What is the future of the Mustang? Will it always have a V8? Will we someday have a Mustang line-up without a V8 option? These are all questions every Mustang enthusiast thinks about. We’ve always had a V8 as our most-coveted powerplant, and we hope that never changes. However, technology is showing us eight cylinders aren’t always needed to have a fast car.

Leading up to the 2011 GT, V6 Mustangs weren’t anything to write home about from a performance perspective. They were for people who wanted a Mustang, but weren’t necessarily able to afford a GT, or for people who just liked the Mustang’s styling, not caring what was under the hood. Then the 2011 V6 model brought 305 horsepower mixed with 31 mpg. That was a game-changer.

Think about that for a second, the legendary Fox Mustang pushrod 5.0-liter made 225 horsepower from the factory. It wouldn’t be until the 1996 Cobra, and its Four-Valve 4.6-liter DOHC engine that a modern V8 Mustang would would eclipse 300 horsepower, and now it was available in a V6 package.

Past Four-Cylinder engines, forget about it. Even a car lauded by Mustang enthusiasts, the 1984-’86 SVO, with its turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder started out with 175 horsepower, and ended its short three-year run with a 205 horsepower rating. And the non-turbocharged engine in Fox Mustangs…please, the only nice thing we can say about that one is it was capable of getting excellent fuel mileage, and it proved to be a durable engine. Other than that, there was no redeeming quality, and no hope of any meaningful performance.

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The car's wrap was done by Creative Edge Design in Altavista, Virginia. The Race Star Dark star wheels provide just the right amount of contrast to that of the wrap.

EcoBoost Technology

However, that was then, and this is now. Ford’s EcoBoost technology has taken four- and six-cylinder performance to new heights. EcoBoost variants started appearing in Ford and Lincoln vehicles in 2010. When the 3.5-liter appeared in the Taurus SHO with 365 horsepower, that opened everyone’s eyes as to the EcoBoost’s potential. But still, the EcoBoost didn’t find its way under the hood of a Mustang.

When rumors started flying about the 2015 Mustang, one of them was that it would have one of the EcoBoost derivatives. Which one, we didn’t know. Would it be the 3.5-liter, 365 horsepower version, or a four-cylinder variant? The 365 horsepower V6 might’ve been too much, too close to stepping on the Coyote engine’s toes. Ford chose the 305 horsepower 2.3-liter four-cylinder, since it wouldn’t overshadow the Coyote, but still offer excellent fuel economy, combined with spirited performance.

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A four-cylinder in a Mustang? Are we doing this again? No no, this isn’t your Fox’s four-cylinder engine? In the Focus ST, prior to the EcoBoost appearing in the Mustang, the combination responded well to modifications, and one person who wanted to see how far the EcoBoost could push a 2015 Mustang was Brad Gusler.

Brad and his wife Nina were already established NMRA racers, specifically in the Truck and Lightning class, and they own BG Racing. Brad was ready to take the next step into uncharted territory with a new car, looking for a new challenge. So he bought the 2015 Mustang EcoBoost, and just a few days later it was at Watson Racing, which is located just outside of Detroit.

Transformation from Street to Track

Watson Racing is not a new name to Mustang enthusiasts, the company is well-known for building fast Mustangs. Gusler knew Watson could help accomplish his performance goals, so the car was sent to Watson to lose some weight, and obviously, gain some performance. Watson removed everything that didn’t help the car’s performance. Therefore, all sound deadening, A/C, heater, and any other dead weight was removed. In its place, Watson installed its own tubular K-member and A-arms with solid engine mounts, roll cage, and chassis set-up similar to its own 2015 Mustang GT race car.

To help transfer the weight and help achieve performance efficiency, the 2015 uses Strange Engineering struts and springs up front, and Strange shocks out back paired with stock springs. To bring things to a halt, the car uses Aerospace Components brakes both front and rear with Watson Racing stainless steel brake lines. Race Star Drag Star wheels are at each corner. Up front are 17×4, while out back are 17×9.5-inch wheels.

To move the remaining weight, the EcoBoost engine under the hood was itself left stock, but little besides the engine remains as-delivered to Gusler. The turbocharger is a Precision 55mm unit on a Custom Performance Engineering manifold and a JLT Performance cold air intake. To cool the intake charge temps, Gusler uses a JPC Racing custom air-to-water intercooler. The exhaust consists of a custom JPC Racing 3-inch system with a Bassani Xhaust muffler. Once the engine pieces were added, JPC’s Kevin MacDonald tuned the car, making 362-rwhp.

Behind the largely-stock EcoBoost engine, the transmission is also stock as a rock. A Dynotech one-piece aluminum driveshaft plays within a Watson Racing driveshaft loop to keep tech inspectors at bay. The independent rear suspension is the most modified part of the drivetrain. The IRS is chock full of Ford Performance Parts like upgraded half-shafts, IRS bushings, Torsen differential, and 3.73 gears.

The fuel system is a full-race set-up with an Aeromotive Cobra Jet fuel pump and fuel cell, with a Watson Racing tie-down arrangement. Even with the JPC Racing performance exhaust, the fuel pump lets you know this car’s sole goal in life is to go down the track as quick as possible.

Race Car Guts

Another aspect befitting the car’s main purpose is its interior. Gone is most of the stock stuff, and in its place is a pair of Kirkey Racing seats with Watson Racing custom brackets. Also, Gusler has guts, but he’s smart enough to outfit the car with proper safety gear. To that end, the stock seat belts were removed in favor of Racequip harnesses to keep Gusler safe while going down the track. The back seat bottom remains, but a half rear seat delete, if you will, is necessary because of the Watson Racing 6-point roll bar. The roll bar is finished in carbon fiber, and makes the car legal to 10.0 in the quarter-mile. Should Gusler have the need to run quicker than 9.99 in the quarter-mile, he’ll need a return trip to Watson Racing, perhaps, for a 10-point roll cage.

The dash has been modified, to the point where very little of the center stack remains. As a matter of fact, the center stack now consists of a flat panel painted in Watson Racing colors, and a push button starter. The factory dash remains, but Gusler now gets most of his information and mechanical feedback from an Auto Meter boost gauge in place of an A/C vent, and an SCT Live Wire tuner attached to the windshield.

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Recent Developments

We photographed the car at the NMRA Spring Break Shootout at Bradenton Motorsports Park earlier this year in March. That was right after Gusler ran an  11.77 at 117 mph. After Bradenton, he took the car to Maryland International Raceway and ran 11.60s, but with the improved conditions Gusler tried increasing boost by 2 pounds. “Let’s try to get an 11.50 by the Georgia NMRA race,” Gusler said. However, the car busted out an 11.19 at 119.81 mph at MIR on that pass. “How’d it do that,” Gusler says. Gusler just received a Circle D converter and an Alky Control methanol injection system. The converter should provide enough stall rpm to leave the line almost at almost full boost. And the Alky Control methanol system should allow Gusler to run the same tune he had in the car when he ran the 11.19. He didn’t feel comfortable with that tune in the car to run it at that level on a regular basis, but the methanol kit should lower exhaust gas temperatures, and allow for increased timing.

Next up Gusler is planning to drive the car around at Mustang Week in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina the week of July 13th-19th to prove that the car is indeed a street car, but one thing he’s really excited about is the possible EcoBoost Shootout at the NMRA World Finals. When we talked to him the shootout was in its infancy. Gusler hopes the shootout happens so it will shine a brighter light on what’s possible with a EcoBoost combination.

He’s proven the sky is the limit with this diminutive package.