RSS_Auto_Poster
Well-known member
Written by Rowan Horncastle
Plane-inspired cars seem to be a new trend in Car World. Just last week we showed a limited run of Aston Martins that give more than a nudge nudge, wink wink to the mighty Spitfire. If you missed it, load up Public Service Broadcasting on Spotify and click these blue words.Now our friends over the pond are hitting back. This time with a four-wheeled rendition of one of the fastest American planes to grace the skies: the "Ole Yeller" P-51D Mustang. Suitably, it"s being represented by another Mustang. The four-wheeled V8 one from Ford.The car is a double-whammy homage. Firstly to the iconic yellow P-51D Mustang fighter plane, but also the man who flew it, Bob Hoover. He"s a bit of a legend in flying circles, primarily for making loony loop-the-loops mainstream, but also for holding the record for the fastest prop plane to go from coast-to-coast across the US something he managed in 5 hours and 20 minutes back in 1985.To offer a fitting tribute to both, a Ford Mustang was sourced. Not any Ford Mustang, rather the rowdy flat-plane cranked GT350, here decorated in a lairy yellow paint scheme complete with black stripes and green accents just like the plane."Ole Yeller" has then been tattooed on the rear fenders, while the American flag sits patriotically at the front. You may also notice a rather insignificant rear wing plopped on the back. Which we"re guessing if flipped over would offer about as much lift as an actual P-51D Mustang.The yellow and black palette continues inside. The seat bolsters, stitching, steering wheel, seatbelts and "Ole Yeller" door card are all coloured in bumblebee. But, most importantly, venomous green neon lighting illuminates not just the cabin, but also the front grille and under the car. Now we haven"t seen that since the early Noughties. Is it set for a comeback?Annoyingly, power remains stock. The GT350 with its 5.2-litre, 526 horsepower and 429lb-ft V8 isn"t known for being underpowered. But as the car"s a one-off special edition, we"d have liked to have seen a bit more shove being fed to the rear wheels through the six-speed manual. Mainly because it"d make big, smokey burnouts easier.This special Mustang is a true one-off and destined for the auction block during the EAA Gathering of Eagles gala. It follows a quite long line of special, aircraft-themed, charity Mustangs all auctioned off for good causes.In 2008, we saw an F22 Raptor-inspired Mustang, and, in 2009, one in honour of WWII aircraft. 2010 saw the SR71 homage, while in 2014 we witnessed the might of the F-35 Lightning Edition II. Last year we had this, the one-off, 627bhp Apollo Edition" pony car that celebrated the Apollo space mission.So, with all these car/plane cocktails going on, what mash-up would you like to see next? Let us know below.
Date written: 18 Jul 2016
More of this article on the Top gear website
ID: 4308
Plane-inspired cars seem to be a new trend in Car World. Just last week we showed a limited run of Aston Martins that give more than a nudge nudge, wink wink to the mighty Spitfire. If you missed it, load up Public Service Broadcasting on Spotify and click these blue words.Now our friends over the pond are hitting back. This time with a four-wheeled rendition of one of the fastest American planes to grace the skies: the "Ole Yeller" P-51D Mustang. Suitably, it"s being represented by another Mustang. The four-wheeled V8 one from Ford.The car is a double-whammy homage. Firstly to the iconic yellow P-51D Mustang fighter plane, but also the man who flew it, Bob Hoover. He"s a bit of a legend in flying circles, primarily for making loony loop-the-loops mainstream, but also for holding the record for the fastest prop plane to go from coast-to-coast across the US something he managed in 5 hours and 20 minutes back in 1985.To offer a fitting tribute to both, a Ford Mustang was sourced. Not any Ford Mustang, rather the rowdy flat-plane cranked GT350, here decorated in a lairy yellow paint scheme complete with black stripes and green accents just like the plane."Ole Yeller" has then been tattooed on the rear fenders, while the American flag sits patriotically at the front. You may also notice a rather insignificant rear wing plopped on the back. Which we"re guessing if flipped over would offer about as much lift as an actual P-51D Mustang.The yellow and black palette continues inside. The seat bolsters, stitching, steering wheel, seatbelts and "Ole Yeller" door card are all coloured in bumblebee. But, most importantly, venomous green neon lighting illuminates not just the cabin, but also the front grille and under the car. Now we haven"t seen that since the early Noughties. Is it set for a comeback?Annoyingly, power remains stock. The GT350 with its 5.2-litre, 526 horsepower and 429lb-ft V8 isn"t known for being underpowered. But as the car"s a one-off special edition, we"d have liked to have seen a bit more shove being fed to the rear wheels through the six-speed manual. Mainly because it"d make big, smokey burnouts easier.This special Mustang is a true one-off and destined for the auction block during the EAA Gathering of Eagles gala. It follows a quite long line of special, aircraft-themed, charity Mustangs all auctioned off for good causes.In 2008, we saw an F22 Raptor-inspired Mustang, and, in 2009, one in honour of WWII aircraft. 2010 saw the SR71 homage, while in 2014 we witnessed the might of the F-35 Lightning Edition II. Last year we had this, the one-off, 627bhp Apollo Edition" pony car that celebrated the Apollo space mission.So, with all these car/plane cocktails going on, what mash-up would you like to see next? Let us know below.
Date written: 18 Jul 2016
More of this article on the Top gear website
ID: 4308
