Photo: Abimelec Design / Instagram
Although it was only offered for a couple of generations merely spanning across two decades, the Ford Crown Victoria is certainly one of the best-known Blue Ovals of the 1990s and 2000s. It could be due to its ample use as a Police Interceptor because otherwise, the performance credentials wouldn’t recommend it on the street. But what if the tame sedan had sought a bit of underground street cred with help from the Special Vehicle Team division?
After all, the SVT department (now Ford Performance) did create the cool Ford Mustang SVT Cobras, as well as the feisty Cobra R incarnations. Instead, the well-known Panther architecture models only got a performance swan song in the form of the lesser-known third-generation Mercury Marauder, a model equipped with the 302-horsepower 4.6-liter Modular V8 engine.
But that’s not nearly enough for virtual artist Abimelec Arellano (aka abimelecdesign on social media), who decided to continue his successful “What-if” series with a Cobra treatment bestowed upon the “ubiquitous” Ford Crown Victoria. And it’s not just any Mustang SVT Cobra transplant, as the pixel master didn’t tangle with the low-end versions. Instead, his virtual case of performance has the CGI Crown Victoria Cobra R based on the ultra-rare (300 units) 2000 SVT Cobra R.
As such, the modern design borrows some of the well-known Mustang traits, such as the crimson paint, “front splitter, big bulge hood, side pipes, 17-inch wheels and a big wing out back.” More importantly, this virtual Crown Vic also has an odd powertrain combination. That’s because inside the cockpit there’s a stick shift. And the manual transmission is mated to the 385-horsepower DOHC 5.4-liter V8 engine instead of a meager 2V 4.6-liter.
It’s a controversial build, as certain fans love the idea of having more 'big sedans with big motors' in their life (something that’s clearly against the current), while others didn’t get the SVT references at all. Instead, one even commented the Crown Vic reminds of the failed Queen Latifah and Jimmy Fallon “Taxi” movie... only in red.
But that’s not nearly enough for virtual artist Abimelec Arellano (aka abimelecdesign on social media), who decided to continue his successful “What-if” series with a Cobra treatment bestowed upon the “ubiquitous” Ford Crown Victoria. And it’s not just any Mustang SVT Cobra transplant, as the pixel master didn’t tangle with the low-end versions. Instead, his virtual case of performance has the CGI Crown Victoria Cobra R based on the ultra-rare (300 units) 2000 SVT Cobra R.
As such, the modern design borrows some of the well-known Mustang traits, such as the crimson paint, “front splitter, big bulge hood, side pipes, 17-inch wheels and a big wing out back.” More importantly, this virtual Crown Vic also has an odd powertrain combination. That’s because inside the cockpit there’s a stick shift. And the manual transmission is mated to the 385-horsepower DOHC 5.4-liter V8 engine instead of a meager 2V 4.6-liter.
It’s a controversial build, as certain fans love the idea of having more 'big sedans with big motors' in their life (something that’s clearly against the current), while others didn’t get the SVT references at all. Instead, one even commented the Crown Vic reminds of the failed Queen Latifah and Jimmy Fallon “Taxi” movie... only in red.
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