Roush Stage 3 Mustang and F-150 SC

Driving the Roush Stage 3 Mustang and F-150 SC

You can walk into certain Ford dealerships, pay your money, and leave with weapons of mass tire destruction. One is the 650-horsepower Roush F-150 SC. The other is a 710-hp Stage 3 Mustang. Both wear Roush TVS 2650 superchargers. The Mustang has an active exhaust system, while the F-150 gets a two-inch lift and the Fox 2.0 Performance suspension. Each has a different end game in mind, but both make wicked power, wild noises, and serve up warranty-backed fun. Which one would you choose?

The Mustang is a rocket ship. And it’s still easily used as a daily driver if you wish. You can set the active exhaust system to sing a more mellow tune, short shift to conserve some fuel, and go about your day. When the day is done though, flip the exhaust knob to Track and hold those revs until that 5.0 is screaming for mercy. Having 710 horsepower on tap will play havoc with any notion you have of driving responsibly.

It’s great that you could also remove most of that Roush branding and your Mustang would blend right in with the crowd. It’s only when that punk in the Hellcat thinks he’s going to have a bit of fun with a “lowly Mustang owner”.  Too bad that 717-horsepower-having porker weighs so much more than the Mustang.

Hellcat who?

Hell, the Hellcat weighs nearly as much as the F-150… Until Roush adds the heavier wheel and tire setup, of course. Not that you’d see how the Roush F-150 SC would fare against a Hellcat? Right?

Either way, both Roush machines are ready to straight-line battle. And then the Mustang can also take turns really well. The F-150 SC can blast off into the dirt, as it whips up a supercharged frenzy of noise and a cloud of dust.

Both are fun. Both are well priced for what they offer ($90k+ Mustang/$70k+ F-150). And you’ll get a knowing nod of approval should you select one over the other.

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7 responses to “Driving the Roush Stage 3 Mustang and F-150 SC”

  1. JayP Avatar
    JayP

    Instructed a student in a Stage 3 S197. It was a blast. Made perfect noises.
    But it rained all weekend which meant he never got in the boost.
    Despite over 700hp he kept on the cold, wet track all 8 sessions.

    1. roguetoaster Avatar
      roguetoaster

      Drove a Stage 3 Blackjack 2009 S197 some years ago, what an outstanding example of how to put power down in a live axle application. It also sounded the absolute business, would have loved to have it in my garage. Only gripe was maybe too short gearing, and bumped the limiter in 5th somewhere around 145MPH. Of course it was more near to stock Roush trim, so something like 400-450HP, but it was a blast!

    2. roguetoaster Avatar
      roguetoaster

      Drove a Stage 3 Blackjack 2009 S197 some years ago, what an outstanding example of how to put power down in a live axle application. It also sounded the absolute business, would have loved to have it in my garage. Only gripe was maybe too short gearing, and bumped the limiter in 5th somewhere around 145MPH. Of course it was more near to stock Roush trim, so something like 400-450HP, but it was a blast!

      1. Jeff Glucker Avatar
        Jeff Glucker

        That sounds awesome. Now imagine 300 more hp! INSANE

  2. outback_ute Avatar
    outback_ute

    Offers a lot, but they definitely cost a lot too. $90k would probably be more than the GT500 wouldn’t it?

    1. Jeff Glucker Avatar
      Jeff Glucker

      Good question. I imagine the GT500 has to be somewhere in that ballpark. If Dodge can charge over 90k for a Redeye, Ford can likely do the same for the GT500.

    2. Jeff Glucker Avatar
      Jeff Glucker

      Good question. I imagine the GT500 has to be somewhere in that ballpark. If Dodge can charge over 90k for a Redeye, Ford can likely do the same for the GT500.