This retina-grabbing supercharged Mustang doesn’t just look the part, its tuned V8 howls out a monstrous 840bhp.
Feature from Fast Ford magazine. Words: Simon Holmes. Images: Jason Dodd
There’s no replacement for displacement, as the old saying goes in the world of American cars. Although some might be quick to point out that a highly tuned four-cylinder can make most things on the planet look shameful, a big-capacity V8 will always come out on top, especially when boost is added.
Andy Bicknell knows that’s a winning combination, as his Whipple supercharged 840bhp Mustang is a tarmac-slaying road car that looks, sounds and drives every bit as a muscle car should.
This isn’t Andy’s first Ford, but he admits he hasn’t owned a Blue Oval for quite some time. Back in the 1980s he could be found behind the wheel of many notable Fords, including a Mk1 Escort 1300E, Mk2 Escort 1600 Sport, three Mk2 Escort RS2000s, a Capri 2.8i Special, a Series One Escort RS Turbo and an Escort RS1600i.
“I wish I’d put the lot in a barn,” he chuckles.
Since then, various other vehicles have passed through his hands, but Andy didn’t exactly get drawn back to the fold without a little persuasion, and the idea of owning a newer Mustang certainly wasn’t the plan.
He says, “I never considered owning one. It was my partner Kim that liked them, so we went along and had a look at one, as you do, and I absolutely loved it. The rest is history.”
With his mind changed for the better, Andy sourced this 5.0-litre V8 model complete with manual gearbox that seemed to tick all the boxes he was looking for; he was particularly fond of this fetching shade of Grabber Blue.
“I’m a big fan of the colour,” he confirms. “It’s a rare, limited-edition colour that was discontinued. Plus, this is the Shadow Edition, which meant it came with different wheels and black trim and badges”.
The 840bhp supercharged Mustang you see here was completely standard when Andy got his hands on it. But there were plans afoot to change that and he wasted no time in finding parts to add, starting with the exterior. Inspired by his favourite Ford Mustang model, Andy began to develop the car’s mean and menacing look with a combination of carefully selected parts.
“I don’t like the stock look. It’s a muscle car that needs modifying to give it a stance, in my opinion. The 2020 GT500 is my favourite Mustang but at £130,000 I can’t afford one of those, so I’ve modified mine with that car in mind”, he says.
The result is this spectacular mix of a GT500-style front bumper with added an carbon splitter accompanied by a series of matching carbon fibre parts, including skirt extensions, spoiler and diffuser.
The huge 20inch wheels add the finishing touches, measuring a massive 10inch wide at the front and 11inche at the rear. Tyres to match are a wholesome 285/35 at the front and a whopping 305/30 at the back, but then a rubber footprint so big is needed to support this level of performance.
Although improving the look was important, Andy was also attracted by the supercharger conversions from America.
Whipple Supercharger for the Ford Mustang S550
“Stock power isn’t that exciting on these. The big V8 is quite lazy. After watching footage on YouTube of supercharged cars and seeing their performance, I decided I wanted to build the first pre-facelifted S550 Mustang to run the all-new Gen 5 Whipple supercharger”, he says.
After lengthy conversations with Ben at Motorsport & Performance, who was able to supply and fit the kit, Andy placed an order, waited the four months for delivery from America, and has never looked back.
It’s no wonder the Whipple supercharger kit caught his eye, as it not only looks great but also offers huge gains for relatively simple bolt-on kit. In fact, the twin-screw, 3.0-litre kit fitted to Andy’s Ford Mustang offers increases of around 360bhp and 220lb ft of torque, meaning the car now puts out 840bhp and 640lb ft. As you might imagine, the jump in performance did what Andy wanted it do.
He says, “My favourite part of the car is the supercharger. It’s an absolute animal and pulls hard in every gear. The mid-range is incredible; it’s just fun factor everywhere. But I’ve learnt to leave it at home if it’s wet.
“The engine is a compliment to Ford that it can run a supercharger on stock internals with no known issues, and the chassis with a few upgrades can handle double the power with no problem.”
To ensure it can cope, Andy has wisely fitted coilovers and well-placed chassis braces to help stiffen things up, along with a kit for the independent rear suspension to help eliminate any wheel hop when accelerating hard. This combination allows Andy to put the power down more effectively.
Similarly, the original Brembo brakes have also been treated to uprated discs and pads to ensure his 840bhp supercharged Mustang has the stopping power to match the performance.
Other additions to the car include the interior details, as although there was nothing to complain about inside, Andy wanted it to feel sportier and a little more special.
He says, “The inside is a nice place to be but I did change the original seats for some Corbeau items for the extra support and I wanted the red seat belts. Plus I added some carbon fibre and Alcantara trim to complete the look.”
The build has taken 18 months so far, and Andy enjoys using the 840bhp supercharged Mustang for shows, no doubt you’ll see him at Ford Fair, meets and as a weekend warrior for the road. Unsurprisingly, he tells us the car always gets a huge reaction wherever he takes it.
He smiles, “I’ve owned a lot of nice cars and I can honestly say nothing comes close for the attention it gets. Absolutely everyone seems to love Mustangs, whether stock or modified. Everyone on the Mustang forums seem to love it, my friends and family love it and the general public love it, so I must have done something right.” And if you want to look as cool as Andy in your own Mustang, check out our buyer’s guide before looking into how to tune an S550 with our guide.
Despite the already eye-catching looks, Andy tells us there are plans in the pipeline to completely change the appearance of the car.
Tech Spec: 840bhp Supercharged Mustang
Engine:
4951cc Coyote V8, factory internals, Gen5 3.0-litre Whipple supercharger, Motorsport & Performance bespoke software, X-Force headers, 100-cell sports cats, Mishimoto H-pipe, Roush Performance axle-back quad exhaust, fabricated Akrapovic tips, MMR billet crank gears and oil pump gears, Steeda engine mounts, Mishimoto oil cooler with bespoke Nemesis delete plate, red engine coil covers
Power:
840bhp and 640lb.ft of torque (owner’s estimate)
Transmission:
Getrag MT82 six-speed manual gearbox, standard clutch, Steeda short- shifter
Suspension:
Pedders Xtreme XA adjustable coilovers, BMR Suspension front and rear chassis bracing, BMR Suspension IRS anti-hop kit
Brakes:
Front: Mustang GT Brembo six-pot callipers with 380mm EBC drilled discs and EBC Yellowstuff pads; rear: Mustang GT callipers with 330mm EBC drilled discs and EBC Yellowstuff pads
Wheels & Tyres:
Front: 10x20in Ferrada F8-FR8 wheels, 5×114.3, ET40, with 285/35×20 Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres; rear: 11x20in Ferrada F8-FR8 wheels, 5×114.3, ET50, with 305/30×20 Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres
Exterior:
Mustang GT Shadow Edition in Grabber Blue, MP Concepts GT500 front bumper with additional APR Performance carbon fibre splitter with supports, Roush Performance bonnet scoop, custom sun strip, Anderson Composites carbon extended side sills, carbon-wrapped mirrors, Anderson Composites carbon fibre rear spoiler, custom GT850 decals, Anderson Composites GT350 rear diffuser, tinted glass, wrapped indicators, MP Concepts smoked front indicators
Interior:
Corbeau Steeda bespoke Clubsport seats, red seat belts, GT350 Alcantara steering wheel with carbon inlays, carbon-wrapped dashboard, Ford Performance mats
