Add boost to a stock 2018 Mustang GT with the 10R80 automatic trans and you have created a potent performer. Thus far, however, few modern, bolt-on Mustangs have delivered like this Midnight Performance-prepped machine. It was the first to break into the 8-second zone with a stock Gen 3 Coyote engine and 10-speed automatic transmission, and it produced well over four digits at the rear wheels.

I believe this combination is the pinnacle for a Ford OEM engine and transmission. — Jon Lund II, Lund Racing

The latest achievement for this twin-turbo, second-gen S550 is shaving two tenths off its already impressive elapsed time on an early morning run at Evadale Raceway in Evadale, Texas.

“Midnight Performance, Manuel Gomez, and Jesus Fajardo set the bar even higher …” Kelly Aiken, Ford specialist at BMR Suspension, enthused. “They smashed their previous 8.9 record with a blistering 8.700! This is the fastest 2018+ Mustang to date, and we are happy to know they rely on BMR Suspension components and settings to get the power down!”

Obviously the suspension is planting that four-digit power, but the tuning masterminds at Lund Racing also tweaked the calibration to maximize its on-track performance without increasing boost beyond the 15 psi it had run to this point.

“We know there’s more left in the 60-foot, but we wanted to see how far we could stretch the footbrake first before going down that path next,” Jon Lund II, of Lund Racing, said. “This is a 100-percent-stock, unopened engine and a 100-percent-stock, unopened transmission and converter — just insane! Pushing the 10R80 to this point in such a short amount of time has been quite the accomplishment…”

In drag racing those first 60 feet are crucial, and tuning tweaks allowed the turbocharged 2018 Mustang to get off the line smoothly and ease into the power.

“We figured out how to make the car start in second gear for a starting-line ratio advantage and we decided to test that with the footbrake, two-step launch and a little more launch RPM,” Jon explained. “This allowed us to pour more boost in quicker and help make the front-half e.t. drop, which subsequently affects the back half.”

It obviously worked to the tune of 8.70 seconds at 161 MPH, and it later ran an 8.64 at 164 MPH, but this might be nearing the end of the road for the stock powertrain, though Jesus is hoping for 8.50s before he switches things up.

“I believe this combination is the pinnacle for a Ford OEM engine and transmission,” Jon said. “It is beyond impressive.”

Indeed it is impressive, but Jon hopes to push the combination even further by getting more aggressive on the launch with a transbrake.

“We’re planning on testing the transbrake next with a second gear leave, as well as trying to roll in a little more power,” he added. “We’re not sure when the trans or engine is going to let go, so we’re doing little changes at a time. A transbrake launch would net a quicker 60-foot and probably see an 8.5X e.t. without any added power, so we’re looking forward to trying that!”

Soon enough they will stop pushing the stock parts and really get aggressive. Jesus is already prepping for a run at the sevens with transmission swap and a 9-inch IRS upgrade…