Home Featured Wild Horses: These Crazy Mustangs Shouldn’t Be Allowed On Roads
Featured

Wild Horses: These Crazy Mustangs Shouldn’t Be Allowed On Roads

Vukasin Herbez October 25, 2023

The Ford Mustang has been around for almost six decades as one of the most successful nameplates in the car industry. With over 10 million Mustangs leaving the factory, the Mustang’s impact on the industry is beyond immense. Over the years, many of these crazy wild horses gained worldwide recognition on a mainstream level.

However, today, we’ll not discuss those well-known models and common-spec cars. Instead, we’ll concentrate on those “evil twin” Mustangs. These cars have crazy engines and brutal performance which makes them illegal for the road – or just barely legal. All of them are rare and limited-production items. Some flew under the radar while others became household names. However, one thing is sure – all are Mustangs so crazy, they should hardly be allowed on the streets.

Shelby GT350 R

Photo Credit: Ford

Carroll Shelby started building Mustangs in 1965 as fire-breathing machines that brought Ford some much-needed recognition and performance credentials. But the cars responsible for racing success were 34 “R” models only made in 1965. They were sold to privateers and racing teams all over America and the world. Those cars were not street-legal and were used purely for racing purposes, which they did exceptionally well (via Motor Trend).

Photo Credit: Ford

The GT350 R had numerous modifications. It was also lighter, faster, and sharper than the regular GT350. The same 289 V8 powered the R version as the standard Shelby GT350, but it had close to 400 hp and numerous racing modifications. The car was light, well-balanced, and proved extremely fast, winning multiple races in America as well as in Europe and South America.

Shelby GT350 Convertible

Photo Credit: Ford

A large number of muscle car enthusiasts will tell you that the first model year for the Shelby Mustang convertibles was 1968, but this is only partially true. In 1968, Shelby offered convertible versions for sale to the general public as a regular production option. The first convertibles built by Carroll himself left the factory in 1966 as a secret project (via Hagerty).

Photo Credit: Ford

At the end of the 1966 model year, Shelby produced a limited, secret run of six GT350 convertibles and gave them to family and friends. They were a commemorative edition to celebrate the success of the GT350 as well as a prototype for the potential production of convertibles. Each car received a full list of options like A/C and roll bar. Each vehicle was also in a different color with signature white racing stripes.

Shelby GT500 Super Snake

Photo Credit: Mecum

The 1967 Shelby GT500 was a landmark muscle car in design and also in power. However, Shelby wanted more. So he conceived the high-speed, record-breaking GT 500 Super Snake. This unique Shelby GT500 was produced as a rolling laboratory to showcase the possibilities of the Mustang platform as well as for testing Goodyear’s “Thunderbolt” tire line. It had a Le Mans-winning GT 40 race engine, extraordinary transmission, suspension, and tires. Only one ever left the factory (via Road and Track).

Photo Credit: Mecum

There were plans for a limited production run. But the proposed price was over $8000, an enormous sum in the late ’60s. That was too bad since Super Snake was capable of 170 mph top speed, unheard of in the late ’60s. It would have put the Mustang as the world’s fastest muscle car. The car sold twice in recent years and had set up a couple of auction records. The last one was $2.2 million. But what made the Super Snake so special was the 500 hp 427 V8 straight from the Le Mans-winning Ford GT40 race car. The engine pushed this Mustang to over 170 mph top speeds. The idea was to produce a limited run of these cars. But unfortunately, the cost was too high.

Ford Mustang 428 Cobra Jet

Photo Credit: Pinterest

The legendary 428 Cobra Jet debuted in 1968 and Ford immediately put it in the Mustang. The Mustang 428 CJ was a mid-year introduction designed for drag racing, which is why it was sold in modest numbers (via Hemmings).

Photo Credit: Auto WP

But this was a beast of a car with a 390 hp engine, a light body, and a four-speed close-ratio manual transmission. With 0 to 60 mph times of just 5.4 seconds, this was the fastest, purest stock car of the era and a valuable collector’s item today.

Shelby EXP 500 Green Hornet

Photo Credit: Pinterest

During the Mustang’s heyday, Ford and Shelby worked hard to explore the possibilities and limits of the Mustang’s platform and engineering. They produced several exciting prototypes because of it. One of the most popular is the “Green Hornet” from 1968. Although it wasn’t the only car, the Green Hornet featured innovative features like 390 V8 with fuel injection, unique disc brakes on all four wheels, and an independent rear suspension (via SPC).

Photo Credit: Edmunds

With this layout, the Green Hornet was a competent car that handled and stopped better than any other sports car on the market. Unfortunately, the cost of producing those features was too high and Ford and Shelby decided to go with more conventional technology. The “Green Hornet” is also one of the rare surviving cars from the era. It’s possibly one of the most expensive Mustangs for sale as a $1.8 million offer wasn’t enough.

Ford Mustang Boss 429

Photo Credit: Auto WP

The mythical Mustang Boss 429 is a proper muscle car legend too. Conceived in 1969 as a pure racing engine intended for use in NASCAR championships, the Boss 429 featured a different engine architecture than the rest of Ford’s big blocks. First, the Boss 429 was broader and had semi-Hemi combustion chambers, which helped achieve higher revs and better flow inside the head. This ultimately produced more power and torque (via Supercars).

Photo Credit: Auto WP

Rated at 375 hp by the factory, this unit produced over 500 hp in reality and even more in race trim. Ford decided to put this engine into the Mustang, creating a limited production Boss 429. Still, NASCAR chose not to homologate it since the series only accepted intermediate or full-size cars and the Mustang was a pony car model.

Ford Mustang Boss 429 Rear Engine

Photo Credit: Ford

This one is one of the most interesting Mustang prototypes. Even though it didn’t appear on the show circuit back in the late ’60s, it caused a lot of controversies. Basically, this is the 1969 Boss 429 with the engine moved in the trunk and extensively tested by Ford to see if this conversion had significant advantages over the standard layout (via Motor Trend).

Photo Credit: Ford

The engine was placed longitudinally in the trunk and connected to the rear wheels over a C6 automatic transmission unit. The rear glass was turned into a hatchback door to have access to the engine and the whole conversion was surprisingly trouble-free. This Boss 429 had a 40/60 weight balance as added weight over the rear axle helped launch off the line and reduced wheel spin. However, Ford realized that there weren’t any significant performance improvements and decided to kill the project.

Monroe Handler

Photo Credit: Ford

Few people know what Monroe Handler truly is. Back in the late ’70s, Mustang was a disgrace in terms of performance and power. It was slow, ugly, and underpowered in every way. However, Hot Rod Magazine thought that underneath all this lameness was a strong performance car. So with the help of Monroe (manufacturers of shock absorbers), they built the Monroe Handler, the only real-performing Mustang II (via Mustang Fan Club).

Photo Credit: Ford

Thanks to a long list of modifications, the Handler had a 400 hp engine, racing suspension, extensive body kits, and a long list of other upgrades. Although intended as a show car, the Handler proved that Mustang II had some potential. Soon after, they produced kits for sale to the general public.

Ford Mustang 41X

Photo Credit: Ford

No one knows how many Fox-body Mustangs with trim code 41X were made. And no one knows how many are out there, which is a big part of its appeal. We cannot blame you if you haven’t heard about 41X. It’s perhaps the rarest and most exciting part of Fox-body Mustang history (via Mustang Forums).

Photo Credit: Ford

The 41X is the trim code for stripped base LX models with a 5.0 HO engine and manual gearbox. When 5.0 HO became available, serious drag racers wanted lighter cars for drag strip duty. So they ordered their base models with top-of-the-line engines and no equipment. Even mandatory details like sun visors, sound deadening, speakers, and seatbelts were removed. Cars delivered this way got the 41X trim code. They were extremely light, fast, and mostly used for racing.

Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R

Photo Credit: Mecum

Although we witnessed a recent price rise, the Fox-body Mustang Cobra flew under the radar of mainstream collectors for a long time. Most people dismiss it as another Fox Body Mustang, but this SVT Cobra R was much more than that. It was a proper performance car, blurring the line between a classic muscle car and sports coupe (via LMR).

Photo Credit: Ford

It was produced for one year only – 1993 – and marked the end of the Fox Body Mustang generation. Under the hood was a 5.0-liter HO engine with trick GT40 heads and several other upgrades. Its 0 to 60 mph time was well under six seconds and it handled excellently thanks to a revised suspension. Ford made just 4993 examples in 1993 before they became the Shelby GT350s of the 21st century. They only made 107 Cobra R models, which were illegal. Buyers could only get this car if they had a racing license.

Ford Mustang Boss V10

Photo Credit: Pinterest

The Mustang Boss Concept from 1995 was one of the craziest Ford Mustang editions ever produced. It had a Boss 429 motor from the late 1960s, but bored and stroked to almost 10 liters of displacement with 855 hp on the tap. The results were astonishing and the red Boss 10.0-l could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 1.9 seconds (via Supercars).

Photo Credit: Ford

Despite enormous interest from fans who wanted to purchase this crazy machine, Ford said no, and only one car was ever produced. This one was controversial as it proved that late ’60s technology was still relevant even 30 years later.

Ford Mustang Cobra R

Photo Credit: Ford

Ford’s Special Vehicle Team (SVT) department was responsible for some of the fastest muscle cars of the last 25 years. In 1995, they presented another Cobra R. It was produced in 250 examples and sold only to individuals with a racing license or private teams (via Car and Driver).

Photo Credit: Mecum

Under the hood was a tuned 5.8-liter V8 engine, which delivered 300 hp and 356 lb.-ft of torque. Even though this kind of power is not pretty impressive today, it was a significant number in 1995. And since the Cobra R was a relatively light car, its performance was excellent. The 0 to 60 mph time took 5.2 seconds, making it one of the fastest-accelerating American production models of its time.

Ford Mustang Cobra R

Photo Credit: Ford

The coolest-looking fourth-generation Mustang is undoubtedly the 2000 SVT Cobra R. Again, this limited-edition model with an “R” designation produced only 300 copies for racing drivers and teams. The Cobra R featured many improvements and enhancements compared to other Mustangs (via Ford Performance).

Photo Credit: Ford

First and foremost was its 5.4-liter V8 with 385 hp and 385 lb.-ft of torque. Second, its body kit with front and rear spoilers and side skirts. Third, its stiff suspension in addition to a few chassis modifications. The Cobra was born for performance, and buyers got precisely that when they pressed the gas pedal. The 0 to 60 mph sprint was achievable in just 4.4 seconds and its top speed was around 150 mph, which was pretty impressive for the day. Overall, it was too bad that Ford built only 300 of these thoroughbreds, which are nearly impossible to find today.

Ford Mustang SVT Cobra

Photo Credit: Ford

Inspired by the wild SVT Cobra Rs from the ’90s, the 2003 model was not named R because it wasn’t so limited in production. It was available to the general public rather than just racing drivers and private teams. However, this SVT Cobra was a fascinating and vital model for the Mustang dynasty since it featured two firsts (via Mustang Spec).

Photo Credit: Ford

One was the first factory supercharged engine, and the other was an independent rear suspension. The SVT took the standard 4.6-liter block and mounted different heads and superchargers to get 390 hp and 390 lb.-ft of torque. The engine was named the “Terminator,” and a rumor circulated that it delivered more than the advertised 390 hp. Ford equipped the SVT Cobra with independent rear suspension, a setup similar to the first Ford GT to handle all its power and torque.

The Hoonicorn

Photo Credit: Ford

What is “The Hoonicorn,” and why is it controversial? The car appeared on “Gymkhana,” a series of videos featuring famous driver Ken Block performing the most insane car stunts ever caught on camera. To make these stunts work, Block needs special cars. So on Gymkhana 7, the special car was a crazy 1965 Mustang with an all-wheel-drive (via Hooniracing).

Photo Credit: Edmunds

This video featured Block whipping the extremely powerful Mustang through the streets of Los Angeles, burning rubber on every corner and performing insane stunts. Several cars were built with power ranging from 845 to 1,400 hp. All featured a special AWD system, sequential gearbox, race-style brakes, and suspension.

Ford Mustang FR500

Supercars

In 1999, Ford debuted the FR500, and from the outside, this Mustang looked like an ordinary ’99 Coupe with just a bit different front fascia. However, the FR500 was a thoroughly modified car using Ford Performance parts and expertise (via CJ Pony Parts).

SVT Performance

It was significantly more potent at 415 hp and had different suspension, bigger wheelbase, and better weight distribution. The FR500 rode much better and was capable of higher cornering speeds. But Ford decided to shelve this project and not offer it to the public for some reason.

Ford Mustang GT-R Concept

Photo Credit: Ford

In 2004, all eyes were on Ford and their Mustang concept cars as they announced the fifth retro-futuristic generation of Mustang. However, Ford presented the GT-R, which was even more interesting since it was a full-fledged race car. In the early 2000s, Ford wanted to restore the company’s racing reputation, and the GT-R looked like the best way to produce a factory race car and enter it into various championships (via Supercars).

Photo Credit: Ford

Unfortunately, even though the GT-R was the fully functional car that sparked a lot of interest from racing teams, Ford decided to go a different route.

Shelby GT500 2020

Photo Credit: Ford

The 2020 Mustang Shelby GT500 is a car of superlatives. This Mustang isn’t only the most powerful car in the long lineage of powerful machines but also the first Mustang with an MSRP of almost $80,000. Which can quickly inflate to nearly $100,000 if you tick a few boxes. Affordability was one of the critical points of Mustangs throughout the years and a $100,000 car is not affordable. But despite that whopping price, this car is worth the price, and here’s why (via Shelby).

Photo Credit: Ford

Under the hood is a supercharged 5.2-liter V8 with 760 hp mated to a 10-speed automatic. 0 to 60 mph is possible in 3.5 seconds, making it the quickest production Mustang ever. However, the 2020 Shelby GT500 is also full of intelligent components, carbon, and lightweight materials. It has a unique aero package and revised suspension and braking. It’s genuinely a supercar-beating Mustang but also adequately priced.

Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Photo Credit: Ford

If you look back through our list, you’ll see that model names have repeated themselves since 1964. The GTs, Mach Is, Cobras, Shelbys, and Boss 302s have always been the recognizable performance versions in the Mustang’s lineage. However, for 2024, Ford is preparing an all-new thoroughbred Mustang positioned above the GT. It is called the Dark Horse, and even though it still needs to prove itself, it’s already a strong contender for one of the best Mustangs ever produced (via Ford).

Photo Credit: Ford

The Dark Horse is a track-oriented model based on GT. It means it uses the fourth-gen Coyote V8 with double intakes and revised parts but takes it up a notch. The engine used in Dark Horse has forged internals, new camshafts, electronics, and an even larger intake system. It means it will rev higher and deliver more power than the already potent standard Coyote V8. It has 100 hp per liter of displacement, which means the Dark Horse delivers 500 hp.

Ford Mustang GTD

Photo Credit: Ford

The 2025 Mustang GTD is something nobody expected and caught the car community by storm. As road-going Mustangs go, this model sets the new standard in technology, performance, looks, and insanity. So what is the 2025 Mustang GTD? It’s a GT3-spec racing car for the road, but even more extreme (via Ford).

Photo Credit: Ford

Ford already introduced the Mustang GT3 race model, designed to take on Le Mans. However, Ford’s engineers took this concept a step further with the GTD. This turned the Mustang GTD into an even more capable and crazy beast. Just look at the specs. It boasts a 5.2-liter supercharged V8 with 800 hp, racing transmission, and an active aero and transaxle gearbox for ideal weight distribution. These are things no Mustang had before. But the best thing is the rear suspension with an inboard design directly from a Formula One race car.

Advertisement
Please wait 5 sec.