Believe it or not, dealers used to upgrade cars themselves. You could purchase a stock car right off the lot, drive it a few feet into the dealer’s garage and watch them get to work. This resulted in one-of-a-kind, regional performance cars, some of which became legendary.
Sadly, the most that typical dealers offer these days are interior upgrades and some performance packages. Those don’t measure up to the glory days of getting a homebrewed dealership tuneup. If you somehow find a dealer that still does this, like a modern-day Yenko, consider yourself lucky.
In our current age, however, horsepower has a cost. You can buy a stock, 526-horsepower Shelby GT350 for less than $60,000, and for just a little more dough, a 707-horsepower Hellcat. However, at Lebanon Ford in Lebanon, Ohio, you can now buy a 727-horsepower Mustang GT – with no money down – for $40,000. Keep in mind, that a base model of the current generation Mustang GT gets 435 horsepower and 400 ft./lb of torque. So this is 292 hp more than than that, and 201 hp more than the GT350.
A Pony at a Powerful Price
You read the title right. You get the car and its performance upgrades for only $40,000. Live far away? No worries: They’ll ship to anyone in the United States.
Here’s what the dealership’s website has to say about the offer:
“Lebanon Ford Performance (LFP) has found a way to build a 727-horsepower 2016 Mustang GT for $39,995. This is not a misprint and you are not buying a pre-owned vehicle. This is a brand new, 2016 GT with a Roush Phase 2 Supercharger. When we are finished, you are a set of tires, a few suspension tweaks and a good driver away from a 10.95 quarter mile. The best part: We can do it all with $0 down, pending credit approval. Your car will be built and ready to roll within a week and can be shipped to your driveway, anywhere in the United States.”
Now, you might be pinching yourself, but this isn’t a dream. Still, here’s a breakdown of how such a deal is possible:
Lebanon Ford is a Roush-authorized dealer. It’s not whipping up custom cars – all it’s doing is taking a stock 5-liter GT and adding the Roush Phase 2 supercharger and TVS blower. That Roush kit goes for about $7,500. Add that to the stock price of $32,400, and you have a magnificent deal for both ends.
Power Cars to the People
Installing the kit only takes 12 hours, and the dealer makes an extra $50. Of course, you get a great car. While you’re not getting any of the other Roush amenities, such as better brakes, wheels, suspension and an upgraded body kit, you’re still getting the power.
In case you do desire to have the full package, Lebanon Ford will gladly install it for you. These popular Mustangs are selling anywhere from $45,000 to $50,000. Some $60,000 models have even been sold. As an added bonus, you get a three-year, 30,000-mile warranty.
The dealer only has one of the $40,000 Mustangs in stock, but more superchargers are on backorder. It also has many other options, including a Roush RS1 EcoBoost, an RSV6 and a Stage 3, in case this deal doesn’t tickle your fancy.