So you're keen on some American muscle but your dreams of burning rubber, drag-strip style, have been foiled by South Africa's pesky left-hand drive imports laws. Consider your problems solved...
A new local company called Mustang Conversions, based in Durban but servicing all of South Africa, is importing modern left-hand drive American cars and converting them to right-hand drive legal for South African streets.
The cars, until now all late-model Ford Mustangs (15, to be exact), are imported as LHD units and released through customs on condition they will be converted to RHD within a certain time. The only real catch is that the unit must stay in the first purchaser's possession for a minimum of two years.
The Mustang's fascia design is symmetrical from left to right so it lends itself perfectly to conversion. The steering mechanism, pedals and crash bags are all swopped and the end products then undergo SABS approval and local homologation requirements.
A typical conversion takes about a month and it takes about four months to receive a car from the date of order.
Unfortunately it's not possible to honour factory warranties locally but a three-year warranty on the conversion work is offered by Mustang Conversions.
Customers can specify exterior colour, interior trimmings and engine (if they're willing to wait a little longer for the precise car to be built or sourced in the US) and can even order a special editionsuch as the unit in the pictures - a Saleen 281 Extreme.
Mustang Conversions' owner will then fly to the US, buy the desired car, clear all documents for export, pack the car in a container and handle all the finicky paperwork once it lands in South Africa.
Prices will depend on the exchange rate and model specification but a normal 2010 Mustang GT sells locally for around R650 000 and a special edition GT500 for just more than R1-million.
Despite its Ford-biased name, Mustang Conversions is hoping to start converting and selling the new Chevy Camaro soon.
The Saleen 281 Extreme is not for the faint-hearted but is for sale through Mustang Conversions' Johannesburg office and claims 447kW/711Nm. The 4.6-litre, supercharged V8 was made available for an exclusive test recently where it scorched the quarter mile in an 13.8sec.
SENSATIONAL TO DRIVE
Had we been able to manhandle the beast into a clean run (so much raw power and a manual transmission is like mixing a pit bull-terrier with Red Bull) we're sure the car could've topped our mid-12sec time sheets.
Nonetheless, this is a sensational car to drive and the supercharger's whine will have you giggling like a child while you melt rubber through three, maybe four, gears.
This particular car competed in the famed American Cannonball Run cross-country free-for-all rally in 2007 and has the gold plaque on the (now passenger) door jamb to prove it. It's one of only nine Saleen 281 Extremes in the world and the only one in right-hand drive.
The winner of the 2007 Cannonball Run was given a tuned-up version of the Saleen and, yes, the one you see here has the same tweaks upping its original 410kW.
IF YOU HAVE TO ASK...
Also available is a Mustang dubbed "Ultimate Bad Boy" in either 560 or 746kW versions. The bigger Bad Boy is guaranteed to do 322km/h (200mph) at Gauteng altitude and a technician will fly out from the US to do final altitude tuning on delivery.
But be warned: This kind of power and exclusivity comes at a price. If you have to ask what price then you can't afford it. - INL Motoring
Call Jan on 083-486-9494 for more information.