Mustang Coupe

Make
Ford
Segment
Coupe

Several years ago, the Plymouth Prowler may have been the car most notably associated with the old-fashioned open-wheeled hot rod roadster. Sadly, the Prowler was anything but a hot rod with its underpowered 3.5-liter V6. Fortunately, there was also the Panoz Roadster. It originally launched in 1992 by the Panoz Auto Development Company. In 1997, it was succeeded by the AIV Roadster.

Unlike the original Roadster's welded stainless steel tubing frame, the AIV had an aluminum space frame with a central backbone. It was also built on an aluminum chassis that reduced weight and increased performance. Special adhesives were also used to attach the body and frame. All told, it's constructed from 70 percent aluminum and weighs just 2,570 pounds. The rear-wheel-drive AIV was powered by the 1996 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra's all-aluminum 32-valve 4.6-liter V8 with 305hp and 300lb-ft of torque. It was mated to a five-speed manual and featured Penske shocks, a solid rear axle, and an independent front suspension.

Performance wise, the AIV can go from 0 to 60mph in just 4.3 seconds and has a top speed of 140mph. And without a doubt, the Panoz Roadster AIV is rare. This particular one that's currently up for sale on eBay is quite special because it's only one of 10 produced in this color combination as a special 1999 10th anniversary edition. This was the last year the AIV Roadster was made and only 10 were painted silver. It has a black leather interior, CD player, heating and A/C, a cloth top with zip in windows, and chrome wheels. With just a little over 3,100 miles on the odometer, it has an asking price of $48,500.

Sounds like a lot, but this is truly a modern and extremely rare American roadster in every sense that was discontinued way too soon. Pictures courtesy of jackyjoneslincoln.