If you push your modern Mustang hard, especially in demanding events, you know reliable power and managing heat are important. That’s exactly what brought a 2021 Mustang Mach 1 owner from South Dakota to Middleton Motorsports, looking to take her already supercharged car to the next level. Featured in Middleton’s “Behind The Tune with Matt” series, this eye-catching 2021 Mach 1 wasn’t meeting its owner’s needs with its previous aftermarket supercharger setup.

“That was proving to be not what she really wanted,” Matt explained, primarily due to heat issues becoming a problem during the multi-discipline rallies and events like King of the Smokies she competes in.

“She does the road race thing… in the summertime when it’s hot,” Matt noted. “(The) intake air temps is huge.” The solution involved swapping out the old blower for a new Stage 2 Gen 6 Whipple 3.0-liter kit, known for its efficiency and cooler operation.

To support the Whipple, the Middleton team also installed Kooks 2-inch long-tube headers and a full 3-inch exhaust system, uncorking the potent Gen 3 Coyote V8. For reliability under boost, essential upgrades included Boundary billet oil pump gears and a robust McLeod twin-disc clutch to handle the power through the car’s manual transmission.

With the hardware sorted, Matt focused on the tune, using 93-octane pump gas. The goal wasn’t just peak numbers but usable, reliable power suitable for the owner’s demanding event schedule.

“My focus is longevity over just a little bit of added horsepower at the tippy top,” Matt emphasized. He set a relatively conservative rev limit of around 7,700 rpm for the stock-bottom-end engine, balancing power with engine life.

The dyno results validated the approach. After letting the efficient Whipple system cool slightly between runs, the Mach 1 put down strong numbers: 743 horsepower and 583 lb-ft of torque to the wheels. Matt considered this “really good power for pump gas” and typical for the efficient Gen 6 Whipple setup.