Panoz AIV: A Mustang-Powered Hot Rod You Probably Never Heard Of

Powertrain & Performance

So what powered this amazing machine? Why, none other than the DOHC 4.6 from the Mustang SVT Cobra. In fact, they used the entire drivetrain, and one look in the interior reveals a surprising amount of carryover Mustang components, notably the gauge cluster and switchgear.

The AIV is a true featherweight, tipping the scales at just 2,570 pounds. That’s more than 800 pounds lighter than the comparable Mustang. It completed 0-60 mph runs in just 4.6 seconds, a full 1.3 seconds faster than the SVT Cobra. Not to mention it can also run the quarter-mile between 13.5 and 13 flat, depending on the driver — and it really does take a driver to handle this beast. It makes us want to put our ’96 Mustang Cobra project on a diet.

With just 176 AIVs produced, you’re unlikely to line up with one at your next test and tune. However, if you’d like to park one in your garage — corny airbrushing and all — rumor has it that with a big enough wad of cash, Panoz will still build you a brand new one, exactly the way you want it.

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Cameron Vanderhorst

Cam VanDerHorst has been a contributor to Internet Brands' Auto Group sites for over three years, with his byline appearing on Ford Truck Enthusiasts, Corvette Forum, JK Forum, and Harley-Davidson Forums, among others. In that time, he's also contributed to Autoweek, The Drive, and Scale Auto Magazine.
He bought his first car at age 14 -- a 1978 Ford Mustang II -- and since then he’s amassed an impressive and diverse collection of cars, trucks, and motorcycles, including a 1996 Ford Mustang SVT Mystic Cobra (#683) and a classic air-cooled Porsche 911.
In addition to writing about cars and wrenching on them in his spare time, he enjoys playing music (drums and ukulele), building model cars, and tending to his chickens.
You can follow Cam, his cars, his bikes, and his chickens at @camvanderhorst on Instagram.

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