It’s also like a supercar, which helps explain the price.
Back in the day, muscle cars were relatively affordable or even cheap, depending on the model. It was a way for the average Joe to get a fun, powerful ride. Many weren’t all that flashy and certainly wouldn’t have been considered luxurious in any serious way. Times certainly have certainly changed, but even with more modern muscle cars being prestige machines, the Equus Bass 770 is quite the anomaly.
First revealed to the public in 2014, the Equus Bass 770 obviously draws inspiration from a handful of classic American muscle cars, most obviously the Ford Mustang, but with several elements from the classic Dodge Charger. In fact, the design inspiration came from the movie Bullitt. However, it debuted with a price point of $230,000 to $250,000. If you want a bespoke model, tack on another $100,000 or so. That’s well beyond what people were paying for Dodge Vipers out the door, so it’s understandable why some people think that’s a little much.
About that steep price, there’s a good reason for it. When it was in production, the Bass 770 was made entirely by hand. Equus co-owner Michael Shariff says it takes between 4,500 to 5,000 man hours to assemble just one car. Under those stamped aluminum body panels with carbon-fiber liners is an all-aluminum frame. In other words, it might look and even perform like a muscle car, but it’s built like a supercar.
For that kind of money, one would expect a top-performing vehicle. Considering Equus dropped an LS9, the same supercharged V8 used in the C6 ZR1 with 640-horsepower on tap, it certainly fit the bill. With the horsepower wars continuing to rage for now, that might not feel like as big of a number as it did seven years ago, but even by today’s standards it’s still impressive. Plus, the Bass 770 can rip from 0-60 in a claimed 3.4 seconds and hit 200 mph, proving it’s a real performer.
Speaking of supercars, the Equus Bass 770 featured an impressive array of tech. Yes, there’s a touchscreen infotainment center and electronic door handles, but the innovations go even further. For example, Brembo carbon ceramic brakes and a magnetic suspension provide greater control when pushing the car toward its limits. Even with all the innovations, the driving experience is kept pure with a six-speed manual gearbox.
If you’ve never seen the Equus Bass 770 in action, the video from Ridiculous Rides accompanying this article helps you sense what a performance machine it is. Sure, you’ll have to hear it all narrated by a British guy, which absolutely doesn’t jive with the American muscle scene, but the car can roast tires well enough.
