The ultimate Ford GT

It's not as though Ford's GT wasn't fast or rare enough in the first instance, but UK-based Avro Motor Cars has joined forces with renowned Ford tweaker Roush Technologies to create an ultra-rapid, ultra-exclusive take on the mid-engined missile.

Just 10 examples of the Avro 720 Mirage special edition will be offered for sale, the first of which recently rolled out of Roush's Technical Centre in Brentwood, Essex.

Immediately obvious is the lairy Arancia Metallica (Italian Metallic Orange) duco with semi-matt black details and wheels, but the most significant mods are beneath the skin as the '720 Mirage' is a reference to the supercharged V8's 720bhp output (that's 537kW in the metric scale).

No less formidable is the towering peak torque output of 815Nm, which means the Avro 720 Mirage has more oomph than the Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 (471kW/660Nm) and Ferrari 599 GTB (456kW/608Nm).

The car is also derestricted (ie not speed-limited), which, according to its maker, gives the orange tearaway a top speed capability in excess of 354km/h.

Central to the increased power is a larger -- and polished -- Whipple supercharger and bespoke throttle body and inlet manifold. An 'Accufab X pipe' exhaust system with ceramic-coated tips is also said to help the blown V8 breathe better.

The Roush/Avro boffins haven't left the chassis untouched, as the front and rear tracks are 5mm wider than the standard car. Stopping power is uprated by AP Racing 6-pot front calipers with Stillen drilled and slotted rotors -- and similar rotors are used at the rear. 

The Avro 720's ultra-beefy stance is partly the result of suspension that's been lowered by 25mm and uprated to include a fully adjustable coil-over system.

Visual tweaks besides the orange-black theme include bespoke sill plates and the deletion of the rear bumper -- partly to save weight.

The Avro 720 follows just under a year after the Roush 600RE (more here). Avro managing director Andy McGrath said in a prepared statement that "simply identifying and locating more available untitled vehicles has been a significant challenge for us". 

"The 720 Mirage is available exclusively from Avro -- and once these cars are completed, we believe there will be no more," McGrath said. "Examples of our 600RE edition are now located in several parts of the world -- and we expect the market response to the 720 Mirage to be similarly international."

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