Summit Apex Program

1949 Mercury Eight

R179

Media library

13 photos

Original Build Studies

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Original Build Studies ↗

Photography Studio Gallery

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Photography Studio ↗

Ladies of WBS Gallery

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Ladies of WBS ↗

Story

Summit Apex Program takes the long, iconic ’49 Mercury Eight silhouette and forces it to do modern hill climb work—short bursts of full load, violent brake zones, and constant surface change. The widebody isn’t costume: it’s track width, tire, and cooling capacity packaged into trapezoidal front flares and compound rear quarters that stabilize airflow into a deep diffuser without losing the Merc’s roofline and glasshouse proportions.

The aero reads time-attack, but it’s engineered for mountains: a forward-swept hood with a center spine to keep flow attached, NACA-fed sidepod radiators for consistent temps at altitude, and a high-mounted twin-element wing to keep rear load predictable through switchbacks. It’s a purist’s nightmare built with the logic of a stopwatch—downforce you can tune, grip you can lean on, and a chassis layout that finally puts the weight where the road demands it.

Blueprint

The Whitepaper Room

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Collectible Poster

Collector's Edition

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Technical dossier

Fictional engineering concept

Platform

1949 Mercury Eight

Powertrain concept

Heavily reworked Mercury flathead V8 retained for character
optimized for sustained high-load climbs
Forward mid-engine shift into a tubular space-frame extension for improved polar moment and front grip
Sidepod radiator system fed by hood NACA ducts with high-efficiency ducting for altitude consistency
Side-exit exhaust routing to preserve underbody cleanliness for diffuser performance

Aero package

Twin-element carbon rear wing (1650mm span) on swan-neck pylons
adjustable primary flap with tall endplates
230mm-deep rear diffuser starting 190mm behind rear axle with seven vertical strakes for yaw stability
Hood center spine and flush NACA ducts to feed sidepod radiators with low drag penalty
Rear deck edge fences and extended shelf to strengthen rear pressure recovery ahead of the wing
Fender cooling slats angled rearward to evacuate brake duct turbulence and reduce wheel-well lift

Chassis & stance

1949 Mercury Eight

Wheels & tires

18x10.5 HRE Classic wheels front and rear
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2: 295/35R18 front
325/30R18 rear
Target track widths: 1630mm front
1700mm rear for stability without numbness

Fabrication notes

Tubular steel space frame integrated to support engine relocation
suspension loads
and aero mounting points
Hand-formed widebody panels with controlled compound curvature to keep reflections clean and airflow attached
Sealed ducting from hood NACA inlets to radiators with serviceable panels for stage-side access
Wing pylons tied into rear structure with load paths designed for sustained downforce
not show mounts