Tickford Mustang revealed at Bathurst

Reborn Ford tuner Tickford has used the lead-up to this weekend's Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 at Mount Panorama to wheel out a prototype version of the V8-powered Mustang GT it is developing.

And in a nod to the famed 351 cubic-inch Cleveland and Windsor V8s of Blue Oval history, its maximum power output is expected to be set at 351kW.

The engine has come off the dyno at Tickford’s parent company Prodrive Racing Australia making that number and there is a good chance that’s what will be offered when the package goes on sale before the end of 2016.

The standard GT Fastback makes 306kW. Torque is also stepped up significantly from the standard 530Nm number. The 233kW/432Nm four-cylinder model, which will launch at the same time, has gone through similar upgrades.

The prototype was presented in the merchandise area opposite Mount Panorama’s pitlane with a subtle bodykit and staggered wheels and tyres.

Under the skin the production car will feature a subtly tweaked interior and retuned suspension.

Pricing for the basket of bits is yet to be finalised, but Tickford boss Tim Edwards predicted they would probably undercut the brand’s debut vehicle, the Ranger, which has already been launched already and can have up to $21,135 spent on it.

“I don’t know what the numbers will be until we finalise the package, but at a guess I’d say it won’t be at that amount because there is less to do.

“It is at what I would describe as at a higher level. It just needs a bit of Tickford tweaking.”

While the likes of Herrod Performance, Mustang Motorsport and soon perhaps even Ford dealers offer supercharged V8 engine upgrades liberating up to 500kW for the Mustang, Tickford will concentrate on ECU and exhaust tuning, retaining natural-aspiration unless a customer specifically asks for supercharging.

“We are not trying to achieve some ridiculous number,” said Edwards. “It’s just making a subtle improvement to what is already a really good car.

“We are quite happy to fit superchargers for people who would like superchargers. There is a core group of people who like that, but that’s not going to be our main focus.

“We are more looking at the 80 per cent of the market rather than the 20 per cent of the market.

"There are plenty of people bolting on those high-performance parts and that’s their core business, but really we are more targeting the 80 per cent who want to refine a little bit what they have got and not spend quite as much as they would require to go to that level.”

The prototype sat on bespoke Tickford-branded alloy wheels with 265/35 R20 Dunlop SP Sport Maxx tyres up front and 295/30 ZR21s at the rear. Edwards confirmed this would be the set-up offered on both four-cylinder and V8 versions when they go on sale.

However, suspension tuning remains a work in progress, with both Bilstein dampers – which are offered with the Ranger – and Australian-made Supashocks both under consideration.

“We are looking at two different options,” confirmed Edwards. “We have had two different types of suspension in the car although the spring is at the ride height for what we plan to do.”

The prototype was fitted with standard brakes but there are optional packages under development.

The bodykit, which included a carbon-fibre front splitter extension, side skirts, rear wing and diffuser, still requires development, Edwards said.

“The rear spoiler and diffuser is pretty close to sign-off spec. But the side and front we still have a couple of different derivatives of that and we are still working through that.”

Edwards said that there had been strong response since the announcement of the Ranger earlier in the week, with a number of orders already placed.