Scott McLaughlin is close to unbeatable on the track, dominating the Supercars series for DJR Team Penske – and the Kiwi has teamed up with Herrod Performance to create a road-going Mustang to celebrate.
With 578kW of power and 810Nm of torque from its supercharged 5.0-litre V8 engine the Scott McLaughlin Limited Edition Mustang (or Mustang SM17) is more powerful than the Ford Mustang R-Spec, although it’s slightly down on torque.
Herrod Performance says the 3.0-litre supercharger attached to the V8 engine in the Mustang SM17 is the first of its kind, backed by a more powerful cooling system with bigger intercoolers.
The company worked side-by-side with manufacturer Whipple on the new twin-screw supercharger, which fits under the stock bonnet without any modification to the metal.
New rotors for the supercharger are meant to improve performance at high revs compared to a Roots-type blower, and Herrod says the torque curve is flatter than in other tuned Mustangs.
Shift points for the 10-speed automatic have been adjusted to better work with the engine’s swollen outputs, and there’s a bespoke oil cooler to stop the transmission overheating during sustained abuse on the track.
No changes to the six-speed manual transmission have been detailed.
The powered-up engine breathes through a new cat-back exhaust with four gloss black tips, but it’s still compatible with the existing multi-mode exhaust system that allows the driver to make it louder (or quieter, if you’re boring) from the steering wheel.
Scott McLaughlin has offered more than just his name to the SM17 – the 2018, 2019, and 2020 Supercars champion was involved in the design of the limited-edition Mustang.
Outside, it wears unique decals and Scott McLaughlin’s signature, along with a new rear spoiler, a more aggressive front bumper with a deeper splitter and aero-style canards, and gloss black detailing for the mirrors, lower grille, and badging.
It rides on new 20-inch wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres measuring 275/35 at the front and 305/30 rubber at the rear, and the standard magnetic dampers have been reworked in conjunction with a set of adjustable sway bars for sharper handling.
Inside, the standard steering wheel has been subbed for a flat-bottomed unit trimmed in Alcantara, and the seats are emblazoned with the unique SM17 logo designed for the car. They’re also trimmed in Italian leather.
The SM17 is expected to cost around $50,000 more than a standard Mustang GT, which would put the price somewhere between $110,000 and $120,000 after all the upgrades have been applied.
Production is expected to kick off in Melbourne early next year, although Herrod Performance has flagged an earlier kick-off
Although he’s currently preparing for the Bathurst 1000, McLaughlin looks set to take his talents to the United States next year to compete in the IndyCar series with Team Penske.
