Car collector creates unique model by adding 520-hp Lamborghini engine to ‘07 Mustang
Larry Edsall / Special to The Detroit News
Take a 2006 Lamborghini Gallardo, a pair of 2007 Ford Mustangs and put them together and what do you have? If you’re car collector John Haugh, you have the Tractorri, a unique, Lambo-powered, mid-engine Mustang.
Haugh, who founded a company that produces the pigments that give color to plastics and has a collection of some 30 cars, always wanted a street car with a Formula One racing engine. But the Eastlake, Ohio, resident wanted to put such an engine into a car that no one had done before.
Intrigued with the idea of putting a Grand Prix-style powertrain inside a classic American car, Haugh considered a 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air as a possible object for his automotive art. He discovered, however, that the conversion would be too complex. He also considered a late ’60s Ford Mustang fastback because the rear-mounted engine could be seen through the car’s sloping rear roof.
Because of time and availability, Haugh and his team settled on the 2007 Mustang, which also has a sloping roofline. But he found he had to get a pair of them because of the extensive modifications needed for the marriage of Mustang and Lambo. For example, Haugh and the mechanical team from Rick Roush Engineering needed four Mustang doors to create the two custom doors for the Tractorri.
Last year, Haugh hired automotive artist Darrell Mayabb of Arvada, Colo., to do design work for his car, which was built around a custom-built space frame chassis created to carry the 520-horsepower, 5.0-liter V10 engine, transmission and all-wheel drivetrain from the Gallardo and the reworked Mustang body and customized interior.
The car took 500-man hours to produce and Haugh says the powertrain retains its original Lamborghini warranty.
Lambo1 on May 28th 2008 in Exotic Car Rental