The third generation of Mercury Cyclone was introduced for the 1968 model year. This new generation of Cyclone saw the convertible body style dropped, while a new fastback was introduced. The third generation of Cyclone featured the introduction of two notable high performance variants, the Cyclone Cobra Jet, and the Cyclone Spoiler II, a special NASCAR homologation variant. A wide range of V8 engines were available for the third generation Cyclone, which saw production last until 1969, and was replaced by the Fourth Generation Mercury Cyclone.