Ringbrothers’ Espionage Mustang hides a secret even bigger than its 959 hp V8

By Miles Branman April 21, 2016

If you’ve never heard of Ringbrothers, seeing pictures of their latest vehicular creation might put you in a Googling mood.

Jim and Mike Ring run a collision and repair shop in the small town of Spring Green, Wisconsin, but they also pump out one or two custom built cars each year. The duo have won a host of tuning awards over the years, including honors at SEMA, which is probably why we’re ogling this 1965 Mustang without shame.

What makes this car amazing isn’t just what’s under the hood — a 427 cubic inch LS7 with a Whipple supercharger making 959 horsepower and 858 pound-feet of torque — it’s the muscle car’s bones. This Mustang is completely carbon fiber and has been dubbed “Espionage” by its creators. Incorporating carbon fiber here and there is one thing, but to base a vehicle completely on a CF structure is a whole new animal.

The Ring brothers took the 1965 fastback’s shape, widened it by two inches, and touched the shape up further to help it stand out from other restoration projects. The wider, far lighter frame is finished in a custom BASF Glasurit 90-Line Waterborne paint color called “Spy Green.” Name aside, this thing is sure to draw a lot of attention.

Mechanically, that monstrous supercharged LS7 is paired with a six-speed Tremec T56 transmission, custom headers, custom driveshaft, Ford 9.0-inch rear end, and Flowmaster Supper 44 exhaust. To keep its outrageous power in check, Ringbrothers fit the Espionage with Baer 14.0-inch discs and 6S calipers. Covering its stoppers are HRE wheels shod in Nitto Invo tires that measure 295 at the front and a giant 345 at the rear.

“’Espionage’ has been a huge undertaking for our little shop. Over the past few years it has been an incredible challenge but one that’s also been incredibly rewarding,” said Jim Ring. “When Mike and I build a car, we always try and come up with something that nobody’s ever seen before and I think that the work we’ve done on “Espionage” really qualifies that statement.”

Espionage may have that blast-from-the-past look, but it’s so powerful, it’s much more likely to launch you Back to the Future.

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