Fans of the Ford Mustang itching to get their hands on the latest special edition version of the muscle car will be delighted to know that Galpin Auto Sports, together with SPX Corporation, is building one exclusively for the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Arizona in January.
The proceeds of the sale will benefit the St. Jude Children’s Hospital so at the very least, your bids will go to a very worthy cause. But what should really get you going about this special edition Mustang is the number of improvements Galpin did to turn it into an even more powerful piece of muscle.
Inspired by the legendary Mustang Boss 429, this particular Mustang will carry a 5.0-liter V8 engine that has been taken to a whole new level thanks to upgrades that include a Ford Racing supercharger, Comp Cams camshafts, and a Bassani exhaust system. All that has taken the output of the Galpin Mustang to a staggering 700 horsepower.
On top of the massive engine upgrade, the Galpin Mustang will also carry aesthetic improvements, including a Candy Apple Red Pearl PPG paint scheme, a Roush billet aluminum grille, the original 1969 Boss 429 hood, a Boss 302 Laguna Seca rear spoiler, and a set of 21" and 22" Forgiato wheels wrapped in Pirelli P-Zero tires.
The car is interesting enough on its own merit to have active bidders when it goes under the hammer at Barrett-Jackson, but if you add that all your bids will end up being for a good cause, then you should have no problem shooting for the moon when bidding.
UPDATE 10/20/11: We’ve just learned that the 700-horsepower Mustang by Galpin Auto Sports will be making its world debut at the 2011 SEMA Auto Show ahead of its auction date at Barrett-Jackson next January. Be sure to check out this completely modded Mustang before a lucky bidder drives home with it next year.
UPDATE 12/29/11: After being announced as a prototype back in August, the Mustang SPX is finally ready and waiting for its new customer. For those interested, this car will be available at the Barrett-Jackson auction in January 2011. All proceeds will go to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital: "Cancer affects so many families across America and we’re very excited at the opportunity to utilize our talents to help raise money to fight this terrible disease," said GAS President Beau Boeckmann. "We’re honored SPX chose us as the shop to build this vehicle. Once completed, this car has tremendous potential to raise a lot of money for an organization that benefits a great cause."
Whatever you think of the Chevrolet Camaro, you know that at the deep recesses of its heart, it’s a muscle car that’s only waiting to be unleashed on a drag strip. After all, the COPO Camaro was one of the best stock cars back in the 60’s, a time when the Central Office Production Order (COPO) - Chevrolet’s vehicle special-order program - became famous for all the performance-minded Camaros that were made, mostly with intentions of turning them into Stock Eliminator racers.
Half a century later, the COPO Camaro is making a comeback as a concept vehicle designed to the specifications for NHRA Stock Eliminator drag racing competition. One of the unique things about this particular Camaro is that it was designed to accommodate a few engine options, including that of the 7.0-liter naturally-aspirated engine that was found in the original COPO Camaros from yesteryear.
In terms of design, the COPO Camaro Concept pretty much adhered to its set-up as a full-spec drag car. Gone are all the bells and whistles that usually come in a standard Camaro. In their place, Chevrolet added a full array of race equipment, including a full, chrome molly roll cage, a high-rise cowl-induction system, a set of 29" lightweight, COPO-specific racing wheels wrapped in 4.5x28x15 "inch front tires. Inside, the car receives a pair of racing bucket seats with no rear seat, a safety harness for the driver, a competition floor shifter, and Chevrolet Performance gauges by Auto Meter.
The muscle car’s overall handling and set-up were tweaked to give it even more capabilities on the track. A coil-over suspension with Strange Engineering adjustable struts can be found in the front while a custom suspension with Strange Engineering shocks, a Panhard bar. and a stabilizer bar complete the exterior set-up of the muscle car.
UPDATE 11/08/2011: The Camaro COPO Concept unveiled at the SEMA Show is proof that the Camaro can be customized in any way possible. Check out the live images we have added in the picture gallery and let us know if you agree.
UPDATE 12/16/2011: GM Performance Parts has unveiled a new video presenting the Camaro COPO during testing. Enjoy!
Japanese company Rauh-Welt Begriff (RWB) brought two impressive vehicle to the 2011 SEMA Auto Show. The first was a Porsche 911 RWB Pandora One and the second is this impressive 911 Turbo Hoonigan - a model based on a Porsche 964.
The 911 Turbo Hoonigan combines a white exterior paint job with a Lobster Red interior and red Fifteen52 wheels wearing Pirelli P Zero tires. The car’s ride was also lowered by an inch and a half thanks to a new sports suspension system.
The Porsche 964 presented at the show is currently owned by former 0-60 Magazine editor-in-chief, Brian Scotto. He drove the car for over 850 miles just to get to the 2011 SEMA Auto Show in time, where it celebrated the launch of the Ken Block’s new Hoonigan brand. With a maiden vehicle like this Porsche and Ken Block’s involvement, we expect to hear the name "Hoonigan" a lot in the upcoming months.
The 2011 SEMA Auto Show was undoubtedly a Mustang and Camaro free-for-all with tons of tuning packages for both models. Most were for the current generations of each, but there were some tuners with an eye for a classic, and Goolsby Customs was one of them. This tuning firm understand that an oldie is still a goodie so they based their "Pegasus" package on a 1971 Mustang.
The problem with trying to modernize a classic is that, most of the time, there isn’t much left of the original once the transformation if complete. In this case, the Pegasus has received a compete makeover. The old chassis has been replaced with a new one from the new Fast Track Mustang designed by the Roadster Shop. The front has been shortened by six inches, while the rear end has received a pass-through spoiler. The car has also been given a new set of Nutek wheels combined with Wilwood brakes.
The original 4.1 liter engine was also tossed out the window and replaced by a new 5.0 liter V8 Coyote engine. There is also a new Ford 6R80 6-speed automatic gearbox built by Sean Hyland Motorsports.
One of the vehicles to catch our attention at the 2011 SEMA Auto Show was the one-off Supercharged ZR-59, a tuning project mixing the classic 1959 Corvette with design elements and technology from the current Corvette ZR1. The project - spearheaded by Cal West Customs and Palmers Customs - was developed to give a classic sports car the feel and rumble of a modern day supercar.
The Chevrolet Supercharged ZR-59 took over a year to be created. It started as a chassis with a stock corvette body and then Art Morrison provided a custom chassis for the project which was then covered with a hand-built metal and fiber glass body. The body includes hand-built side and fender moldings shaped from brass and a custom built stainless gas tank. A set of Nutek three-piece forged aluminum rims complete the exterior look. The interior gets a hand-fabricated dash, center console, and gauge cluster. It took tons of planning and concept, but the final product is the slick sports car in these images.
The engine is also a masterpiece with the two developers opting for a Corvette ZR1 LS9 V8 engine producing a total of 750 HP. This engine was combined with a Tremec T56 six-speed transmission, a Corvette C6 front suspension, air ride shockwaves with auto-levelers, and Wilwood 6 piston front and rear brakes. A push button ignition system was also put in for added convenience.
Tuning firm, Icon, arrived at the 2011 SEMA Auto Show with two impressive packages based on two classic cars. The first was the Ford Icon Bronco and the second is this 1952 Chevrolet Business Coupe. At first glance, you’ll immediately notice that this vehicle is not all about sparkle and shine like the rest of the beautiful cars at SEMA. Then again, this is the exact look the tuner was going for.
Icon’s Derelict project is all about keeping the car’s original patina and making it functional once again by making minimal changes. It features an Art Morrison chassis, a completely reworked suspension, and will sit on a new set of wheels offered by CNC Machining Steel. The interior was also dressed up with buffalo and alligator covers for the car’s seats. That part of the project stayed true to the minimalistic approach taken by the tuner, but the engine swap clearly does not. The Derelict Business Coupe has received a new 6.2 liter V8 engine that delivers a total of 430 HP.
The Ford Bronco was first launched onto the market in 1966 where it reveled in 30 years of production, until being discontinued in 1996. But after 15 years of non-existence, the Bronco has come back with a specially customized unit at the 2011 SEMA Auto Show.
The tuned-up Ford Bronco is the product of Jonathan Ward and famous Ford designer, Camilo Pardo’s hard work. The two men wanted to maintain the original Bronco’s classic aesthetic and design values, while also reinventing everything about the car down to the smallest details.
The Icon Bronco uses a 2011 Ford Coyote 5.0 liter V8 engine that delivers a total of 412 HP and 390 lb-ft of torque, more than doubling the original Bronco’s output of 200 HP. The engine is mated to a five-speed manual transmission and an Atlas II part-time four-wheel drive system.
And just like any other modern SUV, the Icon Bronco has been equipped with bucket seats with carbon fiber elements, tinted glass, a laser-cut stainless steel door, and cargo panels with Volcanic Black powder coated trim bezels.
The 2011 SEMA Show gave JT Grey Racing the opportunity to take on Lexus’ mighty LX 570. Their package is as rough and tough as any other, ready to take on the sand-filled crusade of the Baja 1000.
The LX570 by JT Grey Racing was hooked up with a HeadFirst Design graphic design, Blue Media/3M vehicle wrap, and 6 KC Hilites- 70w carbon fiber HID off road lighting. Large 17" F-Sport forged Off-Road wheels wrapped in BFGoodrich Baja TA 37"x 12.50 race tires will help it survive in any gnarly desert conditions. The interior of the LX570 was also upgraded with Sparco USA- EVO seats, a Sparco USA steering wheel, Lowrance HD7 / LMF 400 GPS navigation, and Kenwood 110 with PCI radio/intercom.
The Baja Series is no joke, so JT Grey Racing also upped the performance ante with new OE/TRD pads brakes, a King Racing Shocks suspension system, and a Flowmaster/Geiser exhaust system.
The final product looks to kill, but Toyota has already penned the Long Beach Racers Tacoma as their entrant into the Baja Series. As far as we know, the company isn’t looking to change their mind. That being said, JT Grey Racing is planning to enter the LX 570 in next year’s race.
Here’s another Honda CR-Z that made a SEMA comeback after its debut at the 2010 SEMA Auto Show.
Courtesy of Eibach Springs, this 2011 CR-Z was retooled and modified to become the kind of car everybody has always known the CR-Z could become. The look of the CR-Z hybrid suggests the extensive work Eibach Springs did to make it look the way it does. Among the added elements on the exterior are a C-West aero kit, a Mugen spoiler, an elaborate paint scheme and graphics, a new suspension program courtesy of Eibach, and a big brake kit from Stoptech. Inside, the standard features of the CR-Z were taken out in favor of a complete racing set-up that includes Sparco seats and a full roll bar.
But the most important order of business involving this project was taking out the original hybrid drivetrain of the CR-Z and replacing it with a 2.4-liter K24 four-cylinder engine from an Acura TSX. This new engine produces 280 horsepower and gets some extra help from K&N with a new intake system. Seeing as the CR-Z’s original IMA hybrid system is made up of a 1.5-liter engine combined with an electric motor that provides a total of 124 horsepower and 131 lb/ft of torque, we’re thinking that 280 ponies is a very significant upgrade. But there’s more.
According to some folks from Eibach Springs, this particular CR-Z will still receive a supercharger after SEMA, which means that when all is said and done, it’s going to pack way more than just 280 horsepower.
One particular Ford Mustang GT that caught our eye at the 2011 SEMA Auto Show came into fruition from a sad story that involved the death of a man considered as an important member of the Mustang community, Joe Gosinski of Chicane Sport Tuning.
Last December, Gosinski was found murdered in his Chicane Sport Tuning shop in Torrance, CA shop. As a way of showing some love to the man, Matt Bernal, a former employee of Gosinski, and Sal Valdez, one of his most ardent customers, teamed up to build the Mustang "Last Ride" Tribute.
Packed with a comprehensive tuning program that Gosinski will be proud of, the "Last Ride" Mustang was born when a lot of companies teamed up to create a true one-of-a-kind ride. Trufiber was responsible for putting the car’s carbon fiber hood, front splitter and side spliters, and rear valence. The carbon fiber roof skin was provided by RK Sport, while the custom billet fuel door came courtesy of Silver Horse Racing. Rounding out the exterior touches include a new grille and rear quarter covers from Saleen, fender badges and a faux gas cap from Chicane, a custom paint finish from D-BAS, and a new set of 20" powder-coated black Vossen CV3 wheels wrapped in Falken FK-452 tires.
The muscle car’s chassis setup was also modified with a new Saleen adjustable coilover suspension, Hellwig Motorsports adjustable sway bars, Baer front 14-inch brakes with six-piston calipers. The interior of the "Last Ride" Mustang features new Corbeau LG1 race seats and harness bar and an Auto Meter a-pillar mount and gauges.
The one-off Mustang was also treated to an impressive performance upgrade, courtesy of a Nitrous Express n-Intercooler system and purge kit, a new intake manifold from Ford Racing, and a new axle-back exhaust system.
