While the engine control modules in the 2024 and newer Mustangs continue to thwart aftermarket tuners without keys to the factory kingdom, the aftermarket remains undeterred. Knowing enthusiasts want more performance than the factory delivered, they keep innovating hardware to squeeze more output from the Gen 4 Coyote 5.0-liter engine that powers the modern Dark Horse and GT.
It helped not only the throttle response because they changed the ramping the rate at which the throttle body opens, but actually made good horsepower and torque down low… — Scott Boda, Steeda
Ford bestowed the latest Coyote engines with a dual-throttle body intake designed to push the engine’s output higher than its predecessors, including the landmark 500 naturally aspirated horsepower produced by the high-revving Dark Horse.
Soler Performance’s 90mm throttle bodies are modified versions of stock throttle bodies that deliver many airflow and functional improvements over the factory units, not the least of which is a 10mm increase in opening diameter. Optimized to smooth and hasten airflow while reducing turbulence, these units aren’t just larger. (Photo Credit: Steeda/Soler Performance)
If two factory 80mm throttle bodies helped deliver more output, there might yet be more power on the table from larger replacements. Soler Performance specializes in optimizing factory throttle bodies with tapered porting, ultra-smooth finishes, a shaftless design on the high-pressure side of the throttle plates, and more. Their 2024-and-newer Coyote 5.0-liter units (PN SE-JL3E-90S2; $950.00) measure 90mm, which pushes the tandem to a dimension beyond that of those big, oval-bore Cobra Jet units.
Soler Performance sent a pair of these new deep breathers to Steeda to test on the company’s in-house vehicles. That testing began on the company’s 2024 Mustang Dark Horse, optioned with the TREMEC six-speed manual transmission, Handling Package, and Recaro seats. Already benefitting from Steeda’s Pro Flow cold air intake, the car was otherwise stock, which offered a nice baseline for optimizing the inlet side of a top-dog Gen 4 Coyote.
“…It’s a true velocity throttle body, as it tapers down. They have really smooth radiuses,” Scott Boda, Director of Manufacturing at Steeda, said. “In fact, they run a number 16 microinch finish, which is unbelievably smooth, but they should pair up really well with the Steeda Velocity cold air intake system. We’re trying to speed up the incoming air to try to make more horsepower with this Gen 4 Coyote engine.”
As Steeda demonstrated in the video above, installing the Soler Performance 90mm throttle bodies is a simple remove-and-replace operation. There are no physical or wiring adapters required. Simply remove the factory air inlet tubes, unhook factory connections, unbolt the throttle bodies, and reverse the process with the Soler Performance units. Moreover, they are said to not require tuning or trigger any pesky check-engine lights.
The video above details the straightforward installation of the Soler Performance throttle bodies and some feedback on the car’s driveability. Of course, the real curiosity was how much power the optimized throttle bodies could deliver on the stock engine. The peak gains were modest, but from the low end to the midrange, the gains were apparent in the seat of the pants, and that’s where you’ll do most of your driving.
“It took about 15 or 20 minutes to bolt both throttle bodies on, but it did exactly what we hoped it would do,” Boda said. “It helped not only the throttle response because they changed the ramping the rate at which the throttle body opens, but actually made good horsepower and torque down low, so that was a nice added surprise.”
Of course, the dyno testing is only part of the story with an upgrade like this, so the Steeda team plans to hit the road course with this combo and then move the larger Soler Performance units to its in-house S650 drag car.
On Steeda’s in-house Dynojet, the larger throttle bodies breathing through Steeda’s Pro Flow cold air intake delivered modest peak gains, but the numbers under the curve were more significant. 
“We’re going to do some more drive testing with the car,” Boda added. “We’ve got to head down to Sebring here in a couple of days, and then we’re going to pull them off, throw them on the Steeda Silver Bullet, take it back out to SGMP, and see if we can go any faster.”
