Steeda was founded in 1988 by Dario Orlando, whose family has been involved with Ford since 1910. His father, Domenico Orlando, rose to become a Senior Design Stylist and was involved in designing the original Ford Thunderbird, Mustang, and the GT40 Mark IV. Dario grew up with a passion for car design that led him to start a business repairing and modifying performance vehicles. He also got into racing, and after showing his mettle in endurance racing, Ford poached him to become a test driver, which led him into a career developing performance and race vehicles.

Steeda started when Orlando decided he should create high-performance and limited edition Mustang vehicles. He began with aftermarket performance equipment and in 1988 the Steeda Mustang was born. But Steeda has also put its engineering and tuning skills into other Ford models, including the Fusion, Focus, and F-150s.

Steeda Q850 StreetFighter

One of Steeda's current Mustang missiles is the Steeda Q850 StreetFighter, which boasts 825 horsepower and a 0-60 time of 3.1 seconds. The chassis, engine, and aerodynamics have been tuned with an inch of their lives to create a dynamic machine that will give bigger names in Mustang tuning a headache on the track. The 5.0-liter V8 is beefed up and augmented with a 3.0-liter Stage 2 Supercharger System, while the suspension features everything from Steeda's Dual Rate Ultimate Handling Springs to its Adjustable Rear Toe Links and a bump steer kit. It comes on Velgen VMB9 Wheels wrapped with Nitto rubber, and then the options list offers everything from a carbon-fiber driveshaft to two-piece slotted brake rotors and a four-point roll cage.

1993 Fox Body Mustang Build

Dario Orlando spotted this pristine 1993 Fox Body Mustang at a car show and bought it then and there. Of course, Steeda couldn't resist going to town on it with its aftermarket catalog and started by improving the 5.0-liter V8 with a camshaft upgrade, 65-mm throttle bodies, Ford Performance Mustang EV6 High Flow Injectors, and more. After tuning the engine, Steeda's tech, Jamie Bell, hit it with new lowering springs, a camber kit, upgraded sway bars, bushings, a strut tower brace, bumpsteer kit, camber plates, and whatever else he could find in the Steeda stock room. The outside features a Steeda Fox Body Mustang Rear Aero Spoiler, and the Mustang rides on a set of Steeda's 18-inch Chrome Ultralite Wheels.

Steeda F150 Raptor Edition

Steeda's take on the Raptor is a $19,995 package on top of the cost of the Ford pickup. It gives the already fast and capable truck an extra 90 hp as well as modifications like Desert Design steel bumpers, Rigid Industries ultra high power LED lighting, a "Stubby" Billet Aluminum Radio Antenna, an upgraded tri-fold track bed cover, a BedRug Bed Liner, and a Steeda graphics package. The new engine calibration delivers 540 hp and 670 lb-ft of torque, and cooling and thermal protection are optimized. Most importantly, at 3,500 rpm, the engine upgrades deliver 160-foot pounds of torque over stock and dramatically improve throttle response.

Steeda 2005 Mustang 'Ol Yellow

'Ol Yellow is a development car that Steeda still uses, drives, and features in promotional material. It's a pre-production S197 Mustang that Ford Motor Company gave to Steeda to start developing aftermarket parts with, and now its upgrade list is basically a curated best-of Steeda's S197 Mustang parts catalog. The highlights for the drivetrain include a Big Bore 302 cubic-inch kit for the 4.6-liter 3V V8 engine, a Whipple Mustang GT W140AX supercharger kit, and a Tremec TR-6060 six-speed manual transmission.

The suspension includes Tokiko D-Spec front and rear shocks, and Steeda lowering springs, while the exterior features include a Steeda full cowl induction hood and Steeda custom front fascia with integrated brake cooling ducts. The paint and trim work are custom as well.

Steeda Special Service Vehicle

Steeda says its Special Service Vehicle can be "custom-built to any bid or departmental specification," including unmarked or high-visibility vehicles. The standard engine upgrade is to 500 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque from the V8, and the key is reliability. Hence the upgrade also includes a Steeda oil separator and a severe duty oil cooler. The chassis enhancements include dual-rate springs, Steeda Pro-Action shocks and struts, and upgraded sway bars with "solid billet ends for extreme service." It also comes with Steeda Special Service Duty 20-inch staggered wheels and Nitto all-season tires.

If more performance from the engine is needed, power can be upgraded to 775 hp and 630 lb-ft using a Whipple supercharger. Also available is a Steeda Special Service Suspension Performance Package, a very important sounding Steeda Special Service cooling upgrade for extreme hot weather pursuit operations, and a Steeda Special Service roll bar.

Steeda F-150 EcoBoost Special Edition

Steeda's F-150 is the tuner's take on an all-around performace truck, whether it's for daily driving, towing, or off-roading. The idea is to take advantage of the V6 Ecoboost's fuel economy and room for tuning. The tuning is done with a Steeda X4 Power Flash Tuning Programmer, a Steeda cold air intake and intercooler, but Steeda doesn't give any power figures. The suspension gets a Steeda adjustable rear sway bar and Steeda 2.25-inch F-150 Leveling Kit, while other upgrades include the company's Lockable Encore Tonneau Cover and KMC XD Buck 25 20 "X9" Wheels.

Steeda Silver Bullet

The Steeda Silver Bullet started as a base model Mustang GT but became, according to Steeda, the "fastest naturally aspirated 2018+ Mustang on the planet with a 9.76 second ET trapping 141 mph!" It's an absolute beast built using parts and technology from multiple vendors, Steeda's own parts catalog, and tuning skills from its race team. What tipped the car over the edge into the record books is its 571 hp being put down to the ground through Steeda's suspension and a set of Mickey Thompson Performance Drag Tires.

Steeda 2001 New Edge Mustang Build

The Florida tuning company went back to its roots with this New Edge Mustang build. Its roots are as much in racing as they are in upgrading Mustangs, so this one has the backup engine from its Speed World Challenge Steeda SN95 race car under the hood. The fully built Paxton supercharged engine delivers a shade under 400 hp while running on all Steeda suspension parts. It uses a Ford Performance Mustang Cobra R front brake upgrade kit and a Ford Performance Mustang rear brake kit. All the extra body parts, such as the fiberglass cowl hood, are straight from the Steeda catalog, as are the 18 x 9.5 Chrome Ultralite Wheels.

2018 Mustang GT Q500 HPDE Build

The idea of the Q500 HPDE build is for Steeda to show that a base model 2018 Mustang GT with the Performance Package and "a few select parts" could take on much more expensive cars at the track. Steeda claims this car is "attainable to the regular Mustang owner," although we count a list of 25 upgrades and think $1,839.95 is a lot to spend on a set of brake discs for a regular owner. However, the total cost of around $12,000 in aftermarket parts isn't insane on top of the $43,610 a current GT Mustang with the Performance Package costs. In the right hands, this Steeda 'Stang can hunt down and pass sports cars with much more prestigious badges.