Things have progressed even further these days, as Cermin lost self-control with this project. An Al Papitto-built 5.5L engine now sits in the back of the Ford supercar. It continues to wear the twin-turbo package, and power output is a lofty 1,451 to the tire. Don't think this is a dyno queen, though-Cermin drives this car as much as possible. Do a quick search on the Internet on him and you'll see plenty of videos of this car on www.streetfire.net and www.youtube.com.
Greg Murray, '06 MustangIt goes more than 200 mph and can be driven on the public roadways-how can this not be one of the coolest cars of the year? Greg Murray and Predator Performance have taken things to the next level of street performance with this '06 Stang. Some might call it a race car, but we think it's just right for street and race action. Murray was inspired by the Grand Am circuit (think: FR500C) and motivated by the glory of open road racing.
At the time of this writing, Murray and Predator had spent a week in a wind tunnel. They worked feverishly on the body's drag coefficient and optimized downforce for a 10-day road trip that included Bonneville top-speed testing and the running of the Silver State Classic. Power comes from a stroked and poked Windsor engine, which checks in at 408 ci and is pumped up by an intercooled ProCharger F1R supercharger. The suspension is full-on race-car stuff, and the interior carries the bare essentials and appropriate safety equipment. Murray's wild ride adorned the cover of our Oct. '07 issue.
Matt Guida, '92 Mustang LX Our June '07 cover car is perhaps one of the nicest Fox-body cars we've ever seen. It's not a wild, 2,000-horse combination that will suck the paint off the competition, but a well-rounded street Stang that represents what the average guy or gal can build. Guida's coupe is what people call "balanced," from a stout engine package (580 rwhp) to the sweet interior upgrades and the basic but cool paint. We found this car on the showgrounds at the '06 NMRA season opener in Bradenton, Florida. Despite being in the car show, it was far from a trailer queen. Guida regularly drives this Mustang, and it has seen time on the dragstrip.
The engine package consists of a 383ci short-block topped with a healthy Crane roller camshaft (0.558/0.564-inch lift), TEA-ported Edelbrock Victor Jr. cylinder heads, and a TFS R intake manifold. Boost is supplied by a Vortech S-Trim supercharger that sings to the tune of 10 psi. The 580 rwhp is funneled through a Tremec 3550 five-speed transmission and Spec Stage 3 clutch. Guida plans to upgrade the blower to a T-Trim unit and expects to run the chassis dyno up to 650-or-so rear-wheel horsepower. The body was repainted using PPG black, with silver stripes accenting it nicely. Other visual aids include BBS RK 18-inch wheels, a Cervini's cowl hood, and a subtle wing pulled off a Mustang Summer Edition convertible.
Evolution Performance, '07 Mustang Shelby GT500This GT500 makes the list because it was the first of its type to make it into the 11s, 10s, and 9s, and it did so using mostly bolt-on items and with an owner who could care less about devaluing the precious Shelby collectability. Nelson Whitlock of Evolution Performance is our kind of guy-he bought a GT500 from a Kansas City-based dealership and had it shipped directly to his Evolution Performance shop in Pennsylvania. The day the car arrived home, he wasted no time and went directly to the dragstrip for baseline runs.