In my 30 years at Ford, I’ve worked on everything from powertrains to plant management, but I had never had the privilege of working on a Mustang. When I was asked to serve as chief program engineer for a new high-performance Mustang from Ford Racing, I knew the assignment was a rare honor. There is an emotive power in a Mustang that you don't find anywhere else in the industry, and for the Ford Racing team, the track isn’t just a testing location, it’s a second home.
The Mustang Dark Horse SC was developed by engineers who live their lives at racing circuits, and that track-first mentality is woven into every bolt and calibration of this car. To engineer the most advanced, powerful, and track-capable* Mustang Dark Horse in the stable, we didn't work in a vacuum. We took the Dark Horse SC to Sebring and Virginia International Raceway to test alongside the Mustang GTD supercar and the Mustang GT3 race car. This collaboration bore immediate fruit.
It wouldn’t be December without a trip to PRI, and that was my destination last week. We loaded up and drove to Indianapolis for the annual Performance Racing Industry show, where Hi-Po manufacturers from around the world display their latest and greatest go-fast parts. You’ll see everything from turbos and superchargers, to tires and wheels, to swap oil pans, to full tube race chassis. There’s a little something from just about any form of motorsports you can think of, all under one snow covered roof.
New Ford specific parts were in a more limited supply than I’ve seen in years past. I chalk this up to Ford not having released many new high performance models in the past couple years. New vehicles/engines are what typically spur production of new performance parts. There were still a fair amount of new Godzilla parts on display and a handful of Coyote items as well. I particularly liked seeing Coyote swapped Chevy and GMC trucks, along with a Cornett built Ford D3 Powered Dirt...
A few months back we showed off the first prototype of the BRONCOVER Half-Top cover for modern 4-door Ford Broncos. BRONCOVER actually used our Bronco Raptor to design this new product, and we debuted it at the Broncos and Brews show in New Bern, NC. Since then they made a few minor tweeks to the design and finalized it for production.
What you’re looking at here is the final production version of the Half-Top. The purpose of this cover is to fill a gap in the market. BRONCOVER has a variety of covers for just about every Bronco top and door-count combination you can think of. However, many 4-door hard-top owners only like to remove the front three roof panels while leaving the large rear cap in place. The issue is, those front three pieces are a pain to carry around. That’s where the Half-Top comes in. Check out this vid:
The Half-Top is perfect for those who like to soak up some rays the easy way in their Bronco without...
HP Tuners has pulled off a miracle and saved the Ford aftermarket as we know it. By cracking the encryptions on Ford's latest generations of ECUs they have created a new rush of performance modding. To no one's surprise, the guys over at 5 Star Tuning in Florence, SC had a backlog of employee owned vehicles ready for calibration development. This stone stock 10R80 equipped S650 Mustang GT was one of the first to get their attention, and the results did not disappoint.
As you can see, starting from a strong baseline of 433HP they were able to pick up 30HP on 93 Octane and 50HP on E85. Torque gains largely track with the horsepower gains. If I owned one of these cars added a custom tune would be high priority. Besides gaining power everywhere in the rev range, the driveablity of the car is greatly improved. That's doubly true on an automatic car like this one, where optimizing the shifts makes a huge difference in the driving experience. What do you guys think?
We've had such great feedback from our SVTP Premium Members on our SVTP Soft Launch Coffee that we've decided to put together a follow up for the SVTP coffee lovers out there. Because shipping is insane these days, it doesn't make sense to sell this stuff as a single bag. So we're doing a 5 bag whole bean variety pack with the following varieties:
SVTP Soft Launch - Dark Roast Nicaraguan - Same one we sent to SVTP Premium Members
Ethiopian Light Roast
Brazilian Medium Roast - Washed Beans
Guatemalan Medium Roast
Honduran Dark Roast
These are 12oz bags, roasted in South Carolina. Also included is special bonus "gift" that's valued at ~$35 by itself. We're offering the 5 bags of exclusive SVTP Whole Bean Coffee, plus the bonus "gift" (see below for details) shipped to your door for $100 - plus tax. We're limiting this to 50 units. Proceeds go to the "Keep SVTP on the Internet Fund". Thoughts???
For the first time ever, we putting everything in the SVTP Store on sale. Everything is 10% off.
It's getting to be hoodie weather and we have a handful of them in stock. I'm not planning on ordering any more this year, so what we have on hand is it. Now would be a great time to pick one up - they make great Christmas Presents. Plus, purchasing swag from the SVTP Store is a great way to support the site. Check it out - Store
The new 2025 Bronco Free Wheeling appearance package has arrived with a burst of red, orange, and yellow style inspired by Ford’s Free Wheeling trucks, vans and Broncos of the ‘70s and ‘80s. From the late 1970s to the early 1980s, the Free Wheeling package was available for the Ford F-100, F-150, Bronco, Econoline van, and added graphics with red, orange and yellow gradients, painted steel wheels, and black finishes on the grilles, mirrors, and bumpers. Inside the vehicle featured red and orange pin striping on the dash and seat stitching.
The 2025 Bronco Free Wheeling honors that vibrant and confident style.
“Bronco has always been about fun and capability since day one and Free Wheeling’s looks kick that up a notch with its sunset inspired beach vibes,” said Steve Gilmore, Ford Vehicle Personalization chief designer. “We’ve modernized the new Bronco Free Wheeling in line with today’s fashion and graphic trends, including seats that mimic the color palette of the...
A Baja 1000-winning legendary name returns to the Ford lineup for 2025 with the new Bronco Stroppe Special Edition. A successor to the original Stroppe Baja Bronco from the ‘60s and ‘70s, this new limited-edition Bronco pairs the desert-racing spirit of the original with today’s off-road capability to create a special high-performance Bronco SUV.
“When you purchased a Stroppe Baja Bronco in 1971, it rolled out of Bill Stroppe’s factory ready to tackle the Baja 1000,” said Jason Hyde, Bronco brand manager. “That capability was at the core of our development process for the new Bronco Stroppe Special Edition, including Fox Internal Bypass Dampers designed for performance and improved control during high-speed desert running, a standard EcoBoost 2.7-liter V6 engine, and Baja G.O.A.T. Mode.”
The Bronco Stroppe Special Edition is available exclusively as a two-door model and takes the place of the Wildtrak in the Bronco lineup. It also includes a standard Stabilizer Bar Disconnect...
SVTP members have heard it many times over; the Woodward Dream Cruise, especially the Mustang Alley section, is one of our favorite events to visit every year. The Motor City area is filled every kind of unique American automobile you can image, and it seems like they all come out to cruise Woodward Ave in late summer. In addition to that, Ford puts together a few impressive displays along the route.
We’ve been attending WDC for the past several years, and the 2023 version was perfect. Great builds, awesome products, good friends, and delicious eats/drinks abounded. Easily one of the highlights of the trip was getting a personal tour of the Ford Performance Racing Parts display from SVT Engineering Alumni Nick Terzes (currently Ford Performance Parts Product Planning & Strategy Manager). Check it out:
Walking the Mustang Alley display is always a blast, and you get to see some very special cars along the stroll. We have plenty...
That headline also works as a rallying cry for the F-Series truck team, which for more than 75 years has delivered a lineup of tough, smart and capable trucks – the last 46 as the best-selling truck lineup in America.
The latest Ford better idea: the new 2024 Ford F-150® truck. Available starting early 2024, the truck is designed toenhance the ability to tackle challenges with purposeful features and tech. It has Built Ford Tough® capability to handle tough pursuits. And it has a tough new design, including the new available Pro Access Tailgate for even more access and utility.
With increased production of PowerBoost™ Hybrid for 2024, trims from XL through Platinum Plus, and off-road ready models like Tremor, Raptor and Raptor R, there’s an F-150 for almost every use case.
All that choice is important because F-150 is a leader in all the following industries: construction, government, utility services, agriculture, landscaping, road and highway maintenance, emergency vehicles...
Last week we stopped by the Charlotte Motor Speedway to witness the debut of the upcoming Mustang Dark Horse R. A few minutes after 7:00pm on a Thursday evening the Ford Performance brass rolled out the red carpet for the latest factory built race car to enter the FPRP catalog. But the DH-R announcement was accompanied by some very interesting news. That being, IMSA has partnered with Ford to establish a spec-racing series designed especially for purchasers of the Dark Horse R.
As long time fans of World Challenge and GT3 racing, we are definitely looking forward to traveling to a few IMSA Mustang Challenge races in the near future. We’ve been talking to a handful of well known Mustang-fielding race teams over the weekend, and it looks like we may see some familiar faces on the starting grid behind the wheel of the Dark Horse R. That’s something certainly worth looking forward to.
If you’re interest in the full specs of the DH-R, you can find them by...
Ford Performance today reveals the all-new Mustang Dark Horse™ R, offering the most demanding track enthusiasts a turn-key race car ready to compete in the all-new Mustang Challenge spec racing series, just for Mustang Dark Horse R and sanctioned by the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA).
"Mustang Dark Horse R bridges the gap between Dark Horse and Mustang GT3 and GT4," stated Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports. “Production-based Mustang vehicles have raced from the very beginning, all the way back to winning the 1964 Tour de France, even. Dark Horse R offers our passionate customers not just an attainable, factory-built race car, but also a racing series to compete with other Mustang enthusiasts.”
Mustang Dark Horse R Ready for the Track
With the Ford Mustang Dark Horse joining the herd as the most track-capable 5.0-liter V8 street-legal Mustang ever, Dark Horse R is a natural extension of the capabilities found in every Dark Horse...
In the late 1970s, Ford introduced the Free Wheeling package on F-100, F-150, Bronco, Econoline van, and more. The limited-run trim level featured graphics with red, orange and yellow gradients. The colorful option packs also added painted steel wheels, and black finishes on the grilles, mirrors, and bumpers. Inside the vehicle featured red and orange pinstriping on the dash and seat stitching.
“Bronco customers appreciate its heritage,” said Jason Hyde, Bronco Sport Marketing Manager. “After such a great response to the reimagined Bronco Sport Free Wheeling project vehicle in 2021, we decided to bring this special edition that ties Bronco Sport to its fun loving roots.”
The red, orange, and yellow sunset-inspired stripes became a focal point of the 1970s package.
“The Ford Free Wheeling package was developed to appeal to younger customers,” said Ted Ryan, Archives and Heritage Brand Manager for Ford. “The Free Wheeling Broncos were as popular as they were distinctive.”
During the recent NMRA event in Norwalk, OH we ran into a new offering for the Ford Performance enthusiast community. A pre-production Ranger Raptor was on premises, having been driven down by a Ford employee. We had the opportunity to give it a fairly close inspection, and I have to say I like what I saw.
Size wise, it is very similar to a PN-96 F-150. The Raptor’ization of the Ranger is much more conservative than what was bestowed on the Bronco Raptor. It is slimmer and wears smaller 33-inch tires. I believe this will ultimately make it more practical as a truck, while still maintaining impressive off-road capabilities. The rear suspension design appears to be a modified version of that found in some foreign market Ford trucks/SUVs, and it looks to be stoutly built.
The 3.0L EcoBoost V6 has been great in our Bronco Raptor, and puts in serious work in the Explorer ST. I suspect it will perform well in the Ranger Raptor. The interior is also greatly improved over that of the...
It may not be what she was designed for, but the Bronco Raptor is shaping up to be quite the surprise on the strip. A few weeks back, with the help of a Whipple tune and intercooler combo, we set what we believed to be the current ¼ mile record with our BRaptor. A cool night in Darlington, SC yielded a best run of 13.93 @ 98.06 MPH. However, we always felt there was at least another tenth on the table if the launch could be better dialed-in.
The idea for the SVT 30th Anniversary Reunion Car Show was conceived during a conversation with the NMRA staff at PRI 2022. After several months of preparation and promotion, the event took place at NMRA’s Norwalk, OH race just a few days ago. For a first time event, the results were impressive.
We had quite a few very nice SVT vehicles in the show field, including one of every color 1993 SVT Cobra Mustang produced. Several clean Terminators and nicely modded SN-95 Cobras were represented, as were both generations of SVT Lightning.
Beyond seeing some very nice cars, including those in the main car show field and in the pits, it was great meeting SVT owners and talking about their cars. If you get a chance, you really should try to make it out to one of these shows. Until then, check out the pics and vids we shot at SVT 30th Anniversary Reunion Car Show during NMRA Norwalk 2023:
The 2023 Edition of NMRA’s Norwalk, OH event was one for the history books. It was a celebration of several significant anniversaries in the Ford community, including the SVT 30th Anniversary Reunion Car Show. The Summit Motorsports Park facilities are simply second-to-none, and a great location for performance oriented events. The grounds are impeccably maintained, the track is properly prepped, and they sell gourmet ice cream for $3/pint.
The car show brought out some truly special vehicles. From classic Cobra Jets to the Legendary Boss 10 and Sudden Death, there was something for everyone to enjoy. The drag racing was on point, with many in the heads-up classes pushing their setups beyond their limits. This was certainly one event we were glad we attended, and it makes us look forward to cooler weather and more racing action when we head to the NMRA race in Bowling Green, KY later this year.
Until then, check out the pics and vids we shot at NMRA Norwalk 2023...
You’ve been hearing it from us here on SVTP for years; the Holy Trinity of starter mods is Intake, Tune, and Exhaust. Tackling those three areas will typically show decent gains on any vehicle. When it comes to our project Bronco Raptor, besides our Whipple Intercooler and Turbosmart BOV, there’s not much on the market intake wise (yet). And you guys have seen us lay down massive gains with a Whipple Calibration. But just a few days ago we were able to snag an early set of SPD Performance Downpipes fitted with High-Flow GESI cats. The exhaust side of the more-power equation was now open for business.
It’s been no secret that the factory downpipes found on many EcoBoost engines can hamper performance. They are designed with packaging, NVH, and assembly constraints that the aftermarket can simply sidestep. As such, companies like SPD Performance have found great success developing higher-flowing replacement systems for many Ford platforms. Their latest venture into the Blue Oval...
This one is near and dear to my heart. Every time I’ve ordered a new Ford I’ve requested the dealership not PDI (dealer-prep) my new ride. What can I say? I prefer to unwrap my presents myself. So when I spotted this 35th Anniversary 1990 Ford Thunderbird Super Coupe in the National Parts Depot collection I knew I had to learn its story.
From afar the black T-bird appears to have some major paint/clearcoat issues. However, looks are deceiving in this case. What seems to be Florida sun burnt paint is actually a coating applied by Ford during assembly. It was designed to protect the car’s finish during delivery, and was intended to be removed by the dealer during PDI.
That’s where things really start to make sense. In the days before peeling off shrink wrap, your local dealer had the lowest guy on the totem pole doing his best to remove this spray on coating with whatever tools and skills he had at hand. You can imagine how many black cars left...
