05/20/2020
The “Fox body” Mustang had been in production since the 1979 model year and conventional wisdom was that no one cared about performance anymore. The most powerful V-8–powered 1981 Mustang used a crummy 4.2-liter version of Ford’s classic small-block, wheezing out a measly 115 horsepower. But the Mustang GT roared back in ’82 with the return of the High Output 4.9-liter small-block (marketed, duh, as a “5.0”) with a two-barrel carburetor and rated at 157 horsepower. That’s modest by 21st-century standards, but it started a horsepower war that, many years later, is still going strong. It was a small step forward but a big turning point.