Exterior

Body: Production '99 Mustang with FR500 carbon-fiber front fascia, hood, fenders, rocker panels, rear fascia, and deck lid

Color: DuPont Special-Effect Silver

Interior

Seats: Production Mustang with FR500 leather seat trim

Audio: JBL high-performance CD/CD-ROM, AM and dual FM tuner with Becker TrafficPro voice-prompt navigation

Performance

Horsepower: 415 hp at 6,800 rpm

Torque: 365 lb-ft at 4,200 rpm

0-60 mph: 4.6 seconds

Quarter-mile: 12.70 seconds at 114 mph

Top Speed: 175 mph (estimated)

 

how much ?