As you’ve seen from my 2015 Super Lap Battle spotlights so far, I’ve picked a rather diverse spread of cars to share in detail with you guys.
There’s been a Subaru Impreza from the ’90s, a K-swapped Honda Civic, and a Lexus RC F; now we have a Ford Mustang – one of a few domestic machines competing this year.
There might be some bias as I drive a 2015 EcoBoost Mustang myself, but I was very happy to see the guys from HPS Performance Products out there with their own development car. As I talked to them about their build, I found out that it’s actually quite similar to my own in terms of modifications.
The turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine under the hood has been treated to some basic induction and exhaust upgrades with the stock turbo still providing boost.
The Mustang remains on factory dampers with the addition of Swift springs for the meantime, but I’m told a fully adjustable coilover setup is in the plans as they continue to dial-in the machine.
The brakes have been upgraded with parts from StopTech and lightweight 19-inch Forgestar CF10 wheels keep unsprung weight down. The tires are Yokohama Advan Neovas for a perfect balance between street and track capability.
While my car is still factory-spec on the inside, the HPS guys have added a pair of Sparco racing bucket seats and also fitted a much-smaller-than-stock Sparco racing steering wheel.
I quite liked the car’s exterior styling – especially the Street Scene spoiler out back. In fact, I might have to look into getting one of these for my own car… What do you think?
With the Mustang’s weight and modest list of modifications, Super Lap Battle at Buttonwillow Raceway was more of a test session than a record-breaking attempt, but the Ford still turned in a best lap time of 2:00.938. I’ll certainly be watching with interest as the HPS team continues to evolve the car.
Mike Garrett
Instagram: japanifornia_media
mike@speedhunters.com