Rolling into the burnout box, the driver engages the line lock, and the rear tires disappear into a cloud of smoke. Like many before it, this modern Mustang rumbles toward the tree and stages. This is not just any pony car, but a 2024 Mustang Dark Horse modified with a carefully curated package of mods designed to hasten its quarter-mile elapsed times.
We applied the proven knowledge we have from the S550 and thought outside the box to get it where it is today… — Fred Cook, Evolution Performance
The driver stabs the throttle. Engine RPM zings to the moon as the 10R80 10-speed automatic hastily bangs each gear. The distinctive whine emanating from under the hood is a Kong Performance CNC-ported Whipple supercharger belting out an undisclosed but ample serving of boost, which is cooled by an IC Chiller Interchiller System. The supercharger’s output works with a host of complementary mods (see sidebar) to push the Gen 4 Coyote 5.0-liter engine’s output to 1,147 horsepower and 806 lb-ft of torque at the wheels.
Under the hood is a Dark Horse-spec Gen 4 Coyote with robust, factory forged internals. Evolution Performance enhanced this 5.0-liter engine with Boundary billet dual-rotor oil pump gears, a Boundary high-flow, anti-cavitation backing plate, and more (see sidebar). The headlining mod, however, is a Kong Performance CNC-ported Whipple 3.0-liter GEN 6 supercharger supported by the company’s 120mm throttle body, open air boxes, and most importantly, its Stage 2 supercharger calibration for the factory Powertrain Control Module. A GripTec six-rib supercharger pulley ensures slip-free boost, while an IC Chiller Interchiller System tames boost temperatures. (Photos courtesy of Evolution Performance)
In late October, at Cecil County Dragway in Rising Sun, Maryland, that power connected with the pavement via sticky Hoosier tires, resulting in the shot heard ’round the S650 world. Built by the team at Evolution Performance, this Dark Horse, which weighs 4,100 pounds with the driver strapped in, rolled off the trailer and ran not just one but five consecutive 8-second passes, with the quickest being an 8.90 at 156 mph on the foundation of a 1.32-second 60-foot time.
“We have been doing this for 20 years, have the best team, and know the best combinations when putting these cars together. That is no different with the S650s,” Fred Cook, Director of Operations at…
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