VMP-Boosted All-Wheel-Drive S550 Blasts To A 10-Second Pass

Thus far, a production all-wheel-drive Mustang is still a dream, but one man set out to build his own, and he recently put it to the test on the drag strip with impressive results. In the latest episode of his ongoing AWD Mustang project, Tim Roman drove his supercharged 2017 Mustang GT to a 10-second quarter-mile pass, marking a major durability milestone for the unconventional build.

The focus of the most recent update of his “American GTR” build, documented on his No Production Value Garage YouTube channel, was validating the current combination under real-world track conditions. Roman’s goal wasn’t just a number on a timeslip, but confirmation that the AWD drivetrain could survive repeated drag strip abuse. That meant more power, stronger components, and careful tuning.

He boosted the Coyote 5.0-liter with a VMP Performance Odin Stage 2 supercharger, as he found the naturally aspirated setup couldn’t fully exploit the traction advantages of all-wheel drive. Supporting engine upgrades include oil pump gears and a crank sprocket to handle the added load. One of the more complex pieces of the build remains the custom oil pan, which features a CAD-designed, machined cross-tube allowing the front driveshaft to pass through the pan.

The drivetrain is anchored by a TREMEC TR-6060 manual transmission sourced from a GT500 and modified with a shortened, resplined main shaft to mate to a BorgWarner 4440 transfer case from a V8 Dodge Charger. Roman chose this transfer case for its right-hand drop and torque-on-demand operation. Up front, he selected a compact 7.5-inch Toyota pickup differential for packaging and gear compatibility. A modified MGW remote shifter ties the unconventional transmission and transfer case layout back to the driver.

Chassis and suspension changes were just as extensive. Custom front spindles based on 2018 Mustang MagneRide pieces are reworked to accept rear wheel hubs and front CV axles, while a modified AJE tubular K-member provides clearance for the front differential and axles. When boost levels increased via smaller supercharger pulleys, durability became a priority. As such, Roman upgraded the halfshafts with robust The Driveshaft Shop units to handle harder launches and sticky track surfaces.

At the track, the combination delivered. After working through clutch setup, rev limits, and tuning tweaks, the AWD Mustang consistently ran in the 10-second range, with a best pass of 10.79 seconds at 132.23 mph. The result demonstrated that his all-wheel-drive experiment can withstand real-world abuse, not just street driving.

“…Part of the mission for all this was, besides just having fun and going to the track, was really to prove…” Roman reflected. “…Is the car just going to break? Well, in general, it was a complete success. You know, obviously, the front diff and axles, and the transfer case, rear driveshaft, everything worked great. I drove the car to the track almost two hours and back both times. So what’s the but? Did anything bad happen? And well, unfortunately, even though the car still drives fantastic, somehow Second gear got noisy.”

Naturally, the project isn’t finished yet. Over the winter, Roman plans to pull the transmission to address a noisy second gear, then refocus on rear gears to better suit the car’s on-track testing. With the AWD setup clearly capable of handling the power, dialing in the proper rear-gear ratio is expected to unlock quicker runs when the all-wheel-drive Mustang returns to the track.