The Ford Motor Company received a fair bit of criticism over the 2024 model year Mustang. Too similar to the previous generation, the styling is meh, the interior is too techy, and the list goes on.
The naysayers forget how much effort went into the oily bits of the S650, including the 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder turbo. However, the real star is the fourth-generation Coyote naturally-aspirated V8.
From a displacement of 5.0 liters, the Dearborn-based automaker squeezed out 500 horsepower and 418 pound-feet (567 Nm). The GT kicks off with 480 horsepower and 415 pound-feet (563 Nm), whereas the GT with the optional active-valve exhaust improves to a HEMI 392-besting 486 horsepower.
Pretty impressive, but on the other hand, there is room for improvement. Scott Boda, the director of manufacturing at Steeda, is much obliged to reveal how much performance can be extracted from the GT in the span of 72 hours. Baptized Silver Bullet 2.0, the drag-prepped car in the featured clip ran the quarter mile in a scarcely believable 11.22 seconds at 125 miles per hour (circa 201 kilometers per hour).
How did he do it? For starters, with 93 octane in the fuel tank and the factory ECU running the bone-stock calibration. Modifications include a set of drag wheels and radials, a rear-seat delete, a lightweight front bumper, suspension upgrades, a Steeda drag race K-member, Stop The Hop Ultimate Handling Kit, Drag Pack, and a QA1 carbon-fiber driveshaft.
The fun stuff doesn't end here, though. According to Scott, the silver-painted GT also rocks Baer lightweight brakes, Corbeau seats, and long-tube headers from Kooks. The headers unlocked nearly 40 more horsepower at the rear wheels, namely 430.89 horsepower compared to 393.32 completely stock.
Said headers also improved peak torque from 337.25 pound-feet (457.24 Nm) to 376.91 pound-feet (511 Nm). To whom it may concern, the 2018 model year Mustang GT with the same 10-speed automatic as the 2024 model year Mustang GT recorded 377.13 horsepower and 359.44 pound-feet (487.33 Nm).
Something like 250 to 300 pounds (113 to 150 kilograms) were taken off the car during the 72-hour transformation, which definitely helps in a straight line. However, cracking into the low 11-second range wouldn't have been possible without all of the aforementioned mods. It takes plenty of money and effort to make an already fast car go even faster.
Speaking of fast cars, did you know the fastest 'Stang available new for 2024 is the Dark Horse? When equipped with the Tremec-supplied manual transmission, the Mach 1-replacing pony car tops 168 miles per hour (270 kilometers per hour). But with the 10-speed automatic developed by FoMoCo and shared with GM, we're dealing with a maximum speed of 160 miles per hour (257 kilometers per hour).
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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