The 2011+ Mustang platform has already proven itself to be a hell of a performer, both on the street and at the track. Livernois Motorsports customer Todd Carlson has one of the cleanest examples we’ve seen to date, outfitted with a number of upgrades including a Livernois Motorsports engine and 2.9L Whipple supercharger. The best part? Todd drives this car every chance he gets, except for in the rain. 

The automatic-transmission-equipped machine still relies on the factory 6R80 transmission and stock torque converter, which makes the fact that it clicks off 9-second ET’s at will even more amazing. “The car only has about 4,000 miles on it so far, and since I travel a lot for work I don’t get to drive it nearly as much as I’d like to. If it wasn’t raining, I would have driven it to work today,” Carlson says. The Michigan resident is currently working in Rockford, Illinois, for Ingersoll, where he builds and installs milling machines. The car has taken the trip from Michigan to Illinois a number of times and knocks down 23 miles per gallon of premium fuel on the highway and tons of smiles per mile.

Of course, nine-second elapsed times don’t come without an expense, and to that end Carlson had Livernois build him a 10:1 Coyote engine stuffed full of good parts – a forged crankshaft, a set of Livernois/Manley forged connecting rods and Livernois’ own custom Coyote pistons. 18 pounds of boost pressure through a 10-rib Cobra Jet drive assembly spinning the Whipple blower helps to achieve those times. Carlson feels confident that on a good day, 9.70’s are possible with a good cooldown and track surface.

The engine makes power through a set of Livernois CNC-ported heads equipped with stock intake camshafts and BOSS Mustang exhaust camshafts. Feeding it is a diet of premium fuel is a Livernois Motorsports fuel system featuring an Aeromotive A1000 fuel pump. The car also has an Alky Control methanol-water injection system to help keep intake temps cool under boost. There’s also the requisite JLT CAI, 3.73 gears, and BMR lower-control arms, all in place before being subsequently dyno-tuned by Dan Millen and the team at Livernois. Amazingly, the car still retains air conditioning and all of the other creature comforts that were factory-installed.

Livernois’ Chris Belleperche explained, “Todd came to us with his goals, we already knew the Coyote engine is capable of making great numbers, so we focused on making it a stout setup that would consistently produce day in day out while at the same time be able to roll with the punches of every day driving. So what you’re left with here is a car that can be driven from Illinois to Michigan, literally, and still produce 9 second time slips after only an hour of cool down in 85+ degree weather.”

The car was built by Livernois in Michigan and subsequently dropped off at Carlson’s house in Illinois, and he then drove it back to Michigan so that he could race it at Milan Dragway. “I drove the car there, went to the strip twice, ran 9’s both times, drove it around all week, and then back to Illinois. These cars are amazing – you can buy a stock one, put a tune in it and a set of tires on it and run 11.80’s like nothing. The car is so smooth, I love driving it, although my girlfriend doesn’t like me getting on it too much,” he says. Carlson actually has spent some time working with Outlaw 10.5 racer Greg Blevins (who is slated to be his best man on wedding day) and hangs out with the likes of none other than Don Walsh Jr.

“About two weeks ago I drove the car to Byron Dragway here in Illinois, and the announcer was so impressed with the car, he kept telling everyone to keep an eye on the fast Ford that drove through the gates – and then I proceeded to beat everyone I raced,” Carlson laughed.

Of course, anyone who’s ever built a street machine has a regret or two, and Carlson has just one. “If I could have done the build over again, I would have left the engine at 11:1, because I need 4psi to make up that power difference, but it makes 745 horsepower and 606 foot-pounds to the tire right now,” says Carlson. And really – how much power does one need? As the current crop of Mustang maniacs are showing us – as much as you can get, because the cars still knock down tons of power while sipping fuel. We’re truly living in an amazing time of horsepower production, folks. Get in on it, before the government says you can’t.

Need we say more? The numbers tell all.