So you have an S197 GT, and while the 300hp figure on the 2005 to 2009 models is good, the 315hp on 2010s is better and the 412hp on the 2011 and 2012s is outright impressive, it's just not enough. The Mustang needs to roar and tear into battle against its rivals like a Viking berserker with slightly less pillaging and outright destruction (lawsuits ARE expensive, after all). In simpler terms, it's time for forced-induction. You've ruled out turbocharging, because there's not a decent kit on the market for Mustangs that makes installation easy or looks good, and the shrilly whine at high RPM sounds more schoolgirl than T-Rex. Nitrous systems are cool and all, but practical for the daily drive or anything outside of a 1/4 mile drag they are not. So supercharging it is, and because you like linear power curves and slick top-mount designs, you've chosen a roots-style blower, and because ROUSH is inherently awesome, you've arrived at the impasse that many Mustang pilots have likewise found themselves: do I go for their neat, compact M90 supercharger or the immensely powerful TVS 2300? If you're rocking a 2011 or 2012 5.0L, then the choice is made for you. The M90 is only meant meant for 4.6L Mustangs, and even if it could fit on a 5.0, the minimal power gains from the M90 could more easily be reached with simpler engine modifications, but the TVS 2300 is still an extremely viable option. For the 2005 to 2010 GTs, we can only provide the extremely typical, over-used response in the aftermarket parts sector: it depends on your application. At least we give you a decent explanation, right?



Despite that it's smaller, offers less power and generally doesn't look as impressive as other supercharger designs currently on the Mustang aftermarket, the ROUSH M90 is a excellent supercharger that we absolutely adore. The M90 is a 1.475L roots-style, positive displacement supercharger that can generate up to five pounds of boost using its standard 73mm pulley that brings the total power output of the 4.6L V8 up to 435hp with 400ft/lbs of torque directly out of the box. Not quite as much power as the lowest-end TVS 2300 phase with its 475hp, but with the right engine and exhaust modifications the M90 can be pushed to a maximum of 500hp before risking its life and limb. If 435hp to 500hp seem like fairly low numbers, you're not far off. Ford Racing, Whipple, Edelbrock and Saleen make roots-type blowers that are vastly more powerful, so why the M90? It's a great blower, that's why. It's reliable, tough, compact and the fact that it generates less power is one of its prime advantages. ROUSH's small supercharger is purpose-built for the daily driver looking for some extra oomph without making the Mustang an absolute menace to public safety. The M90 also found a home in road racing, autocross and other light track events where maintaining control over the car is more important than raw power as was the case with our 2005 Race Car project. That being said, a ROUSH 427R with extensive engine and exhaust modifications owned by Hank Major ran the 1/4 mile in the low twelves while using an M90. The key issue when it comes to talking about Jack Roush's smaller blower is that 400 horsepower is nothing to shrug off. Anything heavier than a ball-point pen landing on the accelerator puts the M90's 435 horses in full motion sending the rear wheels screaming for traction and tossing your Mustang out of the gate at breakneck pace. With a price tag that's up to several thousand dollars less than more intensive supercharger systems that may also require massive engine overhauls to keep your S197 from serious damage, the M90 provides the perfect bang for your buck. As a bonus, the M90 is 50-state legal for street use.


So now we arrive at the TVS 2300, ROUSH Performance's top of the line supercharger series that is offered up as competition to other major supercharger brands. The TVS derives its name from its Twin Vortices Series system first developed by the Eaton corporation and its 2300cc capacity. This ROUSHcharger comes in four varieties from the single-belt phase one with 475hp to the highest dual-belt phase two that pushes the Mustang's engine to 550hp with a fuel system and pulley overhaul. One of the most telling advantages of the TVS system is its unmatched ability for customization. In its standard configuration, the TVS can output up to seven pounds of boost with its standard pulleys. With the right modifications, the TVS can reliably handle up to 22psi of boost, turning your Mustang into an utter monster. All four variants are capable of reaching over 700hp once fully upgraded, though the dual belt variants are recommended for that sort of huge power. Not to mention the 4.6L V8 can only handle up to 500hp to 550hp with a new short block being required beyond that. The 5.0L on 2011 and 2012 cars can handle more. In essence, the only real flaw with the TVS series is the huge commitment of both money and sheer grunt work required to really push ROUSH's design to its maximum performance threshold, but having a car with massive power that's normally reserved for combat aircraft is well worth it for many Mustang drivers. The TVS 2300 found its way onto our T-Roush and ROUSH Trak Pak project cars, both of which make upwards of 540rwhp. While the M90 is at home on the street, the TVS longs for the track and anything less is doing this powerful ROUSHcharger a complete disservice.



We love both of our ROUSHchargers. Probably too much to be considered completely healthy, but with the performance gains provided by both models, it's hard for us not to. Given the choice, we'd like to just have two GT Mustangs with one of each superchargers, but that's definitely a dream currently on hold. If the choice can be summed up simply, it is thus: M90 for the street and for the impoverished, TVS 2300 for the track and those with deep pockets. Neither supercharger is bad, per se, and it offends us that the M90 takes the occasional beating for its lower output. Do what fits your style, even if that style involves possibly violating the Geneva Convention with a high-powered, 700hp Mustang equipped with a TVS or getting down the extra power on the street that allows you to smoke Camaros, ricers and Euro-sports cars at your local stop lights. ROUSH, as usual, provides something that pleases nearly everyone and allows their fans to cut their own path through the Mustang aftermarket.