2008 Mustang Of The Year! - Top 10

John Urist,'93 Mustang
It takes a lot to be competitive in the NMRA's Super Street Outlaw category. Fireball John Urist has experienced a fair amount of success in recent years, racking up win after win and championship after championship with his venerable New Edge car. Earlier this year, however, Urist debuted a newly built Fox-body coupe SSO machine, and not only got acquainted with it, but won the first time out. Now that's making a statement.

We love the Fox-body Stangs and Urist's is no exception. His rocket-red '93 Mustang is based around a Behind Bars Race Cars chassis. Underhood lies a 420ci small-block Ford topped with Kuntz & Company prepped Edelbrock SC1 heads. The monstrous amount of power comes courtesy of a ProCharger F3R blower stuffing in a super top-secret amount of boost (read: a lot). While the combination is not unlike what was in his previous ride, the fact that Urist not only debuted a new car in one of the most competitive heads-up Mustang classes out there, but won the first time out and is in the hunt for yet another championship, makes him a no-brainer for the Top 10.

Dave Ferguson, '07 Mustang GT
With his day job consisting of performing duties on an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, the USS Carney, you can rest assured Dave Ferguson would have something powerful when it came to his street vehicle. Not only did Dave add power, but he added some of the hottest S197 parts in the aftermarket to create a car that truly deserves a solid spot in our Top 10.

The engine combination is simple. Dave put a Granatelli turbo system in the engine bay, hooking it up to the stock Three-Valve to create some easy tire-murdering power. As for the looks, a host of components from Classic Design Concepts, Steeda, and others give the car a presence all its own. Throw in the two-tone custom interior and the CDC Glassback roof, and it's quite apparent that Dave spent his time and effort on the car to not only make it look great, but to get it into the Nov. '08 issue.

Andy Speranza, '96 Mustang Cobra
Andy Speranza holds the keys to the only SN-95 Mustang that made our Top 10 list, but by no means is the inclusion of his '96 Cobra just a way to fill a quota. Speranza's topless Snake was in the May issue, and showcases a thought-filled process to transform it into a killer. While the '96 Cobra came with a naturally aspirated Four-Valve, Speranza wanted something packing a little more punch. Thanks to the drivetrain from the car's later-model brethren, an '04 Terminator, Andy transferred the blown mod motor into his ride. As if the supercharger wasn't enough, he slapped on a nitrous kit as well.

What puts this car over the top is its clean, yet stylish, appeal. A killer set of BBS wheels coincide with the two-tone paint and 10.80-second power to confirm its status in our Top 10 list of 2008.

Ken Hupf, '85 Mustang GT
If there was ever a car that exuded simple pleasures, then Ken Hupf's '85 GT would be it. The car that appeared in our May '08 issue, as well as being the inset photo on that issue's cover, is about as basic as a car can get. That is until Ken opens her up. The four-eyed Fox sports a 356ci Windsor topped with a Barry Grant carb. No nitrous, blower, or turbo can be found here-just simple, American-bred, naturally aspirated power. Backed by a Tremec 3550 five-speed, don't think for a moment that this car's simple and docile looks mean mediocre times at the strip. A wheels-up 10.87 run at 125 mph tells a different story.

The appealing nature of Ken's car is that an everyday enthusiast can build it. There isn't anything overly fancy on this car; just tried and true parts pioneered by a cost-conscious budget and mild tastes. It is on that note that we round out our Top 10 Mustangs of 2008 with Ken Hupf's four-eyed freak.