The Mustang is a legend in its own right, but these are the best special edition Ford Mustangs of all time.

The Ford Mustang came onto the scene in 1965 and, with it, introduced the pony car segment of the market, which would go on to effectively revive the muscle car scene in the United States. The Mustang has been celebrating its storied success through the ages with a variety of special edition models and limited production runs so today, we’re recounting 5 of the best models ever released. 

Don’t look for the Bullitt – it’s not here. It’s cool because it was in a movie, but that’s about it. It’s lame. Here are 5 special edition Mustangs that are not lame:

5. 1995 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R

After the first iteration of the Cobra R was wildly successful with the Fox Body Mustang, Ford let SVT after the 1995 Cobra to see what they could make of it. Naturally, SVT replaced the Cobra’s standard 5.0L V8 with an SVT-tuned 5.8L Windsor V8 good for 300 horsepower. 

Since the R stands for “Race” the Cobra’s new focus was also in weight reduction. The Cobra R didn’t feature a back seat, radio, A/C, power anything, or fog lights. In fact, the fog light channels were used to cool the rotors instead. Only 250 were made and buyers had to have valid racing licenses to purchase one. 

4. 2013 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca

The 2013 Mustang GT was the first year of a new facelift for the model and was a success in its own right, but the Boss 302, inspired by the original 1969 run, was arguably the most perfect version a GT Mustang could be at the time.

The 302 featured 444 hp to the GT’s 412 as well as upgraded suspension components, a lowered ride and even some trickery in the exhaust system to produce a more pronounced growl. The Laguna Seca model replaced the front seats with Recaro racing seats and the back seats with a massive X-brace to improve rigidity, making this Mustang that much more track-oriented.

3. 1968 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 KR

KR stands for “King of the Road” – this special edition Mustang was built in celebration of Ford’s recent Le Mans wins but also as a testament to the success of the Shelby Mustangs in general. Most importantly, however, was the new 428 Cobra Jet engine that the car would feature.

The true horsepower figures of the car are unknown, as Ford reported them to be far less than what they truly were for insurance purposes. The car did, however, generate 440 lb-ft of torque, so most guesses place the horsepower north of 400, and that’s being conservative. The GT500 KR also received a plethora of air scoops and fiberglass styling upgrades compared to the regular car. A 40th-anniversary edition featuring 540 hp debuted in 2008, as well.

2. 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1

The Mach 1 is the car that inadvertently killed the GT for Ford for more than a decade. The Mach 1 was introduced as the king of the GT trims and marketed to be superior to the GT in all ways. The performance was not underplayed. Ford’s marketing department did a little too good a job here, though, as nobody wanted anything less than a Mach 1 and the GT nameplate disappeared for a while and Mach 1 became the new ‘gold standard’.

The Mach 1 featured absolutely eye-catching styling for the exterior and was powered by a range of four different engines, including a standard 5.8L Windsor V8, a 6.4L FE V8, and a 7.0L Super Cobra Jet V8. The Mach 1 was introduced in 1969, bringing the total number of performance Mustang options to six. Overwhelmed yet?

1. 2016 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R

Almost everyone was skeptical of the redesigned 2015 Mustang before it made it to market, saying the styling was not suited to the American muscle car scene and that the soft, curving lines were more reminiscent of a German coupe. Many claimed this new Mustang was an imposter and could never compare to what was already perfect. 

And then, the GT350R happened the following year. It’s not a muscle car, first and foremost, and that’s what makes it the bravest, most innovative, and most important Mustang in history. This is a track machine. This is the Mustang that proves what Mustangs are capable of and it has completely shifted the interest of the market from high-power straight line machines to muscle cars that actually pose a threat on the track among more refined counterparts. 

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