What Is the Mustang Steeda Q400?

Steeda has been a leading supplier of aftermarket and performance Mustang parts since 1988. Although it wasn’t the first modded Mustang the company offered up for sale, the 2003 release of the Q400 was its first serious attempt to compete with Roush, Saleen, and other famed Mustang customizers. The car came directly out of the SEMA Technology Initiative, a program that made proprietary technical data available to third-party manufacturers, allowing them to create more sophisticated performance parts and other modifications.

Available through any Ford dealership, the Steeda Q400 started at $10,595 above the cost of a stock Mustang GT. For that, here’s what you got:

• Engine: The “400” in Q400 represented the amount of horsepower the modded engine produced, although that’s really just a rough estimate — third-party dyno testing actually pegged the Q400’s output higher, with as much as 450 horses at the crankshaft. Given that the GT’s stock 4.6L V8 had been upgraded with a Vortech centrifugal supercharger, those numbers aren’t hard to believe. Other under-the-hood enhancements of the Q400 include a K&N air filter, Bosch fuel pumps and an HD aluminum radiator.
• Exterior: On the outside, the Steeda Q400 is distinguished by a number of the expected upgrades, including a hood reminiscent of the Cobra R, rear spoiler, front air splitter, and many other ground effects.
• Other upgrades: The Q400 also sported a tuned suspension, a Borla stainless-steel exhaust, 13” Cobra front disc brakes, a short-throw shifter and a set of BF Goodwrench g-Force tires sitting on 18” Steeda Ultra-Lite rims. Because each Steeda Q400 was produced by hand, buyers were able to add other upgrades and enhancements as they saw fit. One popular addition was a Paxton Novi 2000 blower, available for an extra $1,000.

The Q400’s Legacy

Steeda continued to offer the Q400 on “New Edge” style Mustang until that generation was phased out in 2004. The company went on to produce the Q525 in 2006, followed by a number of other serialized vehicles for the current generation of Mustangs, Focuses, Fusions, and Fiestas. The Q400 remains the company’s first serious entry into this market, however, and for that reason, it continues to hold an important place in pony car history.

Image Credit: ClassicGarage.com