McLaren Mustang DSO is Perhaps the Rarest Fox All

Wide and wicked Foxbody McLaren Mustang M81 “DSO” sports 400 horsepower and is sure to turn the heads of Mustang fans everywhere.

The 1980s and 1990s saw a number of interesting automotive crossovers from brands you might not expect to collaborate. One of the more unusual examples is the McLaren Mustang M81. Ford teamed up with McLaren to build Foxbodies that could race in the IMSA GT series. Very few were built, and the actual McLaren package cars were powered by a turbocharged and McLaren-modified version of Ford’s 2.3-liter Lima four-cylinder.

This, however, does not have a four-cylinder engine. It never did, either. Ultimately, while only an estimated 10 to 15 examples of the true McLaren M81 cars were built, Ford offered customers the ability to purchase McLaren components for Foxbody Mustangs through its “Dealer Special Order ” program. This car, currently on display at The Petersen Automotive Museum, is an example of a DSO car, and it looks incredible.

This car came from the factory as a GT with a 5.0. However, the owner has since done some pretty extensive modifications. After some digging, we found a Ford Muscle article that outlines the car and its owner. The owner, Derek Whitacre, is a film composer, and he has poured a lot of time and love into this car. It features the complete McLaren M81 body kit. From there, though, Whitacre opted to make it his own.

Under the hood, it now has a BluePrint Engines 347 stroker with a Holley EFI system. So, it does retain its Ford small block origins. However,  Ford Muscle reports that it makes around 400 horsepower. In addition, the car now has a T56 Magnum six-speed manual transmission. To match the wide fenders and put the power down, the car wears a set of BBS E51 wheels. They’re wrapped in 305-wide tires in the rear and 275-wide in the front to make this thing a modern machine despite its age.

Want One? Don’t Get Your Hopes Up

The McLaren Mustang program was extremely short-lived. So, chances of stumbling on one yourself aren’t super likely. If you do, though, you’ll undoubtedly recognize the extremely wide fenders and quarter panels. If the chance comes to buy one, you’d better jump on it!

Ultimately, we’re glad to see this rare piece of Mustang history is in the hands of a loving and capable owner! Moreover, we’re glad we got to see it in person!

Photos: Braden Carlson 

Join the Mustang Source Forums now!