While the Ford Mustang may capture a bulk of the publicity and attention these days, Ford has a very long history of building incredible performance cars. The King of the Ford Hill is without a doubt the Ferrari-beating GT40, a car that is forever enshrined in the annals of race car history. As incredible a car as the GT40 was though, it shared very little in common with the Mustang, save its powerful 427 V8. Just about everything else was unique to the Le Mans racer.
That’s not to say the Mustang can’t draw some inspiration from the GT40. Pure Vision Design has released this sketch of an upcoming concept car based on a 1970 Ford Mustang fastback.
While Pure Vision Design may be drawing inspiration from the GT40, from the looks of the sketch their Mustang won’t be nearly as radical as the Mach 40 built by Eckerts Rod Shop. Still, you can feel the GT40 inspiration in the form of the dual racing stripes, six-spoke racing wheels, and lowered, aerodynamic-friendly stance. But don’t expect a mid-engine setup, or even a chopped roof judging from the sketch, though Pure Vision has surprised us with their designs before.
That said, Pure Vision doesn’t mess around when it comes to horsepower. Under the hood of this Mustang will be a massive 520 cubic-inch V8 that resembles that 427 that powered the Le Mans-winning GT40s. A Heidts suspension and clutchless six-speed manual transmission will help bring this Mustang to life in the corners, and we can’t wait to see the finished product rather than just some drawings. What other GT40 influences might this Mustang have?