New Edge Mustang

1999 Ford Mustang 1999 Ford Mustang The New Edge introduced more cues of vintage styling, with things like the return of the "Pony in the corral" grill emblem, which had not been seen on a Mustang since 1973. Slight, squared off fender flares were added over all four tires giving the car a wider look, and while the front end looked similar to the SN95, it also had a squared off, beefier look. Along the sides of the New Edge, the body crease was now larger, starting wide and tapering down to the non-functional duct on the rear quarter panel, which was much more pronounced than the side duct on the SN95. Also, all of the standard and GT models received a "35th anniversary edition" badge on the front fenders. The hood received a new inset hood scoop (also non-functional) which matched the look of the side ducts. The rear end also got a refresh, and although the tail lights were still a three unit lens with integrated backup light, they on longer had the body colored cover separating the three sections; and on GT models, the rear wing had a new shape, touching down to the trunk lid, where the SN95 wing hung out over the quarter panels. There were three trim lines offered; the Standard model with a V6, the GT with the SOHC 4.6L, and the Cobra with the DOHC 4.6L. The standard Mustang got an increase in power from 150 to 193, the GT got a boost from 225 to 260, and the Cobra got an advertised increase from 305 to 320. However, many new Cobra owners were shocked to see that when put on a dynamometer, the 1999 Cobra only produced 305 horsepower, and it created a great deal of controversy, and with that controversy came a full recall of the Cobras, at which time they received a new intake manifold, new cat-back exhaust system, and a computer reprogram so that they would make the advertised 320 horsepower. There were some special GTs made in 1999, badged as 35th Anniversary Limited Edition GTs, and those units included a raised hood scoop with a black accent running to the front of the hood, side scoops that stuck out further than the other GTs, a different rear wing, and a honeycomb insert on the back of the car between the tail lights. The 99 Mustang offered both a Roush and Saleen model. The Roush models were limited to the Sport package, the Stage 1, and Stage 2; and they were basically just aesthetic and suspension packages. There was an intended Stage 3 which included vast performance improvements, but Jack Roush was not happy with the Stage 3, so it would not be released until 2001. The Saleen Mustang models remained the same as Saleen lineup as the SN95 lineup with similar power and appearance improvements even though they were on the new body style. Although there was only a slight increase in price, the sales dropped from the last year of the SN95 to the first year of the New Edge by about 42,000 units.

2000 Ford Mustang 2000 Ford Mustang When the second year of the New Edge Mustang came out, people were surprised to see the lack of a Cobra option, due to the problems with the power output of the 1999 Cobra. There were no changes to the exterior of the 2000 Standard or GT, with the exception of the 35th Anniversary logo, and there were no physical differences to the two shy of the dual exhaust cutouts on the GT, and the GT badging. There was a special edition GT, called the Spring Feature Mustang, and all 3,091 units received the same side ducts and hood scoop as the 35th Anniversary Limited Edition GT, as well as black Mustang bumper inserts, dual black stripes on the hood with GT on them, and 17" by 8" bright finish wheels. Also, Zinc Yellow was offered only on the Spring Feature, but would return as a regularly offered color in 2001. While there were no Cobras sold, 2000 marked the return of the Cobra R. Only 300 of these special edition models were sold, and like the 1995 Cobra R, they were basically a street legal race car. The had no back seat, no sound deadening material, no heaters, and no A/C, but what it did have was a new DOHC 5.4L engine building 385 horsepower, a new front clip, side exit exhaust, a huge rear wing, and an almost $55,000 price tag. The Saleen and Roush lineups remained the same for the 2000 model year, although there really were no huge changes, sales boomed, with over 215,000 units sold in 2000.

2001 Ford Mustang 2001 Ford Mustang The 2001 Ford Mustang brought about the return of the Mustang Cobra, and with it the exit of the Cobra R. The Cobra came stock with 320 horsepower (for real this time), and where the 2001 Mustang said "MUSTANG" on the rear bumper, those who dared to race a 2001 Cobra were reminded of their error in judgment thanks to the COBRA lettering across the rear fascia. The GTs got smoked headlights, and all GTs received the special side ducts and hood scoop which were featured on the 35th Anniversary GT. Also, all GTs, starting in 2001, had 17" wheels. There was yet again another special edition Mustang of sorts, and it had a retro name. Having been named after the movie that put the 1968 Mustang on the map, the 2001 Bullitt Mustang was a trim package added to the GT. The 1968 Mustang featured in the movie was Highland Green, so the Bullitt package was the only one offering that color in 2001, but the Bullitt was also offered in Black and True Blue (although the True Blue Bullitts were the most rare). Along with the unique green paint, the Bullitt also came with an exterior upgrade package which included a blacked-out corral (around the pony) red brake calipers with a Mustang emblem, flush side ducts, and a brushed aluminum race-style fuel door. Also, the Bullitt had a spoiler and fog lamp delete. The interior also got some upgrades with more comfortable seats, gauges with 1960s Ford style font, and aluminum accents on the shifter and shifter trim ring, as well as the door lock buttons and the engraved aluminum BULLITT door sill plates. The only performance enhancement was the air intake system which was slightly altered compared to the regular GT intake, and that Bullitt intake resulted in 5 extra horsepower. While the Saleen lineup remained the same once again, the Roush lineup got a long awaited kick in the pants with the Roush Stage 3. While this Stage 3 offered all of the available appearance and suspension upgrades of the lower end Roush packages, the big news with the Stage 3 was the addition of the Roush intercooled supercharger which boosted the output to 360 horsepower, and there were other items such as sub-frame connectors to help the Mustang handle all of the power in conjunction with the suspension components. The 2001 Mustang was not quite as popular as the prior year, with sales dropping to around 168,000 units, but all in all, it was a good year for the Mustang.

2002 Ford Mustang 2002 Ford Mustang There were very few changes to the Mustang for 2002, aside from the addition of some new color options, and a new steering wheel wrap for the Standard Mustangs. The only real change to the GT was the upgrade of the sound system with a powerful new Visteon Mach 1000 stereo system. There were no Cobras offered in the United States, as the 2003 SVT Cobra was slated for release in mid-2002, but there were 100 2002 Cobras made, and they were all right hand drive, and were shipped to Australia. They were exactly the same as the 2001 Cobra, with the exception of the addition of a crude looking extra set of fog lights between the head lights and the normal fog lights. The Saleen lineup remained steady, but the S-281 Extreme was introduced, which was a 425 horsepower beast. The Roush lineup was similar to the 2001 lineup, but 2001 marked the introduction of the 360R, which was a 360 horsepower Roush Stage 3 with custom graphics. Sales figures dropped once again, this time to around 142,000 units.

2003 Ford Mustang 2003 Ford Mustang When the 2003 Mustang debuted amidst the 2002 calendar year, the big news was big power. The famed Mach1 returned with a naturally aspirated DOHC 4.6L engine offering 305 horsepower (although proven to build closer to 320 bhp), and that engine drew air through the functional Shaker hood scoop. From that hood scoop to the front of the car ran a black stripe, and along the sides of the car ran similar black stripes with the vintage Mach1 emblem. The back end was also unique with the spoiler being finished in black, with Bullitt style rolled exhaust tips. The Mach1 was offered only with new Magnum 500 wheels, and it came in a limited number of colors. While the Mach1 was a welcome and popular return, the big news was the return of the Cobra. This mighty new Cobra, nicknamed the Terminator by enthusiasts, was fitted with a supercharged, DOHC 4.6L engine which built an advertised 390 horsepower, but unlike the 1999 Mustang Cobra, the Terminators have been known to show more horsepower than advertised on a dynamometer. That engine was mated to a new 6-speed manual transmission and was put to the ground in conjunction with an independent rear suspension setup. Along with that big bad engine, the 03 Cobra also featured a special front fascia which helps to draw in more air to the engine bay, a redesigned rear fascia, and the hood has a set of rear facing vents in the hood to move heat out of the engine bay. The Cobra also received some minor appearance upgrades such as seats with embroidered Cobra logos and the SVT gauges, but for those who get to ride in, or drive a Terminator, the performance steals the show. Saleen added a special edition SA-20 Speedster, which was a very rare model, and this was to commemorate their company's 20th anniversary with the Mustang modification business. Roush also offered a few new trim lines, and the 380R was the "premium" Roush with 379 horsepower, it replaced the 360R. Also, the Jack Roush Classic and Boyd Coddington California Roadster were special edition trim lines offered from the Roush shop, and they had varied additions over the other Roush models. Steeda Performance offered a Mustang of their own, and it was named the Q400, after their Q400-R race car. A Q400 buyer could chose between a pair of superchargers, and the Steeda special Mustang advertised 400 horsepower, but dyno testing proved that it actually made about 425 horsepower. Not including the Saleen, Roush, and Steeda models, sales increased to around 155,000 units, and helping that final production total are the 15,000+ Cobras sold as 2003 model year units.

2004 Ford Mustang 2004 Ford Mustang In 2004, there was a new engine introduced to the Standard Mustang, which was slightly larger (measuring 3.9 liters) but it offered no increase in performance. Other than that, the Standard, GT, Mach1, and Cobra models remained the same, with the addition of the 40th Anniversary badge on all models except or the Cobra. The only news with the mighty Terminator was the addition of the MystiChrome color package which included exterior paint as well as interior trim highlights in the unique color shifting hue. The Roush lineup included a 40th Anniversary special edition of its own, titled the 440A. This model offered 400 horsepower and was limited to 40 units, hence the name. The Saleen lineup remained the same once again, as they had already begun planning for the big change coming for 2005 to the Mustang.

Sadly, that big news for 2005 was the fully redesigned Mustang once again, and this time, it would indeed be a FULL redesign, unlike what some consider to be a mild redesign of the New Edge Mustangs in comparison to the SN95 models. However, the interest was so great around the upcoming 2005 model that many probably ignored the end of the New Edge models, and sales dipped to around 142,000 units in the last year of the popular New Edge.