Introduced for the 1984 model year, the SVO was intended to be the model that would both reestablish the Mustang as a modern sports coupe and provide a competitor to European and Japanese compact sports coupes of the day. The project became the first for Ford's then-new SVO division, who endowed the car with several suspension and drive train modifications. Power came from an updated and heavily modified version of Ford's 2.3 L OHV inline four-cylinder engine, featuring a new computer-controlled fuel injection system, and an intercooled turbocharger. Power output for early units was 175 horsepower (very good for the day), giving the vehicle a stout 0-60 time. Updates to late-production cars boosted power ratings to 205 hp and torque to 245 ft·lbf in 85', and was revised to 200 in 86'. They were combined with newly revised gearing and the aid of a now factory installed Hurst shifter. 0-60 times were even quicker, making the SVO one of, if not the best 4-cylinder performance cars ever up to that point(it still is, even today).
The platform and power train modifications were matched with a high level of standard equipment and several notable features including specially designed pedals to aid in "heel and toe" shifting. Included was the late-production addition of an interior switch which allowed drivers to "tailor" vehicle power output by selecting what grade of gasoline too be used. A competition package was also available, and although it did away with much of the interior equipment (including a stereo system); it gave track day enthusiasts the option of purchasing the vehicle without performance-sapping extras.
Despite the SVO's long equipment list, competent handling, and class-leading performance, the vehicle was not a success. Typical Mustang enthusiasts preferred the stronger, V8-powered Mustang GT (despite its far inferior handling, braking, and refinement), and even those who were less concerned with the absent V8 engine, were usually put off by the vehicle's high price: A staggering $16,000 USD when new, a number well above average for the class. Slow sales eventually caused Ford to rethink the SVO's viability, and it was discontinued in 1986.
For 1987, Ford dropped the SVO from the Mustang lineup, and increased power output of the GT model to 225 hp, returning a V8-powered model to the undisputed top spot in the Mustang lineup. Nonetheless, the GT lacked the SVO's more advanced suspension (and thus its handling prowess), the full list of features, and four-wheel disc brakes.
The platform and power train modifications were matched with a high level of standard equipment and several notable features including specially designed pedals to aid in "heel and toe" shifting. Included was the late-production addition of an interior switch which allowed drivers to "tailor" vehicle power output by selecting what grade of gasoline too be used. A competition package was also available, and although it did away with much of the interior equipment (including a stereo system); it gave track day enthusiasts the option of purchasing the vehicle without performance-sapping extras.
Despite the SVO's long equipment list, competent handling, and class-leading performance, the vehicle was not a success. Typical Mustang enthusiasts preferred the stronger, V8-powered Mustang GT (despite its far inferior handling, braking, and refinement), and even those who were less concerned with the absent V8 engine, were usually put off by the vehicle's high price: A staggering $16,000 USD when new, a number well above average for the class. Slow sales eventually caused Ford to rethink the SVO's viability, and it was discontinued in 1986.
For 1987, Ford dropped the SVO from the Mustang lineup, and increased power output of the GT model to 225 hp, returning a V8-powered model to the undisputed top spot in the Mustang lineup. Nonetheless, the GT lacked the SVO's more advanced suspension (and thus its handling prowess), the full list of features, and four-wheel disc brakes.