The 1980 Ford Mustang Cobra did not look much different than its predecessor, but it had lost something under the hood. To comply with new CAFE standards, the 302-ci V8 was reduced to 255-ci, losing 15 horses, giving the car only 119 horsepower.

Unlike the engine of the base model, the SVO-McLaren Turbo Mustang had a small yet powerful engine. Only a 2.3-liter 4-cylinder, the turbocharge pushed the psi from 5 to 11, giving it approximately 175 horsepower with the turbo. Unfortunately for some, the power in the engine combined with the bright orange-yellow color of the car invited many state troopers to seem to want a closer look, doling out many speeding tickets.