Widebody GT500 – Fender Bender

Steeda stretches a Shelby with style and performance

Given the company’s roots in road racing, we tend to think of the folks at Steeda Autosports as masters of handling and chassis tuning, but over the company’s quarter-century of operation, their Mustang parts portfolio has expanded well beyond the realm of just suspension hardware. Steeda’s current offerings include every-thing from those track-proven chassis bits to engine, driveline, brake, and body hardware, and nearly everything in between.

For those who’d rather not bother with the à la carte menu, there’s always the Steeda Q-Series of turn-key serialized Mustangs. On that topic, what we have here is a new option in the Q-Series lineup, a distinctive widebody conversion that puts more flare (and flair) in a Mustang’s flanks, and in the process, allows a lot more rubber to meet the road.

Let’s start with some numbers: the Steeda widebody is a full 6 inches wider than stock up front, and no less than 7 inches broader out back.

For this, the wide-body program’s first build, Steeda opted to perform the transformation on a completely loaded ’14 GT500 coupe, though it can also be optioned on any current production Q-Series GT, Boss 302 or V-6, at the customer’s discretion. Let’s start with some numbers: the Steeda widebody is a full 6 inches wider than stock up front, and no less than 7 inches broader out back. Yet this generous girth and accompanying fat rolling stock is so cleverly shaped and blended as to appear almost factory in execution. In other words, this is one widebody that doesn’t in any way come across as some boy-racer with tacked-on flares – it’s the most sophisticated Mustang widebody execution this scribe has ever seen.

The inches of extra width demanded new fascias, front and rear; the door handles are shaved; and the decklid is smoothed, wearing a coiled Cobra emblem.

Essential in the design and fitment of the conversion are completely new front and rear fascias, shaped to flow and blend seamlessly into the widened flanks for a subtle transition from any viewing angle. In fact, it may only be when parked beside a standard Mustang that the wide-body’s huge difference in track width becomes obvious.

Then again, it will also become blatantly obvious in terms of launch and cornering grip on a track or serpentine stretch of pavement, because the widebody’s front skins measure 285/30R-22 on 10.5-inch-wide rims, while massive 12.25-inch-wide hoops wearing 335/25R-22 rubber are completely tucked away at the rear. So you see, going back to Steeda’s racing roots, this certainly wasn’t just a styling exercise; it was a handy way to massively increase traction – both lateral and longitudinal – while also just happening to look smoothly menacing in the process.

Perhaps so as not to distract from its intended purpose, this first widebody is almost completely stock inside and underhood. (Hey, it’s a loaded GT500, so how much more does it need?) But when it came to the chassis, Steeda threw the book... or rather, the catalog at the widebody in the form of a complete suspension upgrade. In terms of handling, think of it as the world’s widest slot car.

Essential in the design and fitment of the conversion are completely new front and rear fascias, shaped to flow and blend seamlessly into the widened flanks for a subtle transition from any viewing angle

Of course, customers can order the widebody with just about any performance upgrade on Steeda’s vast menu. This particular car demonstrates one such widebody option: shaved door handles with electronic door openers. And, if you’d prefer different rolling stock, Steeda will work with you on wheel and tire options, which can be to your specifications.

And, if you’d prefer different rolling stock, Steeda will work with you on wheel and tire options, which can be to your specifications.

Like all Steeda Q-Series Mustangs, the widebody variants can be ordered through Steeda-authorized Ford dealers, or directly through Steeda. But, to be clear, what you can’t do is order the widebody as a do-it-yourself parts kit. This conversion is a major undertaking and is only available fully installed and painted to customer specification on a serialized Steeda Mustang and as such, carries a full warranty for the conversion work.

About the only modifications in the prototype’s fully loaded GT500 interior are the tried-and-true Steeda Tri-Ax shifter and a Steeda rear-seat delete upgrade.