Tag Archives: Mustang

NEW CARS

The Ford Mustang GTD Liquid Carbon: Muscle Car Meets Haute Couture

The Ford Mustang has been many things over the last six decades: affordable muscle, rental-lot burnout machine, and the occasional track-day pretender. But now? Now it’s strutting about like it’s on a Milan catwalk, dipped not in paint but in the sort of exposed carbon fiber that makes supercar owners nod in solemn approval while crying inside about depreciation.

This, ladies and gents, is the Mustang GTD Liquid Carbon. It is, somehow, an even more unhinged version of the already bonkers GTD. Ford looked at its radical track-bred monster, laughed, and decided to delete the paint altogether. Why hide the weave when you can flaunt it? The entire body is naked carbon, meticulously aligned across the hood, roof, wing, and even that cheeky little ducktail. It’s not just showing off — it’s artistry, and it makes Ferrari’s carbon options list look like GCSE woodshop.

And yes, there’s function beneath the fashion. Skipping the paint job saves 13 pounds. That’s like taking a small dog out of the car before a hot lap. Then Ford doubled down, swapping sheet-metal doors for bonded carbon-fiber ones, because in the Performance world, grams matter and excess flab belongs in the driver’s seat, not the chassis.

Naturally, the spec sheet reads like automotive wish-fulfilment. A 5.2-liter supercharged V8 hurls out 815 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque. That’s delivered through a semi-active inboard pushrod suspension — a setup more at home on endurance racers than American boulevard cruisers. The Performance pack adds 20-inch magnesium wheels, Brembo brakes big enough to stop the Earth’s rotation, and enough aero trickery to make you wonder if the car doubles as a Dyson vacuum prototype.

Inside, it’s a cocktail of black leather, Dinamica microfiber suede, and Hyper Lime stitching. Subtle? Not in the slightest. But when your car looks like Batman’s track toy on the outside, you don’t go all grey-beige Scandi minimalism inside.

Now, for the bit that makes your accountant faint: the standard GTD starts at $327,000. The Liquid Carbon? Ford hasn’t said yet, but given the artisanal carbon-fiber couture, expect the price to drift comfortably into “do I buy this or a house?” territory. Deliveries start this October, which gives you a couple of months to sell your kidneys, your neighbour’s kidneys, and maybe your neighbour.

Is it worth it?

Of course not. It’s a Mustang that costs more than most Lamborghinis. But is it also the most outrageous, spectacular, and utterly desirable Mustang ever? Absolutely.

Source: Ford

Restomod

Ringbrothers Reinvents the Aston Martin DBS as a Supercharged Hot Rod

The Aston Martin DBS has long been celebrated as a gentleman’s GT—sleek, refined, and forever tied to James Bond’s suave image. But American restomod legends Ringbrothers have asked a very different question: What if 007’s weekend car wasn’t shaken, but seriously stirred? The result is Octavia, a wildly reimagined DBS that trades its British heart for American muscle.

A Mustang Heart, Supercharged to 805 HP

Under the carbon-fiber hood, the DBS no longer hums with an Aston inline-six or V8. Instead, it roars with a 5.0-liter Ford Coyote V8, familiar from the Mustang GT, but here it’s been thoroughly overhauled and force-fed by a 2.65-liter supercharger. The combination delivers a staggering 805 horsepower—nearly triple what the original DBS ever dreamed of.

To handle that power, Ringbrothers swapped in a Tremec six-speed manual transmission, the same heavy-duty unit found in machines like the C6 Corvette, Dodge Challenger Hellcat, and Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing. In other words, this is no fragile Bond prop car—it’s engineered to take a beating.

Rebuilt From the Ground Up

Ringbrothers didn’t just stuff a big engine into an old British chassis and call it a day. The car’s structure has been completely transformed thanks to a bespoke Roadster Shop chassis. Wheelbase has been stretched by three inches, the front track widened by eight inches, and the rear track by ten.

Suspension duties fall to Fox coilovers at all four corners, while braking comes from massive 380mm Brembo discs hidden behind custom HRE center-lock wheels. The stance is aggressive, the geometry modern, and the capability well beyond anything the stock DBS could ever deliver.

Bond Style, With a Twist

The body may look familiar, but every panel is carbon fiber. Finished in Double-0 Silver—a nod to Aston Martin’s cinematic ties—the DBS looks like it belongs on a movie poster. Inside, the cabin blends tan leather, brass door handles, and a carbon-fiber dash with stainless accents. It’s equal parts classic British luxury and hot-rod theater.

The Bond connection doesn’t stop there. The engine’s valve covers read “Aston Martini”, and the oil dipstick is shaped like a martini glass. As Ringbrothers co-owner Jim Ring put it: “We asked ourselves, what would an MI6 agent drive on his holiday?”

Octavia Takes the Stage

Nicknamed Octavia, this one-off restomod makes its public debut at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering during Monterey Car Week. With its outrageous mix of British elegance and American brute force, it’s less an homage to Aston Martin tradition and more a Bond villain’s fever dream.

One thing’s for certain: if Q Branch ever got its hands on it, James Bond might never return it to the garage.

Source: Ringbrothers

NEW CARS

2026 Super Snake-R: 850 Horsepower, Zero Compromise

The Ford Mustang Dark Horse is no shrinking violet. With 500 horsepower from a naturally aspirated 5.0-liter Coyote V-8, it already sprints to 60 mph in roughly four seconds and growls like a proper muscle car should. But Shelby American isn’t in the business of “good enough.”

Enter the 2026 Shelby Super Snake-R. Unveiled during Monterey Car Week, the latest Super Snake-R takes the already fierce Dark Horse and cranks the menace to eleven. The centerpiece is a supercharged version of Ford’s 5.0-liter V-8, now producing more than 850 horsepower—20 more than the outgoing Super Snake. That power feeds only the rear wheels through your choice of a Tremec six-speed manual or a 10-speed automatic.

Of course, horsepower without control is just a burnout waiting to happen. Shelby fits fully adjustable coilovers, fat Michelin performance rubber, lightweight alloys, and two-piece slotted brake rotors to keep the Snake-R as composed as it is quick. Out back, a sizeable rear spoiler adds functional downforce, while redesigned front and rear fascias sharpen the Mustang’s already hostile glare. Carbon-fiber body panels shave weight and add visual drama, with five paint options ranging from subtle Carbonized Gray Metallic to eye-searing Grabber Blue.

Inside, the transformation continues. Alcantara-and-leather bucket seats wear Shelby American branding, and manual-equipped cars get a custom billet shift knob—a tactile reminder that you’re in something special. Serialized plaques on the dash, sill plates, and floor mats drive the exclusivity home.

Even with the blower, bigger brakes, and aerodynamic aids, curb weight is just 4,004 pounds—only 116 pounds heavier than the standard Dark Horse. In other words, the added mass won’t be what’s keeping you from hitting that apex at triple-digit speeds.

All this venom comes at a cost. The 2026 Shelby Super Snake-R starts at $225,995, donor Mustang Dark Horse included. Pricey? Sure. But when Ford’s own Mustang GTD starts at $325,000, Shelby’s latest serpent suddenly starts looking like a value proposition—at least in the rarified world of 850-hp track weapons.

The Dark Horse was already a wild ride. The Super Snake-R? That’s Shelby American proving there’s always room for more fangs.

Source: Shelby American