Car vlogger StangMode, which you might know as the guy who blew his Shelby GT500’s engine while racing on public roads, had the opportunity to check out Ford’s new pony up close and personal. Evolutionary rather than revolutionary, the seventh-generation Mustang won’t be a hit with most of the aftermarket community because of a heavily encrypted ECU.
“This is subject to change, so don’t kill me in the comments. From what I understand, apparently there are preferred partners that will be able to have aftermarket supercharger options on this setup [V8] when it's available.”
StangMode adds that “you won't be able to go to any normal tuner and tune your vehicle like this. It will be basically locked from Ford unless Ford approves it because they're gonna have over-the-air updates on this beautiful vehicle,” pointing to the muscled-up Dark Horse that cranks out 500 hp.
The rating is but an estimate at press time, with the Dearborn-based automaker expected to confirm the final numbers closer to the Mustang’s on-sale date. Turning out attention back to the limited tuning potential of the S650, does it really come as a surprise? Of the Big Three in Detroit, the peeps at General Motors did it first with half-ton pickup trucks and SUVs.
It's also worth noting that GM refuses to unlock the control unit of the C8, which is a bit of a shame given the Corvette’s incredible straight-line capability. Two years ago, John Hennessey called out GM over the heavily encrypted control unit. The short version is that you’re better off buying something else unless you’re happy with an upgraded intake and exhaust.
There is, however, a glimmer of hope on the horizon. Indiana-based Fathouse Fabrications recently previewed the 1000R twin-turbo package for the S650, which promises four-digit power without sacrificing drivability.
The go-faster shop from Martinsville collaborates with Shelby American, but it’s not known if they’re a preferred partner for the new Mustang. That said, only time will tell who’ll be admitted to the unlocked ECU club.
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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