Super Rare M81 McLaren Mustang DSO Is as Special as Fox Bodies Get

By Brett Foote - October 25, 2024

Only around 10-15 M81 McLaren Mustang models were built in total, but this V8-powered DSO is only around three that exist.

Pretty much any pony car fan worth their salt knows all about the McLaren Mustang models that surfaced during the Fox Body era, and for good reason – during a period of time when performance was hard to find, McLaren Engines and Ford’s Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) were teaming up to create something special. The result was a short run of surprisingly custom Mustangs that featured revised bodywork coupled with performance upgrades in pretty much every conceivable area, though the extremely high asking price of the McLaren Mustang prevented it from being built in any sort of significant quantities.

Today, any McLaren Mustang is a valuable collector’s item, but this M81 DSO model featured in a recent video from Mister Zachary is, well, about as special as they get. Owned by TV and film producer Derek Whitacre, it isn’t powered by a turbocharged four-cylinder like most, either. Rather, this one is packing a 5.0-liter V8 under the hood – making it one of just around three built for promotional purposes, and just one of what is believed to be 15 or so M81 McLaren Mustang models produced in total as well. The “DSO” in its moniker stands for Dealer Custom Order, which is just what it sounds like – customers could spec them pretty much however they pleased.

The entire concept behind the McLaren Mustang was to create an IMSA-inspired, high-performance, road-going pony car, and it certainly looks the part with super-wide fenders hugging a set of also-wide wheels (not the originals in this case) wrapped with 275 series tires up front and 315s in the rear. The owner also added some mesh to the vented hood, and notes that all of these parts are super rare today – replacements simply don’t exist – which is understandable given how incredibly rare it is. It also explains why the taillights are merely period correct pieces, because the previous owner had installed Capri lighting back there, which somewhat detracted from the look.

While one can argue that any McLaren Mustang is special, the fact that this one is V8-powered makes it even more so, too. However, the original 302 has been removed and replaced with a 347 cubic-inch stroker from Blueprint Engines, with a Holley Sniper EFI setup, BBK headers, and a MagnaFlow exhaust, mated to a Tremec T56 Magnum gearbox and 3.73 gears. It’s churning out around 400 horsepower and is presumably a lot more fun to drive as a result of that swap, and there are a host of suspension upgrades to aid in that department, too – a list that includes the entire Maximum Motorsports Max Grip Package with coilovers, tubular control arms, and loads of other goodies.

Some may not like the fact that Whitacre has gone to great lengths to modify one of the rarest Mustangs ever built, but it’s hard to argue with the results, and by that, we mean an incredibly cool, one-of-a-kind machine. There are some other modified McLaren Mustang models out there in the world, but likely none that have been upgraded as extensively as this one – albeit while also retaining the original car’s spirit – and that’s what makes it so special.