Mustang Mach 40
March 15, 2013 12:50 PM   Subscribe

So a Ford Mustang Mach 1 shacked up with a Ford GT40 and, under the watchful eyes of engineer Terry Lipscomb and designer Mike Miernik, a child was born. Its name is Mach 40, and it is beautiful and healthy.
posted by invitapriore (33 comments total) 8 users marked this as a favorite
 
On a personal note, I have to admit here that my own interest in cars waned pretty heavily after my teen years, but these are just two classic models whose essences I think have been combined to beautiful result, and it's always satisfying to get a gander at a well-built machine. I hope you get the same child-like glee from this that I did.
posted by invitapriore at 12:50 PM on March 15, 2013


That is equal parts ugly and super awesome at the same time. Hideously great?
posted by mathowie at 12:51 PM on March 15, 2013


I'm not sure how safe that photo on a grade railroad crossing is.
posted by goethean at 12:54 PM on March 15, 2013


This is awesome, thanks.
posted by yerfatma at 12:55 PM on March 15, 2013


I'm not sure how safe that photo on a grade railroad crossing is.

Especially considering the... stellar reliability history of the 20XX GT. That's either unused tracks or they're very confident.
posted by selfnoise at 12:56 PM on March 15, 2013


It's a borderline Greek tragedy they didn't try this with a fishtail Buick Riviera. I mean come on, look at how fucking sexy that car is.
posted by phaedon at 1:01 PM on March 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


I predict Richard Hammond will be drooling all over this next season.
posted by Greg_Ace at 1:13 PM on March 15, 2013 [2 favorites]


That is equal parts ugly and super awesome at the same time. Hideously great?

I hope they drive around playing Carley Rae Jepsen mashed with Nine Inch Nails....
posted by Gorgik at 1:17 PM on March 15, 2013 [2 favorites]


Since the Mach 1 is my favorite of all the muscle cars (esp. the '72), I heartily approve.
posted by sourwookie at 1:17 PM on March 15, 2013


From the side it looks vaguely Mopar-ish to me, like make maybe they mated a mustang with a barracuda. Not too fond of the dashboard, it looks like a kit car, it would have been cooler to retrofit the original Mach1 dash with new gauges. And the wheels, not sure what they were thinking there, but ugh. All in all though, wow, that's a shitload of work and and a pretty amazing end result.
posted by doctor_negative at 1:24 PM on March 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


It's hard to process. It has nice lines, but then you get to the front and it looks like a whale shark.
posted by tetsuo at 1:41 PM on March 15, 2013


Naw, dude.

Dude.

Naw.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 1:45 PM on March 15, 2013


When I was a kid we were driving through Dallas and were stopped at a traffic light. It was a warm day but not hot enough for air conditioning so we had the windows down. Suddenly a gurgling and rumbling came from the left side of the car but I couldn't see anything. I slid over in the back seat and there next to us, waiting to make a left turn, was a GT40. It was so low to the ground its roof line was beneath our windows. It was painted in the blue and white Ford racing colors. Its engine noise throbbed and resonated in our car. I couldn't see the driver but I saw his hand on the shifter. The light changed and whoosh he turned and was gone in seconds. That brief encounter is indelibly etched into my memory...
posted by jim in austin at 1:58 PM on March 15, 2013 [3 favorites]


Do not want! What is with those headlights! The windows are too small! The proportions are all wrong! It looks like the family truckster with an "80 years young!" face-lift. U G L Y that car ain't got no alibi.
posted by seanmpuckett at 2:01 PM on March 15, 2013


But did they take enough pictures?
posted by mrnutty at 2:04 PM on March 15, 2013 [2 favorites]


No, not beautiful.
The GT40 was (is) a fantastic 4x Le Mans winning racing car with one of the most beautiful bodies ever designed. The Mach 1 fastback is also a pretty cool icon, though not in the GT40's league. Combining them as shown makes a bloated freakin mess of proportions.
Please let the next train put this thing out of it's misery.
posted by artdrectr at 2:08 PM on March 15, 2013 [6 favorites]


I have wonder how the thing handles. Going from front to mid engine and getting the balance right would be pretty hard.
posted by empty vessel at 2:20 PM on March 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


gearheads discover the Mashup
posted by Fupped Duck at 2:24 PM on March 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


I see that they subscribe to my brother's "wide net" theory of baby pictures.
posted by StickyCarpet at 2:42 PM on March 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


I DON'T SEE A RADIO.


(I like it.)
posted by Atreides at 2:43 PM on March 15, 2013


Every time a GT40 is dismantled, God sheds a planet-sized tear.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 2:45 PM on March 15, 2013 [2 favorites]


Yeah, I dunno... I'm a huge fan of both parents, but the child got the wrong bits from each parent, I think...
posted by Morriscat at 2:46 PM on March 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


The more I look at it I start thinking "Which of the parents was a Jag?
posted by empty vessel at 3:15 PM on March 15, 2013


Rats!

It made me think of "When you buy a box of Ritz crackers, on the back of the box, they have all these suggestions as to what to put on top of the Ritz. 'Try it with turkey and cheese. Try it with peanut butter.' But I like crackers man, that’s why I bought it, ’cause I like crackers! I didn’t buy them because they’re little edible plates! You’ve got no faith in the product itself." -M. Hedberg
posted by petebest at 3:18 PM on March 15, 2013 [3 favorites]


I looked on YouTube, but the closest thing I found to this car going through its paces at a racetrack (instead of just still poses) was about 10 seconds of it on a city street. :(
posted by Greg_Ace at 5:18 PM on March 15, 2013


Yuck! Should've restored the Mach 1 to original and left the GT40 alone. Those two great cars are NOT great together.
posted by InsertNiftyNameHere at 7:42 PM on March 15, 2013


Yuck! Should've restored the Mach 1 to original and left the GT40 alone. Those two great cars are NOT great together.

I agree. If you want to make a kit car, don't ruin a Mach 1 to do it.
posted by charlie don't surf at 8:50 PM on March 15, 2013


While it is a bit sad about the Mach 1 that gave it's VIN number life for this project, no GT40s were harmed. They just scavenged the carcass of a wrecked Ford GT, the modern-day remake of the GT40.

And then went and gave it a corvette front suspension. Burn the witch!

I haven't decided if I like it or not, though I am leaning towards not.
posted by inparticularity at 11:15 PM on March 15, 2013


Every time a GT40 is dismantled, God sheds a planet-sized tear.

Every time a Ford GT is dismantled, though, God resurrects a kitten.
posted by daniel_charms at 6:22 AM on March 16, 2013


(and cries tears of joy)
posted by daniel_charms at 6:25 AM on March 16, 2013


Fupped Duck: "gearheads discover the Mashup"

Hot rodders have been executing mashups long before the term existed.
posted by Mitheral at 11:01 AM on March 16, 2013


I think it looks pretty bad ass. I think there's enough Mustangs out there that transforming one into someone's idea of coolness isn't going to dilute the brand or increase scarcity. Also, daniel_charms, there is nothing wrong with the Ford GT. It's incredibly easy to drive at very high limits. Think of it as the most recent Acura NSX. Reliable, fun and good looking.
posted by Purposeful Grimace at 3:41 PM on March 16, 2013


The big problem with the Ford GT is how freaking huge Ford made it.
posted by Mitheral at 6:40 PM on March 16, 2013


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