This 1980 Ford McLaren Mustang M-81 shows just 4,887 miles and is number 10 of 10 examples hand-built by McLaren. The car was acquired by the current owner from the estate of its longtime original owner, who was a California-based collector. The turbocharged 2.3 liter inline-four is paired to a 4-speed manual transmission and was polished, blueprinted, and reassembled by McLaren before it was sold new. Notable features include a variable boost control with a range of 5-11 psi, upgraded suspension, hood scoops, fender flares, and a final drive of 3.45:1. The car came standard with Recaro sport seats and BBS wheels, and this example is optioned with a roll cage and air conditioning. The selling dealer recently had the car serviced and is offering it on behalf of the current owner with a clean California title.

This is a re-list after the car previously sold on BaT in December. The sale did not include include a California smog certificate and the winning bidder did not complete the transaction. The seller had the car serviced at a cost of over $600 and it has since passed California emissions testing. The smog certificate and receipt for the work performed can be seen in the gallery below.

Seven of the 10 models built were finished in Bittersweet Orange. The paint shines nicely in the provided photographs, though the seller mentions the finish has a patina. The fender flares and nose show notable rock chipping, and McLaren Mustang graphics remain on both door rocker panels.

The M-81 features a functional heat extracting hood and chin spoiler in addition to front and rear brake cooling ducts. Accented hood scoops and grille-less nose create an aggressive and unique look.

Steel fender flares cover a track that was widened from stock. 15×8” three-piece BBS wheels are wrapped in Firestone HPR 255/55 that are thought to be the original.

Recaro LS buckets wear upholstery matching the rear seats. They appear to be in good condition consistent with the low mileage. Door panels and dash are clean and are the same as a stock Mustang, but McLaren integrated a 14” Racemark steering wheel and Stewart-Warner instrumentation into the dash. The wood veneer above the glovebox displays a McLaren production plate that is detailed in the gallery below.

A bolt-in roll bar was added as an option and was SCCA approved at the time.

A T-3 Garret turbo was installed on the 2.3 liter inline-four and variable boost from 5-11 psi was controlled from inside the car. The engine made 145 lb. ft. of torque at 3,000 rpm on its the lowest boost setting, and horsepower with the boost at its highest level was estimated to be around 175. The car clocked a 9.76 second 0-60 mph as tested by Motor Trend when new. A fresh battery was recently installed and the seller had the car serviced in January 2017 with a rebuild of the carburetor, fresh plugs and fuel filters, and a cleaning of the EGR. The car is now said to run well.

McLaren suspension upgrades include sway bars from the police-package Fairmont with tungsten bushings, as well as fully-adjustable Koni shocks and struts with higher-rate springs.

While 249 M-81 Mustangs were scheduled for production, only 10 were produced. They carried an MSRP of $25,000 in 1980.

The car recently passed California emissions testing as shown by the inspection report above.