Sutton Mustang CS700

The clue’s in the name, and this is indeed one very hot ’Stang. But is Sutton’s conversion kit worth the substantial cost?

- Stuart Gallagher

A TASTE AS TO HOW FAR Ford can take its current Mustang is easy to savour with the company’s own 526bhp GT350 – a car our very own Henry Catchpole feasted on back in issue 221. Head off-menu stateside and the likes of Shelby will serve current Mustang owners with a full platter of tuning options to salivate over. It’s all very tantalising when you can dine at European supercar horsepower tables for the cost of a drive-thru. Although in the case of this British-made Sutton CS700, it’s quite an expensive drive-thru.

Built by the ‘Bespoke’ division of exotic car dealer Clive Sutton, the CS700 is the UK’s specialist take on the aftermarket, all-American muscle-car dream.With a potential for as near as damn it 700bhp, you can have a rear-drive Mustang with the performance a 911 Turbo.

Naturally, the engine is the main course. The £14,587 ‘Power Pack’ conversion – on top of a £34,495, 410bhp Mustang 5.0 V8 GT donor car – focuses on the fitment of a Whipple supercharger and an active exhaust system, plus a new rear valance so it all fits. As the name suggests, 700hp (690bhp) is possible, but to achieve this you’ll need the larger throttle bodies and the new carbon intake system that Sutton also offers, for a further £1134. This rather conspicuous demonstrator does without both of these, so it’s just the 643bhp to digest today.