Ford pays homage to the US pilots group Eagle Squadron

KUALA LUMPUR: On the occasion of 100th anniversary of Britain’s Royal Air Force (RAF), Ford pays homage to the group of volunteer pilots from the US. They are the Eagle Squadron, who alongside the RAF flew combat missions before the World War II.

Company's high-performance division, Ford Performance in association with Vaughn Gittin Jr. who is commonly known as an American self-taught professional drifter, has launched a custom-made Mustang GT. Tagged as the Eagle Squadron Mustang GT, the said car was showcased at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

At heart, the performance-oriented beast has a 5.0-litre V8 engine with a supercharger kit from Ford Performance that produces 710 PS of peak power and 827 Nm of peak torque while being mated to a Tremec 6-speed manual transmission system. The transmission is benefitted from a short shifter and a heavy-duty rear axle, both supplied by Ford Performance. It comes with the rear-wheel drive system.

The customized Mustang gets an RTR Tactical Performance Suspension package with in-car adjustable MagneRide dampers, adjustable sway bars and lowering springs by Ford Performance. Additionally, it rides on RTR 7 dual-spoke forged 20-inch wheels that are shod with Nitto NT555 tyres (285/30 at the front and 305/30 at the rear).

On the outside, the customized Mustang gets a camouflaged paint job similar to the one on the original Eagle Squadron Spitfire. Also, there are attributes like an RTR carbon-fibre body kit, a Gurney lip for the rear spoiler, a front chin spoiler and an illuminated front grille. You’d also notice splitters and diffusers that add to its looks big time.

Inside, there are Recaro racing seats wrapped in leather and embroidered with Eagle Squadron logos. The Eagle Squadron logo is made from the metal melted down from an F-35 Lightning that’s hand engraved on the shift knob. The dash of the car is accentuated with the presence of another hand-engraved badge made from the Spitfire aluminium.

The Eagle Squadron-inspired Mustang will be up for auction on July 26. The funds raised will thus be used for youth aviation education programmes at the Experimental Aircraft Association. This is the 10th time when the American automaker has customized Mustang to raise funds for charity.