1969 Ford Mustang Hides Strange V8, Sounds Like Anarchy With a Side of Sacrilege

The car in question is a 1969 Ford Mustang, but as opposed to the 1967 'Stang used in "Tokyo Drift," which had an RB26 unit inside, this one is powered by a V8. But it's not a Coyote, or a Voodoo, or a Predator. There are many hints on the car regarding the origin of this engine. The brake calipers, the front grille, and even the steering wheel are all clear clues that this car is powered by an AMG unit.

Yes, that's right. There's a German-built V8 inside, and it used to be fitted to an E63 AMG. The car was built by Anarchy Garage in the United Kingdom, so I wouldn't feel too upset about the fact that they chose a European engine over an original Ford unit. It was probably because the AMG V8 is cheaper and easier to get by than its counterpart across the pond. At least power is still sent to the rear wheels, so there's still a bit of muscle car left in it.

The story of the cars begins almost a year ago, and as it seems, it was in pretty bad shape to start with. It had been rotting away for almost 25 years, and the goal was to have it running so that it would eventually become a daily driver, which it is today. According to the owner, this is the only AMG-powered Ford Mustang in the world, and it packs quite a serious punch. A 2012 E63 AMG, a twin-turbo 5.5-liter V8, would have had around 550 horsepower if it was the standard version and not the S variant.

But this one has been mapped by MSL Performance, a company specializing in Mercedes tuning, and the outcome is 721 horsepower and 885 lb-ft (1,200 Nm) of torque. That means it's less powerful than a brand-new Shelby GT500, but it has considerably more torque instead. If you consider that the GT500 weighs around 4,182 lbs (1,897 kg), that means it might have a tough time going up against this hybrid-Mustang, as this one probably weighs under 3,306 lbs (1,500 kg).

The AMG theme continues inside the car as well, and it feels strange seeing an E-Class dash instead of the classic Ford one. The car even has launch control and paddle shifters, and the seats are off a Mercedes-Benz A-Class—that's because they are lighter and they match the dash and the re-trimmed doors. Even the fully-adaptable suspension started in life as an E-Class component.

As soon as they fire up the car, it's hard not to fall in love with it, as it sounds simply mental. With that kind of engine in it, it's not that difficult to turn the heat up to 11 and run a 900-horsepower reliable setup if you dare use that kind of on public roads. There's a decent part of run time for the video that we get to see the car in action, and it looks fast enough to make the windscreen wipers obsolete!