It seems that almost daily wee see reports of another outstanding Coyote engine build, or a GT500 setting one type of record or another. With the Coyote’s love of forced induction, and excellent response to bolt-on parts, we’ve often found ourselves wondering how well bolt-on Coyotes would match up against their GT500 brothers.

Apparently American Muscle was wondering that as well, and this year they set up their Mustang Mayhem competition a little differently than years past. This year it was Team Coyote verses Team GT500. Six cars, three on each side, with one BOSS 302 as a wildcard for the Coyote team, and one 2013 GT500 as the wildcard for the GT500s, this stacked up to be more than your typical dyno shootout.

While some of us would instantly say that the GT500 team will be the easy winners, American Muscle set the rules up to make the playing field a little more even. GT500 participants were allowed basic bolt-on modifications only. No blower swaps, no additional power adders, and no internal engine modifications. Team Coyote was allowed to do almost anything to the car, as long as the engine maintained the stock bottom end.

Mike H’s GT purges the nitrous through the grille.

The second side to the rules was similar to last year. Each car was allowed 30 minutes on the Dynojet dyno, and a total of two pulls. American Muscle’s Justin Dugan explained to competitors the caveat of the dyno runs is that it’s like blackjack. After the first pull, owners could elect to go for more power on a second pull, but the horsepower number from the final dyno pull would be their final number regardless of whether the first pull was higher.

Nitrous problems plagued two of the Coyote powered cars, which would have given the GT500s a real run for the top prize. In the end though it was Team GT500 making a total of 1,725 hp to Team Coyote’s 1,477 hp.

The best part of Mustang Mayhem though is always the video, so be sure to watch it and get the full scoop on these six Mustangs, their owners, and listen to them spin the Dynojet rollers. For more on the cars, the owners, the competition, or the parts, be sure to check out American Muscle’s web-site.