Network
Would you be able to spot this wide-body Bentley Continental GT as a replica?
Let’s get the obvious out of the way first. This is a replica 2016 Bentley Continental GT built on a 2005 Mustang GT S197 chassis, and it’s absolutely insane.
The man who built this Frankenstein Mustang-Bentley hybrid? Well, he’d rather remain anonymous; and for good reason. Not in fear that he might be roasted like a stuffed pig over an open fire at a luau, but because he does crazy stuff like this for a living. Can you blame him?
We spoke with Cowboy about his replica Bentley European luxury car and asked the question that’s on everyone’s mind – why the hell did he do it? “I’ve owned over 50 cars, and I’ve built a lot of cars as well,” Cowboy said. “Back in ’06 when the C6 Z06 came out and I purchased one, I saw a random Bentley GT on the road and thought the car looked awesome. I actually had the opportunity to talk to the owner of that car, and I was thinking about buying one. He told me he only had the car for about six months, but that it had already had a lot of issues. He said it was leaking, making all kinds of noises, and was always in the shop from what I remember him telling me. That’s when I decided I would build a Bentley for myself instead using a Mustang chassis.
I wanted to build this car for myself. It was a challenge I wanted to take on. I love to have something unique that no one else has; and more importantly, to have fun with it. I’m about 60 to $65,000 into the build. Every single part on the car that would ever need to be replaced can be purchased from an auto parts store for dirt cheap. You can take it to any mechanic around the nation, and they can fix it. It looks cool, it sounds cool, and it’s fun to drive; and the maintenance is cheap. You can’t even get a Bentley on a rack at a dealership for less than $500. For that kind of money, you could replace the entire clutch on this car.”
That’ll be $500.
The replica started life as a clean title 5-speed manual ’05 Mustang GT with 102,000 miles on it’s odometer. Though after Cowboy completely disassembled the car down to it’s bare frame, that’s when the fun really began.
“I scanned the Bentley body into the computer as a CAD drawing, and I made some adjustments to fit it onto a S197 Mustang chassis,” Cowboy said. “I printed a model version using a 3D printer, and then made a mold to begin making the body. I used authentic Bentley headlights and tail lights, and thousands of Bentley components for this build. I think it came out pretty good.”
“I designed a Widebody that was custom and I liked better,” Cowboy said. “I wasn’t a huge fan of the Veilside but I love the Widebody look so when I saw the Veilside it inspired me to make a unique design.” This Bentley replica is powered by the Mustang’s factory 4.6-liter 3-valve V8 and uses the optional Tremec 5-speed manual transmission. Throughout the car you will find subtle changes in performance, such as a brand new set of Ford Racing 3.73 gears, a custom Flowmaster exhaust, and an upgraded suspension using Tokico shocks and struts matched with Ford Racing lowering springs.
Cowboy also said that more than 90 percent of the Bentley components used in the build are authentic OEM parts which were extremely costly. The 2016 headlights, tail lights, and reverse lights alone totaled nearly $8,000 from the manufacturer, according to Cowboy, so it's easy to see how things added up.
We dig the light setup on the Bentley.
Cowboy has also taken care of most of the dirty work associated with preventative maintenance by replacing all of the necessary fluids and gaskets, ensuring the bone-stock 4.6 runs as smooth and leak-free as ever.
“People always ask us what model of Bentley it is,” Cowboy said. “We tell them it’s a Mustang, and they look at us like we’re an idiot because they think we’re joking. We just rev the engine up and they start laughing. If anyone knows Mustangs really well, it might be a dead giveaway from the sound of the 4.6 liter V8 engine. The guys that don’t know Mustangs can’t believe a ‘Bentley’ would sound like that.
In the past, I’ve owned both authentic and replica Lamborghinis and exotics, and I’ve built some stellar stuff. I currently own a Lamborghini Murcielago and a Diablo. I’ve owned a replica Diablo roadster in the past, and that car was dead-on factory spec.”
The car also boasts a Mustang-Bentley hybrid interior as well, which surprisingly doesn't look as bad as you'd think it would. The car still retains many of the Ford factory amenities, though includes a few new ones like an 8-inch touchscreen head unit for the stereo and an in-dash voice command GPS, along with a head-up display on the windshield.
For those of you in the market for a six-figure car without the six-figure price, you may want to consider this Bentley Continental GT built on the bones of a Mustang GT. Is there even a market for that type of owner? Sure, anything’s possible – but one thing’s for sure, it’s a pretty crazy and unique car regardless of whether you like it or not.
