Fox body: The Fox body Mustang's are referred by the name Fox due to one of the main influences on the design of the chassis, Fox Capri. The Mustang's are technically Fox bodies from 1979-1993, and it's platform mate the Capri (from 1979-1986). Most of the time; however, the when people use the phrase "Fox body" they usually mean 1987-1993. In actuality, there is very little true chassis/powertrain differences between the 1989 Mustang 5.0 and the 1995 Mustang 5.0. They used the same basic engine, transmissions, suspensions (although revised), rear ends, etc. Most of the changes were cosmetic and designed to increase structural rigidity.
SN: SN as in SN95 stands for Sports car North american 1995. Interestingly enough, it debuted as a 1994 model.
modular motor: The modular engines are a group of engines that are similar in design to allow less expensive production of a wide range of powerplants. The Mustang has used 2 different modular engines. The 4.6L, and 5.4L (Cobra R).
and does a car need to have a standard transmission to be fast?: For a street car, it's much less expensive to get a manual shifted car into say, the 12's and 13's than it's automatic counterpart. Their are multiple reasons for this. As already hinted at, the efficiency factor. Driving a front pump, spinning a heavy torque converter, and with a larger size and rotating mass, the AOD equipped cars have about 22% drivetrain power loss versus the 17% of the T-5 or T-45 manual. That 5% adds up to a few more than 10hp in stock form, but there are other issues at play here too. The wider gear ratios with the automatic gives the closer ratio 5spd another advantage. The automatic certainly does have it's advantages as well, though. You can leave consistant, and that means once you've got your launch down, you have an advantage there. The auto also has a torque converter, which multiplies the torque for a better hole shot when you equip the AOD with a higher stall performance converter. Other problems abound with the AOD's inherent weakness. For performance applications, a performance AOD from a respected company is desireable, or at the least, a shift kit. Lower rear gears, preferably 4.10's in your car, along with a shift kit, and a high stall converter can put you on par or possibly a hair better than an expertly driven stock 5spd car. Once the drivetrain is properly assembled, the AOD is stonger and more reliable than any T-5 on the planet.
and if so, why?