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VMP | Destroying High IATs in the 2020+ Shelby GT500 Mustang

The 2020+ Shelby GT500 Mustangs are a marvel of modern V8 performance. It’s 2650 TVS Supercharged 5.2L Predator engine cranks out impressive power while still being completely docile during every day around-town driving. However, when you lay your foot into the skinny pedal you better be ready to go for a tide. This is especially true if you happen to be on a road course. But that’s also where you’ll find one of the GT500’s weaknesses.

Spinning that blower hard enough to create the boost needed to produce 760HP creates a lot of heat. Elevated intake air temperatures leads power loss, it’s just a fact of hot rodding. Unfortunately, the GT500’s intercooling system can quickly be overwhelmed in prolonged WOT situations. It can be easily see in datalogs from dyno...

2020 2.3L High Performance Package Mustang | Stepped-Up Styling and Power

Technological progression can be a wonderful thing. When the 2.3L EcoBoost Mustang debuted for the 2015 model year, it’s performance potential surprised quite a few people. The all-aluminum mill came packed with a forged crank, steel ring-land in the pistons, and was topped off with a twin-scroll turbo. With basic mods we had our EB Mustang making 340HP and 44TQ to the wheels. That car could certainly surprise the occasional 3V GT.

Not wanting to be left out of go-fast game, Ford worked up a High Performance package for its base 2.3L Pony Car. This package is much more than a revised ECU strategy and some badges. Team Mustang made the trip across town to the Ford Performance garage to raid the Focus RS parts bin. They essentially snatched...

Mach 1 Wheel Design | The Art Behind the Performance

Inspired by construction and engineering marvels such as bridges, roll cages and even bird’s nests, the all-new Mustang Mach 1 Handling Package wheels aim to capture attention when they reach roads and tracks across the U.S. and Canada early next year.

Using a layered construction design typically reserved for show cars and other non-production vehicles, the cast aluminum wheels bring with them on-track benefits such as structural integrity for hard cornering and about a two-pound weight drop from the standard Mach 1 wheels, despite being one inch wider.

4-Digit HP | VMP 3100 TVS Superchargers for Coyote and GT500

We’ve known this was coming for over a year, but that passage of time hasn’t seemed to reduce the fevered interest in the forthcoming slate of TVS 3100 based superchargers. Of the manufacturers that will be releasing kits based on the 3100 rotor pack, VMP Performance has to be the one garnering the most interest. We’ve heard talk of VMP 3100 blower head units testing out in the wild for some time now, but we recently got a chance to check out a couple such setups at VMP’s HQ in FL.

The two engines in question are heavy hitters in the field of modern Ford performance mills, a 5.0L Coyote and a 5.8L Trinity. The Coyote was instrumented up for testing. On top of several pressure sensors located throughout various sections of the intake tract, VMP placed one very...

VMP Product Development | Stage 3 Odin 2650 TVS Supercharger & Ice Tank

Few things get my inner scientist going like seeing practical engineering advancements being tested, and the crew at VMP Performance do that on the daily. We recently stopped by and found them working away on several projects that will soon be coming to a Mustang near you. One car on the scene that should be familiar to anyone in the Coyote Performance World is VMP’s own Chuck Harter’s 2019 10R80 equipped Mustang GT. It has been a VMP Odin blower test car since the program began, and they are far from finished with it.

As it sits, Chuck’s car is not sporting VMP’s latest Stage 3 Odin 2650 TVS Supercharger featuring Magnuson’s DFT port design. Magnuson is VMP’s manufacturing partner for the Odin line of blowers, and they bring over 60 years of supercharger design...

Strong Start | Lethal Performance’s 1st Annual Car Show/Meet Draws Impressive Crowd

First year car events can always be a crap-shoot, but when you throw in December weather and a global pandemic things can get even more dicey. However, the crew at Lethal Performance and their loyal customers weren’t going to let anything stand in their way of having a good time. By any measure, Lethal’s 1st Annual Car Show/Meet was a resounding success. And for a company that is synonymous with modern Ford performance vehicle parts, that was to be expected.

Rough estimates have the car count at around 130, but I think that count may be a little low as cars were in and out all day. Attendees were treated to some of the finest modded Fords in South Florida and dietary support from the Chick-fil-A food truck...

Tremor Off-Road Package Lands in the 2021 F-150 Lineup

Ford is expanding its rugged off-road family of trucks with the all-new F-150 Tremor. The 2021 F-150 Tremor combines all-terrain upgrades perfect for tackling the trails with the outstanding towing and payload capability its owners expect.

F-150 Tremor has been designed and engineered for customers seeking more off-road capability than the available FX4 package and is the result of watching how customers use their trucks for life out in cornfields, on dusty two-tracks, in muddy bogs and on rock-strewn trails. Ford off-roading veterans listened to those customers to create a truck that would handle their demanding lifestyle. All the added capability comes without ignoring the core duties of a truck – outstanding towing and payload performance with a level of integration and technology...

Ford's 7.3L Godzilla V8 Gets American Racing Headers

We’ve been saying it for years; the holy trinity of bolt-on mods consists of intake, tune, and exhaust. With Ford getting better and better at designing high-flow/low-restriction intakes that gulp in cool outside air, aftermarket CAIs have become less of a necessity. However, there’s still plenty of performance to be found by feeding the ECU a new calibration and few things personalize a ride quite like a new exhaust. But if you really want to liven things up on the back end, few ways do it with more style than a quality set of long tube headers.

This particular set brings us back out to 5 Star Tuning in Florence, SC; and quite possibly the most viewed 2020 7.3L Super Duty in the interwebs. Josh’s Godzilla truck has been featured so many times on the site that I have a hard time...

Quick Look | Tuned 2020 Shelby GT350R Heritage Edition

A few months back we posted up Ford’s press release for the Heritage Edition Package available on 2020 Mustang Shelby GT350 and GT350R models. For an additional $1,965 you got unique throwback livery with Wimbledon White paint and Guardsman Blue side and over-the-top racing stripes as a tribute to Carroll Shelby’s historic 1965 fastback coupe that helped establish the GT350 brand. So when I saw one sitting in 5 Star Tuning’s parking lot I had to grab the keys and take it for a spin.

Unique styling aside, it had been quite a while since I had some time behind the wheel of a GT350R. This particular one had a 5 Star Tune via HP Tuners and a basic CAI. Other than that, the owner wanted to leave it basically stock. Not a bad idea considering the limited production nature of the car...

2020 Explorer ST Gets Modded – Borla Exhaust and 5 Star Tuning

A few weeks back we were passing through Florence, SC on our way to I-95 and decided to drop in and see what was going on at 5 Star Tuning. They happened to have a new project that we’re really looking forward to getting more coverage on in the future, a white 2020 Ford Explorer ST. They had already been hard at work developing some 93 octane and EtOH tuning (currently making over 411 AWHP and 525+ AWTQ with just a tune and E-50), but what really caught our eye was the freshly installed Borla Cat-back Exhaust.

Boral was one of the first companies to release an exhaust system for the latest generation of Explorer SUVs, and with good reason. Borla has long been the Tier 1 supplier of aftermarket exhausts for Ford Performance Racing Parts (Ford Racing). Many...

First Supercharged 7.3L Godzilla V8 | Procharger and 5 Star Tuning Crank Up The Power

At long last, the day we have been waiting for is finally here. You can now own a supercharged 7.3L Godzilla V8 Powered Ford. The first to market with a kit for Ford’s latest Super Duty engine is an established player in the industry, Procharger. They’ve been setting records on the strip for decades, and now they are setting their sights on the highly competitive heavy duty truck market. However, this is not Procharger’s first time building a kit for the Super Duty. They produced a 6.8L V10 kit nearly a decade ago.

This time around, Procharger is working with a completely different beast. The new 7.3L Godzilla V8 has already proven itself to have massive power production capabilities in stock form. We’ve seen gains of...

Dearborn FD Chops the Roof Off a 2020 GT500 Mustang | Practice Makes Perfect

Here are two things that bring a smile to my face; power tools and people freaking out over something they don't understand. Recently, pics of a Dearborn Fire Department training session have been making the rounds online. They show the first responders honing their vehicular occupant extraction skills on a very nicely optioned (I call dibs on the carbon fiber wheels) 2020 Shelby GT500 Mustang. Cue the Ford Fan Freakout on social media.

What many failed to realize is that Ford sends hundreds of test mule vehicles such as this GT500 to the crusher every year. These cars can not be sold to the general public, and Ford has even stopped selling them to race teams in order to build race cars. You can thank someone selling off car that was...

Install Video | 7.3 V8 Godzilla Powered F-250 Tremor Gets an MBRP Exhaust

One of the most basic mods everyone seems to tackle first is an exhaust upgrade, and with good reason. A more aggressive tone gives a ride more personality, and when your brand-new truck is equipped with an engine known as Godzilla you know you’re going to want to let it roar. We recently dropped in on the guys at 5 Star Tuning in Florence, SC just in time to catch them buttoning up the install of a slick new MBRP Cat-Back on a 7.3L Godzilla V8 powered 2020 F-250 Tremor.

This truck no only looked great, it was about to get an exhaust sound to match. The MBRP kit is precisely constructed from high quality stainless steel, and has impeccable fit and finish. The muffler is a straight through ‘bullet’ design that will certainly liven things up...

Ford's Shows Off The Bronco's Overlanding Capabilities

In honor of the largest North American gathering of classic Ford Broncos, Ford revealed a Bronco Overland concept to kick off this year’s Bronco Super Celebration East in Townsend, Tenn.

Based on the all-new Bronco four-door model, the concept will be on display at the annual off-road event alongside the all-new Bronco two-door and Bronco Sport 4x4 models to give fans a chance to see the only domestic all-4x4 family of off-road SUVs in the metal.

Install | EcoBoost S550 Mustang Gets a Ford Racing Strut Tower Brace

I was looking through some old vids the other day and noticed I hadn’t posted this one yet. A few years back Ford Performance Racing Parts (FRPP at the time) sent over their S550 Mustang Strut Tower Brace kit for me to bolt on our project EcoBoost Mustang. They only had the part number listed as fitting the V8 cars, and wanted someone in the field to try adding it to a 4-Banger. I was more than happy to oblige.

Interestingly, it doesn’t appear that I took any pics of the install. All I have are a handful of screen-caps from the video footage. But after bolting it on and letting the guys at Ford know it fit, I never really followed up to see if they did anything else with it. In any event, here is the install video. It’s pretty straight forward, and...

2021 Ford F-150 Adds More Power and Torque | Up to 430HP and 570lb-ft

With 43 years of F-Series reigning as best-selling truck in America, the all-new Ford F-150 continues to set standards – No other full-size light-duty pickup can match its maximum conventional towing* or payload**, and no other truck provides the electrified power and capability of the available 3.5-liter PowerBoost™ full hybrid offering the most horsepower and torque in the F-150 lineup.

“F-150 is the flagship of Ford’s dedication to building the best trucks and represents our commitment to not just meeting customer needs but exceeding them,” said Todd Eckert, Ford truck group marketing manager. “With capability and functionality foundational to F-Series, the all-new F-150 not only tows more and hauls more than any other light-duty full-size pickup, it is...

2021 Ranger Adds STX Special Edition Package

With 75 percent of Ford Ranger customers adding appearance packages to their new trucks, Ford is giving buyers of the entry-level Ranger pickup a new choice with the available STX Special Edition Package, bringing more style and technology to 2021 Ranger XL models.

“Ranger customers are asking for new options to help make their trucks their own and we hear them,” said Chad Callander, Ranger marketing manager. “STX Special Edition hits a really compelling and affordable sweet spot for a lot of Ranger buyers looking for just the right combination of tech and style.”

#SaveTheManual | Bronco Adds Manual Trans Option to the Sasquatch Package

Listening to reservation-holder feedback, Ford is expanding the availability of its high-performance off-road Sasquatch™ package to all-new Bronco two- and four-door models with a class-first 7-speed manual transmission.

“The Bronco community spoke and we heard them,” said Mark Grueber, Ford Bronco consumer marketing manager. “Our team moved quickly to add Sasquatch with a manual transmission – another example of our focus on giving customers the best possible off-road vehicles and accessories that we can.”

2021 Ford Ranger Tremor | Coming to a Trail Near You

Ford today answers the call of Ranger customers asking for an even more off-road-capable and agile Built Ford Tough midsize truck, revealing the new available Tremor Off-Road Package designed to help owners tackle even rougher off-road terrain without compromising Ranger’s payload and tow ratings. 2021 Ford Ranger Tremor goes beyond today’s already-capable FX4 Off-Road Package, making it the most off-road-capable factory-built Ranger ever offered in the U.S.

“Tremor gives Ranger customers a new level of off-road confidence and fun,” said Chad Callander, Ford Ranger marketing manager. “With increased ground clearance, off-road tuned suspension and aggressive Continental General Grabber tires, Tremor elevates Ranger’s off-roading capability even further while keeping the unique advantages...

More EGR Coolers for Ford EcoBoost Engines

A few months back we took a look under the hood of the 2019 Ford Ranger and found something that appeared to be a bit out of place. It appears that Ford Engineers found that the mid-size truck’s 2.3L EcoBoost engine required an EGR Cooler in order to meet modern emissions regulations. Turns out that EGR Coolers are finding their way onto all sorts of new Ford engines.

Recently, we were taking a look at a 2020 F-150 equipped with the 2.7L EcoBoost and tuned by 5-Star tuning. While it was an awesome little ride, we couldn’t help but notice that Ford had snuck an EGR Cooler under the hood. It appears that these direct-injected turbo engines may be a bit dirtier than their “Eco” name would lead you to believe. Considering that the dead-nuts simple 7.3L gas V8 gets by without the need for EGR at all (yes, I...