Skip to main content

Galpin-Fisker’s Rocket Speedster Mustang wows Pebble Beach with 725 topless horsepower

If your favorite recipe involves crème fraîche or truffle butter, you’re doing it wrong. For a more zesty concoction, try mixing carbon fiber with supercharged V8s, but don’t forget to chop the top.

Galpin Motors and famed designer Henrik Fisker have followed that blueprint to a T with the Rocket Speedster Concept, which was just unveiled at the 2015 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance event. Based on the 2015 Mustang GT, the vehicle’s exterior has been completely redone with carbon fiber body panels, including a vented hood, custom front splitter, and a “speedster cover” that effectively eliminates the rear seats for a truly unique look.

The carbon fiber tonneau doesn’t just look slick; it’s been carefully designed to reduce drag. Its exposed outlets feature integrated mesh behind the driver and passenger seats to allow a smooth, nonturbulent flow of air — and better yet, the Mustang’s convertible soft top is still functional if you remove the cover.

With a name like Rocket, the performance had better stack up, and it certainly does here. The Speedster equips the same 5.0-liter V8 as the base GT, but it’s been equipped with a Whipple supercharger and produces a whopping 725 horsepower. To help slow the car down, the Concept wears 15-inch Brembo brakes, 21-inch alloy wheels, and fully adjustable suspension.

“When I worked on the Rocket Speedster project with [Galpin Motors President Beau Boeckmann], the creativity sparks were constantly in the air,” said Henrik Fisker. “When I was designing the speedster cover, I gave it extreme sculpture and dynamic lines that flows with the muscular body of the Rocket and created a new interior graphic to go with it. I’m very excited to unveil the Rocket Speedster at the Pebble Beach concept lawn with Beau.”

The coupe version of the “super Mustang” was previewed back in 2014, and a production version was unveiled in March of this year. While the Rocket Speedster you see above is also a conceptual model, a road-going version is planned to be built in low volumes, however no arrival date has been announced at this time.

As far as price goes, Galpin and Fisker did not reveal an MSRP for the convertible. The coupe starts at $109,100 though, so you can expect a noticeable premium for the drop-top model.

Editors' Recommendations

Andrew Hard
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Andrew first started writing in middle school and hasn't put the pen down since. Whether it's technology, music, sports, or…
You’ll soon be able to watch YouTube videos in your Android Automotive car
Android Auto in a car.

Google is making a bigger play for the in-car infotainment system. At Google I/O 2023, the company took the wraps off of a series of improvements to both Android Auto and Android Automotive, allowing those who want Google-based services in their car to get more features and better account integration.

As a reminder, the two systems may have a similar (almost identical?) name, but are actually quite different. Android Auto essentially just projects content from your phone, whether through a wireless or wired connection. It's Google's answer to Apple's CarPlay, and doesn't work without your phone. Android Automotive, however, is a version of Android that runs in the car itself, as the car's main infotainment system. It works whether you have a connected phone or not. Collectively, Google refers to the systems as Android for Cars -- yes, yet another name.

Read more
Are EVs safe? From battery fires to autopilot, here are the facts
Lucid Air electric car

While many people will be primarily concerned with EV range before buying their first electric vehicle, others are a little nervous about having a giant lithium-ion battery strapped to their car's undercarriage. Those things can catch fire -- just ask Chevy Bolt owners. But how much of a real danger is that? And should it prevent you from buying an EV?
What safety features do EV batteries have?
The major safety issue with lithium-ion batteries is their temperature. If they get too hot, they're prone to igniting. If they get too cold, they freeze and permanently stop working. Charge and discharge rates need to be carefully regulated too, or you'll get electrical fires. Over time, small imperfections in a battery's structure can lead to short circuits and reduced lifetime.

EVs have what are called battery management systems (BMS) to keep tabs on all of these variables. The BMS will generate warnings when needed and intervene directly by cutting off power if things get out of hand. EV battery packs also have thermal management systems. Typically, this is a closed loop of liquid coolant flowing alongside the battery cells, but air cooling and welding battery cells directly to the car chassis are also means of mitigating extreme heat.
How well do EVs handle a crash?
Since there's no engine at the front of an EV, the hood typically houses a frunk -- meaning a front trunk. This acts as a large crumple zone in the case of a head-on accident. One crash in Germany avoided casualties thanks to this inherent characteristic of electric vehicles. Crash tests bear this out. Popular EVs like the Tesla Model 3, Hyundai Ioniq 5, and Nissan Leaf have all received overall five-star ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Read more
The locations of over 2 million Toyota cars were exposed for 10 years
2018 toyota yaris gazoo news specs performance teaser logo

Ever get the sense that you're being tracked? Well, if you're a Toyota driver, you may have been. Toyota has disclosed in a statement that the locations of 2,150,000 of its customers were at risk of breach between November 6, 20i3, and April 17, 2023.

Information that was at risk specifically included the vehicle GPS and navigation terminal ID number, the chassis number, and the location of the vehicle with time data. This information is related to Toyota's cloud-based Connected service, which is used to remind owners to get maintenance done, stream entertainment in the car, and help find owners during emergency situations. Users who used services like Toyota Connected, G-Link, and G-Book were potentially affected.

Read more