10 Best Special Edition Ford Mustangs Since 2000

Not only is the Ford Mustang one of the most popular performance cars of all time, but it's also one of the most varied when examining the special editions that have been based on this muscular two-door coupe.  In the past 15 years alone Ford has put together numerous Mustang packages aimed at snaring a greater number of enthusiasts, but the Blue Oval isn't the only one using the muscle car as a blank canvas: go-fast luminaries like Steeda, Saleen, and Roush have also tapped the Mustang to serve as an ambassador of speed and handling prowess for their respective operations. 

Let's take a look at 10 of the most intriguing special edition Mustangs that have been built in the past 15 years.

The 200 Ford Mustang Cobra R is one of the rarest Mustangs every produced, with only 300 examples making it out of the factory during its single model year of production.  The Ford Mustang Cobra R was aimed at track enthusiasts and as such featured a fuel cell, a stripped-down interior (no back seat, radio, or air conditioning) along with a removable front splitter and an enormous fixed rear wing perched on the trunk.  Moving beyond aesthetics and weight savings, the Cobra R also came with a 5.4-liter V-8 engine that delivered 385 horsepower and 385 lb-ft of torque, output that was managed by a six-speed manual transmission.  The engine breathed through a side-exit exhaust system and later donated its slightly modified cylinder heads to the vaunted Ford GT supercar.

The Ford Mustang Bullitt was a special edition car that paid tribute to the legendary chase scene between a 1968 Ford Mustang fastback and a Dodge Charger of the same year from the Steve McQueen film with which it shared its name.  The original 2001 homage sat on a lowered suspension system and featured a tweaked 4.6-liter V-8 that produced 265 horses rather than the 260 that was common to the Mustang GT of the same era (it also produced 305 lb-ft of torque).  Available in Highland Green to match the 'Bullitt' hero car (as well as black and True Blue), the vehicle also featured a hood scoop, no spoiler on the trunk, and a unique alloy fuel door.  Flashing forward to 2005 saw the next-generation Ford Mustang Bullitt largely match the older car in terms of looks and suspension, but featuring a throatier exhaust system, 315 horsepower from a re-tuned 4.6-liter engine, and more aggressive rear gearing.

The 2003-2004 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra was such a potent force on drag strips across America that it became known as the 'Terminator' amongst Blue Oval fans and enemies alike (a name drawn from its internal SVT project code).  What made the Ford Mustang SVT Cobra such a fearsome special edition?  Its 4.6-liter V-8 was supercharged to produce 390 horsepower and 390 lb-ft of torque, numbers that were easily magnified by swapping pulleys or making any number of aftermarket modifications to upgrade its cast iron engine.  Stock SVT Cobras were capable of 12-second quarter mile times, but a little work made it easy to get down into the 11s and 10s.  A six-speed manual was standard with the car, which was also available with color-changing Mystichrome paint for 2004 (a nod to the original 1996 Mystichrome Cobra).

Despite losing the 'Mustang' moniker from its name, the 2007-2014 Ford Shelby GT500 took the coupe to an all-new performance level.  Punching the Mustang's V-8 motor out to 5.4-liters and then supercharging it produced 500 horses during the first two years of production, a number that upped to 540 in 2010, 550 in 2011, and finally a phenomenal 662 in the final two years of the Shelby GT500's lifespan (2013 and 2014).  A six-speed manual transmission, a stiff suspension system, dramatic exterior body work, and the Mustang's trademark live rear axle were all along for the ride in the Shelby, which holds the title as the most powerful version of the car ever to have been made available from the Ford factory.

The 2003-2004 Ford Mustang Mach 1 dials things down a bit in terms of performance, but it's still a worthy entry on our list of special edition Mustangs.  The Ford Mustang Mach 1 revived a name not seen since the 70s, and one that brought with it a special 'shaker' hood and a unique power plant that could not be had in other versions of the coupe.  The 'shaker' terms referred to the scoop that sat on top of the motor and stuck through a hole in the hood, moving with the engine under acceleration.  The power plant itself was a 32-valve aluminum edition of Ford's 4.6-liter V-8 good for up to 310 horsepower and 320 lb-ft of torque, and you could choose between manual and automatic transmissions.

Like the Mach 1, the 2012-2013 Ford Mustang Boss 302 represents a blast from Ford's past, only this time it highlights the company's racing heritage in the Trans Am series.  The Ford Mustang Boss 302 does more than just pay lip service to its predecessor, as the vehicle features exceptional suspension tuning, a focus on weight reduction, a multi-stage stability and traction control system, and a long list of aerodynamic modifications.  Even more impressive is the decision to provide owners with a second 'red' key that adjusts a long list of engine parameters to create a 444 horsepower version of the car's 5.0-liter V-8 that also produces 380 lb-ft of torque when in use.  In addition, the red key opens up the car's side pipes, giving it an aggressive character that also disqualifies it from street use.  It's not a stretch to say that the Boss 302 is the best-handling Mustang of the modern era.

Steve Saleen's aftermarket performance shop - now registered as a legitimate OEM in its own right - has been modifying Mustangs for decades, and we picked the 2005 Ford Mustang Saleen S281 Supercharged as a classic example of the Saleen formula.  The Saleen S218 Supercharged took the 4.6-liter V-8 under the hood of the Mustang GT and supercharged it to produce 400 horsepower in place of the stock 300.  The Saleen coupe also comes with an aggressive body kit, a host of additional gauges, and a Saleen Racecraft suspension system.  Although 400 horses might seem quaint from the aftermarket 10 years later with the modern base GT producing well over that amount, for the era it was a shot in the arm for the Mustang.  The S281 is still available from Saleen, although of course it rides on the latest Ford platform and generates heaps more power.

Another classic 2000s custom Mustang that could be found prowling drag strips and city streets alike was the 2005-2009 Ford Mustang Roush Stage 1.  The thing is, Roush Stage 1 cars didn’t add any power over the base GT, making use of the same 4.6-liter V-8 to produce 300 ponies and 315 lb-ft of torque.  What they did have was attitude by the ton in the form of a loud exhaust system and a unique-to-Roush body kit.  If you wanted more guts you could step up to Stage 3, which featured supercharged version of the base engine good for 415 horses.  There was also a Stage 2 car available that tacked on a host of handling upgrades to go with its visual flair.

The 2005-2009 Ford Mustang FR500 wasn't legal for street use (the 'FR' stands for Ford Racing'), but rather offered privateers the chance to pick up a track-ready car right from the factory and then compete in a variety of different series.  None of the Ford Mustang FR500s came with VIN numbers, but they did pack 4.6-liter V-8 producing 320 horsepower (or a 420 horsepower 5.0-liter V-8 in the FR500C model).  A six-speed manual transmission sources from Tremec was standard with the FR500, but all of the other details associated with the car - suspension setups, aero packages - were tailor made for whatever spec was called for by the sanctioning body the car was intended to run under.

The 2006 Ford Mustang Steeda Q525 went above and beyond the Roush and Saleen efforts of the day and promised an enormous 500 horsepower and 530 lb-ft of torque from a 5.0-liter V-8 under its (typically black-striped) hood.  This unit was supercharged, and it gave the Mustang Steeda Q525 a significant advantage over most other muscle cars available at the time.  A big wing perched over the Steeda's trunk, and it also offered a cowl hood with hood pins, loud Steeda graphics, and a number of billet interior pieces.  14-inch brakes and Steeda-designed suspension helped to keep the car under control even with the hammer down.