Remember that VMP Apex-equipped Shelby GT500 featured recently that put down more than 900 horsepower to the tires on pump gas? The owner apparently felt that wasn’t quite enough, prompting VMP Performance to see how much more the setup had left using E85 fuel – while keeping a surprising amount of the stock fuel system intact.

The previous dyno session established a strong baseline of 908 wheel horsepower and 705 lb-ft of torque with VMP’s full Apex Predator system (intake, throttle body, lid, intercooler, and Apex Predator supercharger) running on 93-octane pump gas with a booster. For the E85 test, VMP’s founder, Justin Starkey, explained the car was already prepared with larger ID1300 fuel injectors and fuel pump voltage boosters, anticipating the move to ethanol.

Switching to E85 typically demands significantly more fuel volume, often requiring an upgrade to a full return-style fuel system with larger lines and pumps. However, VMP aimed to achieve nearly 954 horsepower and 718 lb-ft of torque at the wheels without that complex and costly conversion. Starkey attributed this possibility to the Apex Predator system’s enhancements. “This setup’s very efficient.”

It only runs 16  to 16 1/2 pounds of boost,” he noted, explaining that at this moderate boost level. “You can run E85 and not have to really struggle with fuel delivery…” he added. “…But still get all the benefits of E85.”

With E85 in the tank, the GT500 hit the dyno rollers again. The result confirmed VMP’’s approach: the switch to ethanol-dense fuel netted a gain of 44 rear-wheel horsepower over the pump gas numbers. This pushed the final output to “almost 1,000 [wheel] horsepower,” Starkey said.

He highlighted that this impressive figure arrived with the benefits of E85’s cooling and knock resistance, using relatively low boost and without the need for expensive fuel system plumbing changes, calling it a “pretty tame setup” overall. VMP’s follow-up test clearly shows how to extract huge power gains by leveraging E85 fuel within the capabilities of the stock fuel lines and pumps when augmented by injectors and boosters, thanks to their efficient supercharger system design.