Having had the pleasure to experience the ex-generation Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 on the Angeles Crest Highway back in the day, I can’t say there was a single moment during all the canyon carving when I felt the muscle car is lacking in the firepower department. Then again, the uber-competitive arena that is the drag strip brings a totally different perspective, which is why this 2012 GT500 now packs double the factory muscle and has lost the third pedal.
Nicknamed SmurfinaTTor for reasons that will become obvious once we cover its tech specs, the pony has been with its owner, Jason Teixeira, since it left the showroom floor back in 2012.
Over the past decade, the SmurfinaTTor has been through multiple tech setups, as its driver, who owns Connecticut-based shop 1320 Junkie Performance, seeks to extract more and more performance out of the muscle car.
So, not only is the factory supercharger of the S197 II-gen GT500 gone, but so is the 5.4L V8. In its place, we find a TKM-built 5.8L Short Block, which has given in to the twin-turbo temptation.
Working with a pair of Gen II Precision 64mm turbos, the motor, which sips on E85, was recently ECU-massaged by the crew over at Florida’s Palm Beach Dyno. And it now makes around 1,100 hp and just as much torque (around 1,100 lb-ft or 1,500 Nm), as shown in the dyno session of the video below.
Gone is the factory six-speed manual, with a Ford 6R80 six-speed auto built by James Speidell being more suitable for drag racing use with all that power.
Having tuned the engine, the owner headed over to the Palm Beach International Raceway for some drag strip testing.
Florida’s Palm Beach International Raceway is in danger of being demolished
The SmurfinaTTor reached the endangered Palm Beach International Raceway (more on this below) to test its new setup.
And, within a few passes, the twin-turbo, auto-swapped 2012 Mustang Shelby GT500 managed to dive into the 8s quarter-mile range, which makes it quicker than any current production vehicle.
It’s worth mentioning that the said racetrack, which has been serving speed devils in Florida since 1965, is currently in danger of being demolished.
The track is in the process of getting a new owner and it seems the plan is to convert it to an industrial park. There’s even a fresh website with a petition that has already seen thousands voicing their opinion against the idea, with famous names opposing the demolition including Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing, and singer Pitbull.
