By Not only is the Ford Mustang the original domestic performance coupe, but it also continues to be the most popular, with sales in 2018 50% higher than Camaro and 25% higher than Challenger. The Mustang GT has been and continues to be, one of the most highly-customized cars among automotive enthusiasts, and the new EcoBoost is making waves in the tuner community.
One of the first areas a Mustang enthusiast will typically address is the intake system, as the OEM system was developed to balance performance, cost, and intake noise. With an aftermarket performance cold air intake, those variables don’t play nearly as much of a role as an outright increase in power. And unless you ponied up for a Bullitt or GT500 model right out of the gate, you’ll wanna funnel some clean cool air through the air box, past the throttle body and down into the intake manifold of your Ford Mustang GT, EcoBoost, or even your V6 Mustang.
What we’ve done here is sort through the massive number of cold air kits available on Motoroso and select one system from all of those listed for each generation, from Fox-body models to the current S550 platform. This is not to say that these are the best systems for all applications or even the highest performing. The systems chosen here are to highlight the features that we believe are valuable not just for performance, but also for filter access, simplicity of installation, appearance, and a bunch of other features that turn our crank.
All of the mustang parts listed below feature CARB Executive Order numbers and are fully 50-state legal.
So here’s our unscientific list of our favorite mustang cold air intakes for each of the modern generations.
S550: 2015-2019
For the S550 air intake system, we’ve chosen the Mustang GT ‘s Coyote engine, the 302 CID, 435 horsepower powerplant. Ford Performance took a break from working on the Raptor and made sure the DOHC cylinder heads of the 5.0L Coyote had the ability to handle an increased flow of intake air, so a cold air intake kit is a logical first step in improving power and response.
The current generation, which has undergone three upgrades, is also the first to offer independent rear suspension in all models, a much-needed improvement. Here’s some Mustang trivia: the S550 is the first Mustang to be factory built in both right- and left-side driving positions, making exports to countries like Australia possible.
Our choice for this application is the aFe Power Momentum GT Pro 5R Intake System. One of the features of this system that we like is its roto-molded construction, which provides the design engineers more latitude in shaping the intake tube over metal fabricated systems. Another clever feature is a built-in window where you can view the condition of the filter so that you can monitor the condition of the filter element without having to remove it from its sealed container. It also comes with aFe’s Pro 5R oiled five-layer progressively finer mesh cotton gauze oiled media, which has been long accepted as the best filtration material for performance and motorsports applications.
aFe claims a 25% increase in airflow over the OEM Ford system, which yields a reported 15 horsepower gain and an increase in torque of 24 lb-ft. Compared to other systems from the likes of Roush, Airaid, Steeda, JLT and AEM those are impressive performance gains for a ram air intake.
We’re excited to see what comes on the new Shelby GT500, and we’ll update this article when a new cold air intake kit is available.
S197: 2005-2014
The fifth generation S197 Mustang began with the 2005 model year and received a facelift for the 2010 model year. Early S197 Mustang GT models are powered by an all-aluminum 4.6 L three-valve SOHC Modular V8 with variable camshaft timing. Stock, the engine produces 300 horsepower and 320 lb-ft of torque. In 2011, the 4.6 L Modular engine was replaced with the first generation of Coyote engines, which we covered above, while in 2010 there was a one-year-only upgraded 4.6 L V8. Instead, we’ll look at intake systems for the 2005-2009 Mustang GT.
Our choice of Mustang cold air intake kits here is the aFe Power 51-102993 MagnumFORCE Stage-2 PRO DRY S Intake System. The MagnumFORCE intake utilizes a 3-3/4″ conical Pro 5R performance air filter for maximum flow. This 5-layer progressive, oiled cotton gauze air filter provides maximum flow for increased horsepower, torque, and improved throttle response. The air filter is housed in front of a one-piece heat shield that uses factory mounting locations and comes with all brackets and hardware for a hassle-free installation. This Stage-2 cold air intake system outflowed the factory intake by 100% which produces a dyno-verified increase of 19 horsepower and 22 lb-ft of torque. Throw that in your shopping cart, and you’ll be off to the races.
SN95: 1994-2004
The SN95 designation applies to all fourth-generation Mustangs. The internal Ford SN95 code refers to the Sporty segment, the North American market, and project number 95, which is sequentially assigned by Ford for each new product. There’s some confusion about this as some believe that the 95 refers to the first model year, but alas, it does not. For 1999 a major refresh was designated as ‘New Edge’ which referred to Ford’s global design language during that point in time. Though still SN95 models, some refer to later models solely as ‘New Edge.’
While still largely based on the earlier Fox platform, Ford made a $700 million investment (over $1.2 billion in today’s dollars) to upgrade almost every aspect of the aging platform, the result being a significantly improved car in all aspects of performance, ride, and handling.
The SN95 utilized two different V8 engines, the 302 CID 5.0 Windsor in earlier model years and the 4.6 L Modular engine in later years. As we’ve covered the Modular above and will discuss the 5.0 below, we’ll take a look at an overlooked engine in the later model years of the SN95: 2001 3.9 L V6 that produced 193 horsepower stock, not far from the 215 horsepower of the earlier Windsor powerplant.
The Mustang V6 features a Canadian Essex (not to be confused with the Ford of England Essex V6) with a 90-degree layout for even firing and is an overhead valve design that features split-port aluminum heads, which reduced its weight considerably and made it a very powerful engine for its size, making a respectable (for the time) 0-60 mph run in 7.5 seconds. You may be asking why you’d want a V6 cold air intake, but even for this modest power plant, cooler air means more power. And more power means more fun.
Our choice here is again a system from BBK Performance. It’s their 1719 Power-Plus Series Cold Air Induction System. This CAI system features a large, conical air filter with heat shield, along with two-piece, chrome-finished CNC mandrel bent inlet tube. Stainless steel clamps and blue silicone couplers are all included in the kit, along with mounting hardware. While this system may seem more basic than the previous two, it delivers in spades. BBK Performance claims a horsepower increase of 7 to 10 horsepower, putting the lighter V6 engine dangerous close in power output of earlier 5.0 L GTs but at a lower weight.
Fox Body: 1979-1993
In 1979 Ford returned to a more direct lineage after the smaller, Pinto-based Mustang II ceased production. Though the car was a sales success, many Mustang enthusiasts don’t consider the Mustang II as part of the ‘true’ Mustang line like the Mach 1, though they’re happy that the name continued, assuring continuous production from 1964 to today. 1992 marked the return of the Mustang GT which was powered by the 5.0 L Windsor V8. That engine benefited from continuous development, including revised cylinder heads, pistons, camshaft and the addition of a Mass Air Flow Sensor, which made tuning more effective. By 1993 the engine produced 205 horsepower and 275 lb-ft of torque. That was enough for a 6.0 second 0-60 mph time.
Our choice for this the 1993 GT is the BBK Performance Power-Plus Series Cold Air Induction System. While it appears to be a simple system with an intake tube and conical air filter it might take a second to spot that the system accommodates the BBK MAF Sensor, which improves horsepower and torque significantly. Based on a dyno chart posted on BBK performance’s website the previously 205 horsepower is now producing 277 horsepower and 343 lb-ft of torque, quite a jump from OEM.
Motoroso offers a wide variety of Mustang parts and cold air intake systems, including those of roto-cast, cast aluminum, and fabricated construction, with both dry and wet filter types. Motoroso.com works hard to provide you one of the widest online selections of cold air intakes for your car, truck, or SUV. And if you’re ready to consider forced induction, check out our selection or Superchargers and Turbo systems.
