British Mustang Shelby GT500CS ‘Retromod’ is Jaw-Dropping

Top Gear UK showcases GT500CS as a European first-gen restomod Mustang with 530 ponies under the hood.

American cars have had a solid niche market in the UK for decades now. With the advent of the European market getting the latest breeds of the Mustang, it’s no surprise the classics are seeing more popularity. Carl Sutton is a UK luxury car dealer that also specializes in American imports as well. He also has a restoration and tuning house called Sutton Bespoke that has now turned its hand to the art of bespoke resto-modding. Basically, if you’ve ever wished someone would do for Mustangs what Singer has done for the Porsches 911, then the GT500CS ticks that box.

Top Gear UK was at the London Motor Show and give us a look at just how modern the GT350CS’s aesthetic is. The paint is taken from Ford’s current color selection and any shiny trim has been muted with a satin-black powder-coating. The interior is all modern as well, with a carbon fiber dashboard, LED gauges, and re-trimmed in leather. The first one has black 18″ wheels that look perfectly proportioned, but customers will be able to spec out as much of the car as they wish.

The first example made is based on a 1967 fastback chassis. However, not only does it now have a 5.4-liter V8 honed to produce a whopping 530 horsepower, but just about every component has been either restored or modified to turn it into a classic car with modern day performance, comfort, and conveniences. If you prefer PR speak, it’s a “modern interpretation” of the first generation Mustang, and the GT500CS goes all the way to include a premium sound system and touchscreen infotainment system that includes Apple CarPlay.

Sutton is offering two stages of customization over the base level for the GT350CS. Stage 1 beefs the engine up to a 7.0-liter V8 with fuel injection, upgrades the brakes and has a different interior trim. The big-daddy version includes Inglese racing fuel injection, coil-overs, a custom interior and upgraded seats. As a reference point, the first GT350CS took ten months to build and cost $330,000. Sutton estimates projects will generally will cost somewhere between $250,000 and $400,000.

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Ian Wright

Ian Wright has been a professional writer for two years and is a regular contributor to Corvette Forum, Jaguar Forum, and 6SpeedOnline, among other auto sites.

His obsession with cars started young and has left him stranded miles off-road in Land Rovers, being lost far from home in hot hatches, going sideways in rallycross cars, being propelled forward in supercars and, more sensibly, standing in fields staring at classic cars. His first job was as a mechanic and then trained as a driving instructor before going into media production.

The automotive itch never left though, and he realized writing about cars is his true calling. However, that doesn’t stop him from also hosting the Both Hand Drive podcast.

Ian can be reached at bothhanddrive@gmail.com