Who knew that a 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback would make the perfect all-terrain endurance rally car? Well, UK-based preparation legends Prodrive, who conquered the World Rally Championship with Subaru and the Le Mans 24 Hours with Aston Martin, has put all its expertise and 2,000 man hours into turning an American icon into a purpose-built, drive-it-anywhere high-performance restomod, called the HERO-ERA 1.
And to prove it, the prototype just finished the world’s wildest endurance rallying event, the 37-day, 8,500-mile Peking to Paris Motor Challenge across some of the most inhospitable terrain on earth, in the hands of BMW, Lamborghini and Mercedes-AMG GT3 racing ace Jon Minshaw, and historic racer Katarina Kyvalova – whose usual whip is a 1928 4.5-liter Bentley!
Prodrive calls this the “ultimate historic endurance rally car”, designed to compete across any distance, any terrain at any temperature. And a limited number are for sale right now: Prodrive founder and chairman David Richards told duPont REGISTRY that an initial run of five will be built, the second of which is under construction right now. The car boasts a 5.4-liter, 302cui Ford Windsor V8 engine that has been tuned to run on either high or low octane fuel, yet capable of producing 400bhp even at temperatures of 14F to 104F. A 120-liter fuel cell gives a range of 400 miles, and a Tremec TKX 5-speed stick shift gearbox delivers the power to a strengthened 9-inch rear axle via a limited slip differential.
At the front, suspension is provided by double coil-over adjustable Bilstein dampers with extended travel, paired with tubular wishbones and tierods. At the rear, reinforced turreted rear dampers are coupled with upgraded specification leaf springs, Panhard Rod, and Bilstein GP4 dampers.
A full FIA-style multi-point rollcage includes low mount door bars, ensuring safety without compromising agility. The bodyshell is available in 20 different colors, and each car costs around $460,000 in ready-to-roll form.
Image Source: Prodrive