The new '05 Mustang GT packs a respectable 300 hp, but for those who crave more Vortech Superchargers is offering a bolt-on blower package that increases power by 50 percent.

What Is It?
Vortech Supercharger Kit for '05 Mustang GT

What's Special About It?
The all-new 2005 Ford Mustang officially went on sale Monday, November 1st. The SEMA show kicked off on Tuesday, November 2nd. However, the new pony was unquestionably the talk of the show, and there were no less than 20 of them spread around the convention floor decked out in everything from mild paint and body upgrades to full-blown show cars dripping with power and style. If you're wondering how all these different companies managed to develop aftermarket parts for the new steed in a single day, the answer is they didn't. Ford knows that strong aftermarket support helps drive Mustang sales, so it made a handful of preproduction cars available to the top tuners and performance parts companies. When it comes to elevating Mustang performance, one of the premier names in the horsepower world is Vortech Superchargers, a company that got its start building blower kits for 5.0 Mustangs nearly two decades ago. The '05 GT features a revised 4.6 V8 that manages to crank out 300 horsepower, the most ever offered in a standard Mustang GT. Since the factory-supercharged Cobra is still more than a year away, Vortech knows the market is wide open and it has a great platform to start with. The supercharger kit essentially uses a fan enclosed in a metal shroud to force air into the engine, and it is available with or without an air-to-water intercooler, which helps reduce air temperature and increase horsepower. No matter which way you go everything is included from the brackets and pulleys right down to the belt and installation manual. Vortech claims that if the system is installed correctly with an aftermarket exhaust system and supercharger-specific computer chip, the new 4.6 can make upward of 450 hp at the rear wheels. All that power doesn't come cheap, however, as the complete kit costs about $4,000. Exact pricing information and availability dates have yet to be determined.

What's Edmunds' Take?
The previous-generation Mustang took very well to supercharging, as proved by various blown ponies ranging from the Saleen SC281 to the venerable Cobra. The new car is a stellar performer in stock form, and a well-engineered forced-induction kit like this one would turn the sporty coupe into a full-blown sports car. The price tag might be a little steep for some buyers, but consider the fact that a well-equipped Mustang GT can be purchased for around $25,000, then factor in the cost of the Vortech kit, and you have yourself a 400-hp stallion for about $30 grand. In a pure horsepower-per-dollar comparison, this package would trump just about every other car on the market. The only downside is the fact that if something goes wrong and your engine is reduced to a pile of rubble, the factory warranty won't have anything to do with it. — Dan Kahn