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The car I have been waiting to drive is finally here, sort of. Anyone who has been reading our reviews here on SVTP over the past year or so knows I’ve been chomping at the bit to get behind the wheel of a 2021 Mustang Mach 1. In my humble opinion, this car is about 200CCs away from greatness, but more on that in the future. Unfortunately, this particular Mach 1 is not the one I was hoping to review for you guys. This one is what I would consider old-guy, or drag racing, spec’d.

Our test car is equipped with the 10R80 10-Speed automatic, which is an absolute beast in a straight line. Though I would have preferred a manual for a couple of reasons. First, I unapologetically just like to row my own gears. Second, the Tremec TR-3160 transmission used in the Mach 1 (and previously the Shelby GT350) is part of what make’s that car special. It’s not currently available on any other Mustang model and is lightyears ahead of the GT’s MT-82 and basically every way. However, the 10R80 shifted...

I’m going to just lead off with what you all really want to know. Yes, the 2021 Mach E may just be the most important car in Ford’s lineup. And yes, it drives, rides, handles, and accelerates much better than you’re probably expecting. While I only had a week with the car I can honestly say that I came away impressed. I’ve never been a huge fan of electric vehicles (besides a golf cart), and I still refuse to call the Mach E a Mustang. However; once I set my inherent biases aside I can’t help but appreciate how well engineered this car is, no matter its propulsion system.

First thing first, the particular car I got to spend time with was a pre-production model. So I can’t guarantee the Mach Es you see on dealer lots will have the same level of fit and finish, but this thing was really good. The optional Rapid Red Metallic Paint with Tinted Clearcoat was much slicker than I’m used to seeing from Ford and the panel gaps were perfect. There were a few small issues, such as frunk...

It's no secret that the NMRA World Finals in Bowling Green, KY has long been one of my favorite events to attend. It's the bookend of a fantastic season of late model Ford racing action. The weather is typically a little cooler and the stakes are a little higher, so you see teams turning up the dial on their setups just a bit to get every last drop of performance out of their rig. Oftentimes, the result is the difference between taking home a championship and loading up a broken car.

Due to life getting in the way, it had been a couple years since I had personally made the trek out to BG. In that time NMRA had partnered with Holley to make this event truly something special. Now known as the Whipple Superchargers NMRA World Finals & Holley Intergalactic Ford Fest, it is easily one of the largest Ford'centric racing events in existence. Holley coming on board has made an already great event even better.


NMRA always offers great...

Built for more extreme adventures, Ford today debuts the Expedition Timberline Off-Grid concept vehicle in conjunction with the Overland Expo East in Arrington, Virginia. The one-off model is based on the new 2022 Ford Expedition Timberline series, the most off-road-capable Expedition ever.

The Expedition Timberline Off-Grid concept is upfitted with proven names in off-road hardware and off-road accessories to help adventurers confidently trek to hard-to-reach mountainside trailheads, remote lakes and distant desert dunes.

“The Expedition Timberline Off-Grid concept provides a futuristic view of how family adventurers can potentially get even more out of an Expedition Timberline, including the absolute best mobile basecamp,” said Robert Varto, program manager of the concept.

Expedition Timberline Off-Grid Concept

Expedition Timberline Off-Grid concept is...

Adding even more personalization features and thrills for Mustang customers direct from the factory, Ford introduces an all-new appearance package and a performance-minded update for the 2022 model year.

Mustang, the world’s best-selling sports car*, will debut a first-ever Stealth Appearance Package available for the EcoBoost® Premium model, while Mustang GT California Special will offer for the first time ever a GT Performance Package option.

“Since 1965, Mustang has been synonymous with performance and play, and the 2022 model year continues that call with the new Stealth Edition and an updated Cali Special,” said Jim Owens, Mustang brand marketing manager. “Mustang owners have always loved personalizing their ride, and these new flavors of Mustang are ready to inspire and excite new enthusiasts.”

Orders for the 2022 Mustang, including Stealth Edition and California Special, open later this year. Vehicles are due in showrooms in the first quarter of 2022.

First-ever...

It's been a bit since we had any 7.3L Godzilla coverage here on the SVTP Front Page, so when I spotted a fresh assortment of performance goodies for Ford's lizard motor I had to stop and get the details for you guys. Mast Motorsports, probably best known for building some formidable GM go-fast parts, has a display setup at the NMRA World Finals / Holley Intergalactic Ford Fest in Bowling Green, KY; an it is filled with their new Godzilla offerings. Jason, Mast's CEO, walked me through their new hard parts. I have the full details in the video below:

These 7.3L Godzilla parts represent about a two year commitment by Mast. They've been quietly massaging heads and grinding their own custom cams with the intent to offer turnkey packages for those looking to swap in a modern big-inch Ford V8. Today they were displaying two different engine setups; an N/A one with their ported heads and cam package cranking out 600+HP, and a Harrop Supercharger equipped fully build mill set to over...

I’ve had a habit over the years of replacing my tires when they get about half worn. To me, few things can make a car feel better than a fresh set of rubber. Unfortunately though, keeping up that habit has becoming increasingly expensive over the years. We’re living in a time where high quality tires in an appropriate size for many of our performance/hard-working vehicle don’t even break a sweat to get past $300 each. Fortunately, there’re a few simple things you can do to prolong the life of your current tread.

Unfortunately, I hadn’t been quite as studious as needed to keep everything wearing evenly with the Nitto Ridge Grapplers on my 2009 F-350. 4WD Ford Super Duty trucks are well known for eating front tires and ball joints. It’s just the nature of the heavy-duty Super Dana 60 solid front axle, and my front tires were starting to show a little uneven wear on the outside edge. That’s par for the course for big truck ownership, so I made a call to my local North Myrtle Beach...

Ford today reveals the new 2022 Expedition, its flagship SUV, for families seeking epic adventures and memory-making road trips. With an expanded lineup of models to choose from, new driver-assist and connected technologies, and a new Timberline series, the most off-road-capable in its class.

“Expedition is more than family transportation. It’s a full-size SUV that allows families to share adventures and make connections confidently and comfortably,” said Kumar Galhotra, president, Americas & International Markets Group. “We’ve refined almost every part of our new Expedition – from improved interiors to more connectivity enhancements to make the ownership experience as convenient as possible for the always-on lives of our customers.”

With millennials now accounting for the fastest growing demographic in the full-size SUV segment, the expanded lineup of the new 2022 Expedition is set to meet modern family needs and enable unique outdoor and road-tripping adventures.

Since the...

As the first pre-production F-150 Lightning trucks roll out of Ford’s new Rouge Electric Vehicle Center and demand soars for the all-electric truck, Ford today said it will increase investment and add jobs to boost production.

Ford is investing an additional $250 million and adding 450 more direct jobs across the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center, Van Dyke Electric Powertrain Center and Rawsonville Components Plant. The investment and added jobs will help increase production capacity to 80,000 trucks a year.

“We knew the F-150 Lightning was special, but the interest from the public has surpassed our highest expectations and changed the conversation around electric vehicles. So we are doubling down, adding jobs and investment to increase production,” said Bill Ford, executive chair, Ford Motor Company. “This truck and the Ford-UAW workers who are assembling it in Michigan have a chance to make history and lead the electric vehicle movement in America.”

F-150 Lightning, with a...

We’ve been saying for a while that the 2021 Mach 1 may very well be the best all around Performance-for-Dollar new Mustang you can buy right now. Unfortunately, you’ll have to wait a little longer for our full review on a test model. However, on a recent trip through Georgia we stopped by MGW Shifters to see what George and the crew have been working on. Needless to say, we weren’t disappointed.

Among the many awesome projects around the shop (more on that in the future) we spotted George’s new 2021 Mustang Mach 1. Currently its only mod is a custom hood stripe delete, but the real story is what may come. Though the Mach 1 uses the same transmission and shifter as the now defunct Shelby GT350 (for which MGW has had a shifter available for years), George thinks there may be room for improvement for an MGW Mach shifter.

When designing his shifter for the GT350, George had to take into consideration the natural NVH issues inherent to the 5.2L VooDoo engine’s flat plane crank. In...

Ford Ranger fans, the Splash™ is back. The much-loved special appearance package from the 1990s is making a comeback, reimagined for today and starting with the 2022 Ford Ranger Splash™ Package.

“Ranger customers love to personalize their trucks – more than 80% customize their Ranger with an appearance package – and with Splash, we’re giving them something exclusive,” said Chad Callandar, Ford Ranger marketing manager. “Every few months, we’re going to roll out another exterior color for Ranger that will be offered one time only and in very limited quantities.”

Splash will come in two styles, the Splash Package and Splash™ Limited Edition. The Splash Package will be available all model year and comes with body-side orange and black graphics and special 18-inch 12-spoke wheels finished in matte black. Ranger Splash includes orange grille nostrils, plus gloss black accents on the grille, bumpers, rearview mirror caps, wheel lip moldings and fender vents. The interior features...

Like it or not, Ford’s electrification efforts are not slowing down. And while many here on SVTP vocally lament the use of the sacred “Lightning” nameplate on a crew-cab battery powered F-150, I’m here to tell you the future isn’t completely bleak. There’re some really interesting applications for a battery pack connected to some magnets spinning inside a ball of copper wire that may help in ways you really hadn’t thought of. That’s how I approached the latest truck we had in for testing, a 2021 PowerBoost equipped F-150 Lariat.


True, I was skeptical of how useful the PowerBoost slate of features would be in practical situations. After all, how many 120V AC...

Tool Box Tour | Paul Conner @ Pro-Dyno | Matco Awesomeness

You can tell a lot about a mechanic’s work by the manner in which he keeps his toolbox. If it’s neat and orderly there’s a good chance that any work he does on your vehicle will be performed in the same manner. If it’s a mess, well that’s a different story. It’s all a matter of pride. A man who has pride in the tools of his trade will generally have pride in his work. That’s just one of the little things I notice when visiting shops, and in all my travels there’s one Ford mechanic that always stood out to me a man who personifies that trope.

Paul Conner has been the head technician at Pro-Dyno in Fort Mill, SC for as long as I can remember. He’s turned wrenches on several of my vehicles over the years and the work has always been exemplary. I’ve also always been a bit...

2022 Bronco Adds Heritage Inspired Eruption Green Metallic Paint

Packed with the latest off-road technology, the Ford Bronco’s early years are the inspiration for new Bronco color choices for the 2022 model year.

Ford Bronco color and materials designers developed Eruption Green Metallic as a modern interpretation of Mallard Green, which was featured on first-generation Bronco models in the early- to mid-1970s.

“Automotive enthusiasts, and especially Bronco fans, are passionate about colors and will be excited about Eruption Green,” said Barb Whalen, Ford color and materials manager. “Paint has a wonderful way of evolving because of technology. Eruption Green is a contemporary color, but there’s a connection with Bronco heritage. It’s evergreen-inspired, with yellow highlights that really tie it into nature.”

Ice White Edition Appearance Package Coming to a Mustang Near You

Today in celebration of the Woodward Dream Cruise, Ford is taking a page out of its Mustang history book with the introduction of the new Mustang Ice White Edition Appearance Package for both Mustang coupe and Mach-E. This marks the first time in 28 years Ford is offering a white-on-white Mustang and the first time ever for the coupe.

“Mustang has always had the power to attract attention on the road, but the new Mustang Ice White Edition could – just like the original ’93 Triple White Fox body feature Mustang – become one of the hot collectibles of future generations,” said Jim Owens, Mustang brand marketing manager. “We are proud to continue a longstanding Mustang tradition of continuously offering fresh, new styling options for customers to empower them to...

A trip to FL wouldn't be complete without dropping in to visit the crew over at VMP Performance. Justin and the team are always working on new parts (in various stages of development) to help members of the Ford Powered Community get the performance advantage they are looking for. This time we thought it would be fun to give you guys a full facility tour.

I know not everyone can easily make the trip to check out their favorite shops/manufacturers in person, so we here at SVTP are going to try to do that for you. Over the next few months we will be releasing a several new Shop Tour videos. Please subscribe to our SVTPerformance YouTube Channel so you don't miss out on any of the content.

Unearthed | Ultra Rare Prototype 2000 Cobra R Intake Manifolds Discovered

Ever run across a unique piece of history and just have to hold it in your hands? That’s the situation I just found myself in. Recently, a good friend with a long history with SVT and Ford Performance stumbled upon something truly special. This man had two prototype 2000 SVT Cobra R Intake manifolds collecting dust in some forgotten boxes in his basement. Talk about finding forgotten treasure.

You see, back in the late 90’s computational fluid dynamics based design programs were just becoming common place, and 3D rapid prototyping was still a decade or so away. So if you wanted to test an intake design, you had to produce an actual physical prototype. That means you had to call up the foundry and have them cast some molten aluminum. That’s...

The Bronco is back and ready for adventure. After 25 years, the Built Wild and always 4x4 SUV is rolling off the line at the Michigan Assembly Plant, which underwent a $750 million upgrade and added 2,700 jobs to get the job done. The all-new two-door and first-ever four-door Bronco models are now on the way to Ford dealerships nationwide.

Ford is delivering a new kind of pickup – compact but mighty, built for makers and doers, stunningly fuel-efficient*, and packed with clever technology and features. The all-new 2022 Ford Maverick is the truck for people who never knew they wanted a truck.

Maverick comes as a standard five-passenger, four-door pickup, with a full-hybrid powertrain and a projected EPA-estimated rating of 40 mpg city fuel economy* and 500 miles** of range on a single tank of gas. Tested and tortured to meet Built Ford Tough standards, Maverick offers ingenious design and storage solutions while enabling customization inside and out. It all comes with a starting MSRP of $19,995.

Off-Road Testing a 2020 Ford F-250 Tremor | Coastal Carolina Sand-Pit | Full Review

Few trucks have garnered more attention than the 2020+ Tremor Super Duty. Its combination of styling and capability is the thing of which truck-lovers dream. Then you have to take into account the two exceptional powertrain options available on the Tremor. The 3rd Gen 6.7L Powerstroke diesel is a turbocharged steel-piston’ed beast, while the 7.3L Godzilla V8 has curb-stomped all other gasoline fired competition. We’ve covered different aspects of the Tremor several times over the past year, but recently we had the opportunity to test one in its natural environment – Off-Road.

By now, I’m sure you guys are familiar with the features that make the Tremor package a bit step above the common FX4 Off Road package. The Super Duty...