Modified Ford Mustangs hit the streets

While Ford is happy to slowly trickle out ever-faster factory versions of the new Mustang, the aftermarket industry, as usual, is taking matters into its own hands and skipping a few steps.

Leading the charge is Texan tuner Hennessey Performance, famous for extreme examples of the Dodge Viper and, of course, the crazy Hennessey Venom GT supercar. Hennessey is not known for doing things by halves, and its 2015 HPE700 Mustang is no exception.

Thanks to a 2.9-litre supercharger feeding the 5.0-litre Coyote V8 7.25psi of boost, outputs rise from 325kW/543Nm to 535kW/856Nm. And given US mag Road & Track reported an HPE700 cranking out 494kW/734Nm at the rear wheels on the dyno, either the new Mustang has an extremely efficient drivetrain, or those claims might be a little conservative.

Regardless, Hennessey claims the HPE700 will dash from 0-60mph (97km/h) in just 3.6sec and dispatch the quarter mile in 11.2 at 210.9km/h. The kit almost doubles the price of a base Mustang GT, but does include lightweight wheels, a body kit and, crucially, a three-year warranty. Just 500 will be built.

Only slightly further down on the insanity scale is the new Shelby GT, packed full of Ford Racing parts such as a 468kW supercharger kit, performance handling kit and Wilwood six-piston front brake calipers. There’s also a full array of carbon-fibre exterior bits, including bonnet, rear spoiler and diffuser. The base GT is US$39,995 (not including the donor vehicle), but if that’s not enough, Shelby offers further upgrades, including a 522kW-plus power upgrade, adjustable suspension and even bigger brakes.

This is the first Shelby GT to be developed for international markets, but it’s not yet clear if it will be offered as a complete vehicle in Australia. What is certain is that you’ll be able to buy all the various parts through local tuner Rob Herrod, who has been appointed the Australian distributor of Ford Racing Parts.

A number of Aussie tuners have the new Mustang high on their wishlist, so expect locally-modified version to pop up shortly after the car’s local release in late-2015, ready to tackle Hot Tuner 2016!