Check out this Rare Ford muscle car was made in collaboration with McLaren
- Super rare Ford muscle car was made in collaboration with McLaren
- Only 10 M81 McLaren Mustangs were ever made
- The car was specially designed for racing
Published on Sep 14, 2024 at 8:00 PM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Sep 13, 2024 at 6:29 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
This super rare Ford muscle car was made in collaboration with McLaren and sports a very unusual-looking body that is unlike anything else out there.
The Ford M81 McLaren Mustang was launched in 1980 and designed to be used for racing in IMSA.
Ford enlisted the help of McLaren to help create a car that was essentially a lighter, more powerful, and sharper version of its Fox Body Mustang.
Ford had initially planned to produce 250 for the model year 1981 – hench the car’s M81 name – but only 10 were ever built.
The Ford M81 McLaren Mustang is super rare
We’ve seen plenty of rare cars, such as the one-of-one Shelby Cobra 427 Super Snake; the 1970 Mercury Cyclone GT, that was found abandoned in a bush; and a Chevelle so rare even Chevy aren’t sure of the exact numbers.
But even amongst other rare gems, the M81 stands out – largely due to its unusual and eye-catching appearance.
The M81 may have started life as a classic Fox Body Mustang but it underwent some serious modifications and revisions.
The car stands out from the rest due to that large front air dam, its IMSA fiberglass hood with air ducting, and wide-body front and rear fender flares.
The wheel arches were also beefed up and it was given a set of BBS alloys.
Inside, the M81 had bucket seats, a Racemark steering wheel, and the option of an air conditioning system.
Seven of the cars, including its prototype, were presented in the – somewhat ironically named – Bittersweet Orange color.
One black, one white, and two blue M81s were also made.
What’s under the hood of the muscle car?
The M81 was fitted with a heavily revised Lima engine.
The 2.3 liter turbocharged inline-four engine was paired with a four-speed manual transmission.
Whereas the stock Lima could produce a not-too-shabby 132 horsepower, the M81 used a Garrett T-3 turbo to increase that to 175 horsepower.
It could do 0-60mph in 9.76 and could cover a quarter of a mile in 17.37 seconds.
As it was built for racing, the brakes were boosted and adjustable shock absorbers were fitted.
All in all, the M81 is quite unlike any other muscle car out there.
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Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Across her career she's covered a wide variety of topics, including celebrity, cryptocurrency, politics, true crime and just about everything in between.
