Some 22 years ago, Justin Starkey first registered the name of his business Velocity Mustang Performance, which is now known as VMP Performance. The company moved into its New Smyrna Beach, Florida, facility six years ago, and just last year launched its now annual car show, which got off to a successful start. We stopped by this year to check out the festivities and pick our favorite Mustangs from the show.
We will continue to do this show every year on this date, and just try to make it a great time for everybody. Justin Starkey, VMP Performance
Originally, Starkey sold simple upgrades for six-cylinder Mustangs, but he eventually transitioned into tuning and bolt-ons designed to augment factory-supercharged stallions. However, it was when VMP moved into building its superchargers that, well, its business received a boost.
In just six hours, the team at VMP Performance ran 45 cars across the company’s in-house Dynojet chassis dyno. The three machines delivering the most power on the horsepower lie detector earned some cool, VMP-themed trophies.
“We’re just doing what we love doing. We are able to work with a lot of really good people in the industry and offer our customers really good products and solutions,” Starkey says. “We’ve always bled Ford blue, but it’s starting to turn other domestic colors.”
That’s one reason the annual show is open to all makes and models. Moreover, VMP has the supercharged Mustang business covered for a wide array of generations. With that in mind, expanding its offerings to other domestic models is a natural way to expand a business that has grown exponentially over the past two decades.
Since the day they were born, Terminators have been putting down big power on the dyno, and Kenneth's 2004 SVT Mustang Cobra took home second-place honors in the dyno competition on the merits of 809 rear-wheel horsepower.
“We like supercharging because it’s really easy to implement, easy to install, well-engineered, and emissions-compliant package that scales from a stock engine to Rebecca’s 7-second race car,” Starkey explains.
After two successful events under VMP’s supercharger belt, look for this event to continue as an annual event on the Sunday after President’s Day. Despite being on the same day as the nearby Daytona 500, the show continues to grow and the field filled up early this year with 500 vehicles on the property and five food trucks on hand to feed all the attendees.
Besides the packed show field, the VMP Performance Car Show was an opportunity for attendees to tour the company’s facility and learn about its products and their development. VMP also had on-site sales of new and used gear, and the company hosted five food trucks to ensure the crowd had plenty to eat and drink.
“The show is free and is meant to bring the whole car community together. Everybody’s welcome — all makes and models, new, old, whatever,” Starkey says. “We will continue to do this show every year on this date, and just try to make it a great time for everybody.”
Though the show allows other vehicles in, we were there to scope out the Mustangs, and there were plenty on hand to choose from. We picked five of our favorites from this year’s show, but choosing them wasn’t easy…
5. GT500-Powered Fox
Selecting favorites from a car show always comes down to the personal preference of the writer. In this case, your scribe has a definite soft spot for GT500-powered Foxes. Much like my own Fox 500, this Four-Eye sports an iron-block 5.4 from an S197 Shelby underhood. Pumping out more power courtesy of a smaller blower pulley and a cold-air intake, this two-tone hatchback is undoubtedly a fun ride.
4. Mystichrome Terminator
Sometimes, what it takes to stand out in a crowded of modded cars is an all-stock classic. Terminators are universally loved among Ford fans, but even among those built during their two-year production run, some stand out. This 2004 SVT Mustang Cobra is sprayed in the rare Mystichrome hue, which changes colors based on the light hitting the paint or the angle it is viewed from. Ford’s Special Vehicle Team only built 1,010 of these cars, and only 515 coupes were coupes like this one, so seeing one in person is always a treat.
3. Coyote-Powered Factory Five
Speaking of fun to drive, you would be hard-pressed not to grin the entire time you were behind the wheel of this open-air performer. Factory Five Racing allows people to build the roadster of their dreams while recalling the magic of the legendary Cobra. This Factory Five roadster is not only a gorgeous example but it is powered by a Coyote 5.0-liter crate engine breathing through a high-revving Ford Performance Cobra Jet intake. Just imagine that Coyote howling at 8,000 rpm through those side pipes on a sunny Florida afternoon. It must be magical.
2. Period-Correct Fox Hatch
After years of cutting-edge engine swaps and wildly modified machines, the Fox Mustang movement might just be moving into a classic phase. Period-correct mods — like Ford Motorsport intakes and classic Vortech superchargers — are becoming valuable as fans build the cars they dreamed of owning back in the day. A case in point is this ultra-clean Fox hatch. It would have ruled the streets back in the mid-’90s with the big tach on the dash and those ’95 Cobra R-style wheels at all four corners. Under the hood, the smoothed engine compartment hosts a pushrod 5.0-liter topped by a Holley SysteMAX II intake that’s boosted by a non-intercooled Vortech blower. This was a state-of-the-art setup back in the day, and it still delivers today.
1. Blown Shelby GT350
Infamous for other reasons, 2020 also saw the end of the line for the 2015-2020 Shelby GT350. A performer for the ages, it rumbled with a flat-plane crank spinning into a 5.2-liter engine optimized for mid-range torque and high-flying power. If you have driven one, you know it’s a uniquely amazing experience. That said, it is rare to see these cars heavily modified because they are so great from the factory. That doesn’t mean it can’t be done, and this ProCharged example proves that point. Riding low over aggressive, multi-piece wheels, this Shelby features aggressive aero mods on the outside and a generous splash of carbon fiber inside. The pairing of the high-revving Voodoo engine and the linear boost of the centrifugal blower surely delivers tantalizing performance and a glorious soundtrack at wide-open throttle.
With any luck, you enjoyed this list, but you may have your preferences, so be sure to check out the expansive gallery below to find your favs.
Network
