Ringbrothers Works Spooky Magic on this 1968 Mercury Cougar Restomod
Big style, massive presence — and most importantly, a Coyote V-8.
You can't swing a custom, billet-hewn Cougar emblem these days without scratching up a few high-dollar restomods. There's an entire spectrum out there, ranging from the crate-motor-and-decal jobs to the Singer types. Ringbrothers is no Singer, but its builds are certainly special. We've seen a number recently, and all embody some fundamentally interesting idea. Whether it's a 1,080-hp, Hellcat-powered AMC AMX or a '48 Cadillac with ATS-V oily bits, the Ringbrothers folks like exploring the boundaries. That's why we're excited that the latest build is a swaggering Mercury Cougar rather than the typical Mustang — and it's the first Cougar the builders have gotten their mitts on, too.
It's not the most powerful build Ringbrothers has done recently, but the delicious 5.0-liter Coyote pumps out 460 horsepower — way more than even the burliest original offerings. It's backed up by a 10-speed automatic swiped from an F-150 Raptor — an interesting, and completely competent choice.
The basis is an XR7 hardtop given a frame-off restoration and a host of performance parts beyond the driveline swap. Suspension is courtesy of DSE, the wheels are forged three-piece units from HRE, and modern rubber from Michelin means this Cougar shouldn't fall over in a corner.
(photo credit: Ringbrothers)
