The Ford Mustang Fox Body has become an increasingly desirable slice of American performance car history, but this particular example takes the third-generation Mustang into entirely new territory.
Created by Florida-based Velocity Restorations, the Velocity Ford Mustang Fox Body is claimed to be the world’s first and only full restomod interpretation of the 1979-1993 Mustang.
And this is considerably more than a classic Mustang with a modern engine dropped under the bonnet.
Velocity Restorations has comprehensively re-engineered the Fox Body, combining its unmistakable 1980s and early 1990s styling with a new chassis, modern suspension, contemporary equipment and considerably more performance.
Supercharged Coyote V8 Delivers 715bhp
At the heart of the transformation is Ford’s modern 5.0-litre Coyote V8, but Velocity hasn’t stopped there.
The engine has been supercharged to produce a substantial 715bhp, giving the relatively compact Fox Body performance far beyond anything offered during the Mustang’s original production run.
However, creating a usable modern restomod capable of handling that output required considerably more work beneath the familiar bodywork.
Velocity has effectively given the Mustang a second chassis along with an entirely new suspension set-up, bringing modern structural and dynamic engineering to a car whose origins stretch back to the late 1970s.
The result is intended to retain the character and appearance that made the Fox Body distinctive while delivering the performance, handling and usability expected from a modern high-performance car.
Classic Mustang Looks, Modern Comfort
The same philosophy continues inside.
Rather than turning the Mustang into an ultra-modern showpiece, Velocity has retained a suitably period-inspired cabin while introducing features that make the car considerably easier to live with.
That includes heated cloth seats – an unusual but appealing combination that preserves some of the Fox Body’s original character without sacrificing modern comfort.
The project represents the increasingly ambitious nature of the restomod market, where builders are moving beyond upgraded engines, brakes and suspension towards effectively creating entirely new cars beneath familiar bodywork.
For Fox Body enthusiasts, Velocity Restorations has taken one of the most recognisable Mustangs of its era and given it the engineering – and 715bhp performance – to match its growing cult status.
Motoring Echo Verdict
The Fox Body Mustang has spent years emerging from the shadow of its more famous predecessors, and cars such as this demonstrate just how much potential the platform still has.
A supercharged 715bhp Coyote V8 provides the headline, but the new chassis, suspension and extensively modernised engineering are arguably the more important parts of the story.
Velocity Restorations hasn’t simply made an old Mustang faster. It has attempted to create a thoroughly modern performance car while preserving one of the most distinctive Mustang shapes of the 1980s and early 1990s.
For anyone who grew up wanting a Fox Body but would rather have modern performance and comfort, this could be quite a compelling interpretation.
