Garrett
Although it's still being finalized, turbo giant--they shipped 10 million turbos last year--Garrett (www.turbobygarrett.com) was showing its turbo kit for S197 GTs. Available in the first quarter of 2008, the 4.6 Three-Valve kit features a pair of the company's GT2860RS "Disco Potato" turbos with dual ball bearings and water cooling, along with cast exhaust manifolds and discharge pipes. The kit makes a base 450 hp, with much more available if the base engine is upgraded to take extra boost. It will not be sold with an electronics package, so no CARB E.O. number is planned, but the kit is a bolt-on, streetable piece, engineered to OE specs. Upgrades via the GT30 or GT35 Garrett turbos allow substantially more power if hyper-performance is planned. Pricing wasn't available at deadline, but look for a Garrett-equipped and sponsored S197 in 10.5-inch drag classes this year.
G-Tech
OBD II gauges are all the rage these days, but G-Tech [(800) GTECHPRO; www.gtechpro.com] has expanded its performance metering line with the G-Tech Pro expandable gauge system, which starts as a tachometer and can be expanded to interface with OBD-II. A shift light, wideband O2, accelerometer, and additional datalogging channels can all be added. The basic version is expandable with plug-in modules, which add the aforementioned functionality. It's cool to see the customization of the consumer electronics world join us in horsepower land.
GoPro
We were blown away by GoPro's (www.goprocamera.com) new Motorsports HERO ($179.99). It's a seriously cool, inexpensive, wireless, mini digital camera that can be mounted on a Mustang in minutes and records up to one hour of crystal-clear video and audio action from the road or track onto an SD card (not included). Developed at the track and designed specifically for motorsports, the HERO is a sure shot for racers and enthusiasts who want to capture video when they're putting the coals to their 'Stangs.
GoBoxes
If you really bleed Ford blue, you'll need to carry your tools in one of these Blue Oval boxes ($88.95) from GoBoxes [(419) 512-0350; www.goboxes.com]. The company is also working on a larger, wall-mount toolbox for your Garagmahal.
Granatelli Motorsports
Greeted by the effusive JR Granatelli, we quickly received the full demonstration of the new dual-window switch from Granatelli Motorsports [(805) 486-6644; www.granatellimotorsports.com]. Obviously this unit will trip your nitrous or methanol injection's trigger, but it also includes a built-in tach adapter, so you can easily add an aftermarket tach to your coil-on-plug Ford. Moreover, it features a WOT trigger so you can only have the switch turn on at a combination for rpm and wide-open throttle.
Griggs Racing
It was good to see Griggs Racing (www.GR40.com) touting its exciting GR40TT Track Toy S197 turnkey car and its full line of superb suspension parts at SEMA for the first time. We featured the 1.4g, supercharged-fast Track Toy previously; this SEMA example was placarded with a buy-it-now $81,000 price tag. A GR40RT Race Toy version is also available for track use, and as always, the Griggs GR40 suspension is available in an incredible number of combinations for anything from enjoyable street racing to championship racing requirements. Griggs screened in-car video of the GR40TT assaulting the Virginia City Hillclimb course; the g-meter maxing at 1.5g and routinely hitting 1.4. No wonder our neck is sore after a track session in these cars.
Hahn Racecraft
This deal from Hahn Racecraft [(630)553-6830; www.hahnracecraft.com] is way too cool. The Port Fueler for supercharged and turbocharged '05-'08 Mustangs (PN H FI-4960) is a direct-port, piggyback fuel-enrichment system (boost or rpm referenced, and independent of the OEM fuel-injection system and PCM) that screams "complete and total fuel efficiency" for S197s with power adders. Precision, billet, CNC port housings that mount between the intake manifold and cylinder heads, and an easily programmed control module (Windows-based software is included) are the keys to this trick setup, which bridges the gap between maintaining good street manners or dealing with poor driveability for 'Stangs with insane power.
Hellion Power Systems
Our first-glance reaction to Hellion's [(505) 873-4670; www.hellionpowersystems.com] new "Hell Raiser" turbo system was "What kind of contraption is that?" After further inspection of John Urist's latest power builder for '96-'04 Four-Valve Cobras, we learned that the kit's two intercooled Turbonetics hair dryers and an OEM '03-'04 Cobra blower combine to make nearly 1,200 hp (with 66mm turbos, 44 psi of boost, and C16 race fuel) on a stock Terminator. The base kit includes 57mm hair dryers, but it can be upgraded to 76mm and anything in between. We have to admit that despite its confusing appearance, this unique setup offers Cobra owners the best of both worlds: Superior torque down low when the supercharger is in place, and a twin-turbo, top-end charge that will scare you.