Looks Fast
Cervini’s revamped a new Mustang with its body parts and VMP blower
By Steve Turner
If you have been around the Ford performance scene for as long as we have, you are undoubtedly familiar with Cervini’s Auto Designs. The company was one of the first outfits to build fiberglass hoods for Fox Mustangs. In the ensuing years the company has built hoods and other body enhancements for every Mustang since then. The company’s in-house project caught our eye at Mustang Week because it not only has subtly enhanced looks, but the performance to back them up.
This striking 2015 Mustang features the full complement of Cervini’s body upgrades, and underhood it is upgraded with one of VMP Performance’s Gen 2 TVS Supercharger systems, which is capable of boosting a modern 5.0-liter engine to 700 rear-wheel horsepower.
Before this combination of looks and power could come together, Cervini’s had to come up with a restyling plan for the already fetching S550. Sure the initial reviews of the factory design were mix, it has met with resounding approval since the real cars hit the streets. Improving on a popular design is far more challenging than tweaking one people are less excited about.
“…The car’s lines were so different from the S197’s. We knew that from pictures we saw on SVTPerformance, but after we pulled the car in our shop, we stared at it for hours; walking around the car and forming our own opinions,” Jim Frie, Marketing/Sales Director at Cervini’s Auto Designs, explained. “Some of us hated it at first, others loved it but we really didn’t start to put the car together until everyone embraced it. We took most of our initial renderings and set them aside.”
After some serious teamwork, the Cervini’s crew was able to develop the C-Series products that you see on this Comp Orange beauty.
“We went right to the floor and started designing parts on the car with separate designers taking on different sections of the car. After a few rounds of design changes and lots of fine-tuning we had our S550 C-Series body package,” he added. “It truly was a team effort with different theories, different ideas and different personalities coming together to achieve two goals. Our new S550 C-Series line needed to be our flag ship package and it needed to turns heads at any event. Judging by the reception, we’ve accomplished both.”
The resulting parts work together as a cohesive package that makes the latest Mustang standout for the right reasons. As seen here, the C-series package includes the company’s Ram Air hood; upper and lower grilles; chin spoiler, quarter-window louvers, side scoops, rear wing, rear exhaust opening covers and side-exit exhaust. All of these parts are designed to fit the first time.
“…Our products usually aren’t the first to market. That’s because we invest the time up front to make sure the parts are ready to carry the Cervini brand. They need to fit perfectly,” he said. “Every gap and tolerance is checked in the development process to ensure that our customers receive products that have an exact fit right out of the box without trimming, cutting or modifying.”
Apparently we weren’t the only ones smitten by the package in Myrtle Beach. Jim collected lots of positive feedback from a hardcore group of Mustang fans.
“Everyone loves this car. The Ram Air hood and front-end treatment grabs your attention as soon as you see it. The side exhaust sounds amazing and drew huge crowds every time I started the car for customers,” Jim enthused. “I loved getting out and driving the car around Myrtle Beach. Cruising around and taking in the reactions of the Mustang enthusiasts that made it out to Mustang Week.”
If seeing this gear has you considering some or all of the parts for your 2015+ Mustang, you’ll be pleased to know that these parts are available pre-painted to match any Ford color so you can install them as soon as they arrive.
“Our pre-paint program is very successful for us. Our backlog became so large earlier this year that we needed to double the size our paint department to keep up with customer demand,” Jim said. “We have a great working relationship with our local Ford dealer and we color match every paint code we offer for Mustang and/or F-Series trucks on their lot. That allows us to custom develop our paint codes so that blending into the body of the car is not required. Open the box and install it!”
Cool stuff for sure, but if you are looking to get the word out on your appearance products, it certainly doesn’t hurt to have a more well-rounded performance vehicle, and that’s where VMP Performance came into the picture at Mustang Week back in 2015.
“I met the owner of VMP, Justin, last year at Mustang Week. Our displays were next to each other so we had a chance to chat a little during the show. I was familiar with VMP but we never used their supercharger on previous projects. I checked out VMP’s 2015 Mustang display car and I was immediately impressed with the quality of the components,” Jim explained.
The two hit it off and eventually the subject of boost came up. Having seen the hardware and talking it over with VMP main man, Justin Starkey, it was an easy decision to bolt a Gen2 TVS atop the C-series Mustang’s Coyote engine.
“After a while Justin asked me if I had plans to supercharge my car (it was bone stock at the time). I did but I hadn’t decided on which blower I wanted to run. Justin was equally impressed with our C-Series package and we exchanged cell phone numbers,” he added. “A few days after the show we ultimately decided to move forward with VMP. After meeting Justin and seeing his product in person I felt very comfortable with my decision.”
Having experienced the drivability and performance of the VMP blower setup, Jim was more than comfortable with the upgrade. He was pretty enthused.
“… Justin’s tune is outstanding,” Jim enthused. “The car is some much fun to drive. It makes tons of power but you can keep the car under control. (It is) By far my favorite upgrade.”
Putting the right upgrades together is what the car-modding game is all about, after all. In the case of the Cervini C-Series Mustang demonstrator it is a fast as it looks.
The Mod List
Powertrain
Block: Stock Coyote aluminum
Crankshaft: Stock
Rods: Stock
Pistons: Stock
Camshafts: Stock
Cylinder Heads: Stock
Intake: Intercooled lower
Power Adder: VMP Performance Gen2 TVS supercharger
Fuel System: Stock w/ 56 lb/hr fuel injectors
Exhaust: Stock w/ Cervini’s side-exit cat-back
Transmission: Stock Getrag MT-82 six-speed manual
Rearend: Stock Super 8.8
Electronics
Engine Management: Stock w/ VMP Performance calibration
Ignition: Stock
Front Suspension
K-member: Stock
A-arms: Stock
Struts: Stock
Springs: Eibach
Brakes: Stock
Wheels: Matte Graphite Vossen VFS1
Tires: Verdistein Vorti R
Rear Suspension
Shocks: Stock
Springs: Eibach
Brakes: Stock
Wheels: Matte Graphite Vossen VFS1
Tires: Verdistein Vorti R
Cervini’s Auto Designs C-series products give the swoopy 2015+ Mustang a definite muscle car edge thanks that that bold ram-air hood and aggressive grilles.
After hitting it off with Justin Starkey of VMP Performance, Jim Frie , Marketing/Sales Director at Cervini’s Auto Designs, was sold on upgrading to a VMP Gen2 TVS supercharger that can push the Coyote 5.0 to 700 rear-wheel horsepower.
A set of Eibach lowering springs sets the stance and the Cervini’s rear wing and side-exit exhaust set the C-Series Mustang apart.
On the inside, Cervini’s S550 is pretty stock save for the company logo emblazoned on the seat covers.
The C-Series Mustang rides on Matte Graphite Vossen VFS1 wheels wrapped with Verdistein Vorti R tires.
One of the few non-Cervini’s appearance upgrades on this car is the inclusion of a Ford Performance rear decklid blackout appliqué and—for this photo shoot—an SVTPerformance license plate.
