The Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 is one of those muscle cars that borderlines on supercar territory, with 760 horsepower, absurd lap times, equally fast quarter-mile times, and makes all of the right noises with absurd levels of volume. But if you live in Europe, Ford Motor Company won’t legally sell you one. Because something, something emissions (nevermind that there would likely be too few of them registered for them to have any measurable effect, but hey, math is hard). Anyway, there exists a perfectly suitable alternative to a factory Shelby GT500 for the UK market, and it’s the 847 horsepower Clive Sutton Mustang CS850GT.
Clive Sutton Ford Mustang CS850GT: Details
The CS850GT is the most powerful Mustang that you can drive on the wrong side of the road, with 847 horsepower and 665 lb-ft of torque on tap thanks to “a comprehensive reworking of Ford’s latest 5.0-liter V8”. What that actually means, is that Sutton adds a Whipple supercharger to boost the engine to almost double the power it made stock.
All that twist is sent to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox and connected to the pavement by 20-inch Vossen wheels. Nice.
To feel the effects of that engine, even more, a carbon fiber body kit of the Clive Sutton Mustang CS850GT has been added which apes the style of the GT500, featuring a large grille opening, rear diffuser, vented hood (or bonnet as they say over there), and a huge rear wing. Buyers can also opt for the ‘R’ package, which offers a 3.55 ratio rear end gear for more acceleration, and replacement of the MagneRide tech with Pro-Active shocks and upgraded anti-roll bars.
Inside the muscle car hasn’t been messed with too much, but there’s Nappa leather and Alcantara accents everywhere, which are matched to the red brake calipers. And of course, the steering wheel and pedals are on the right side of the vehicle instead of the left.
The brand has previously created CS700 and SC800 models of the Mustang, but the 850 really steps up the game with more power than even the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, which as we mentioned above, ‘only’ has 760 horsepower.
The cost is just £115,000 ($143,577 USD) for the CS850 and £121,000 ($151,068 USD) for the CS850R. You can configure your own at SuttonMustang.com.