RE: New Mustang Cobra Jet announced

RE: New Mustang Cobra Jet announced

Friday 17th August 2018

New Mustang Cobra Jet announced

Think expensive, track-only cars are a waste of time? Better look away now, this one can't even go around corners...



Ford has announced a new Mustang Cobra Jet - not to be confused with the Mustang Super Snake - to mark the 50th anniversary of the original car taking the drag strips of America by storm.

Powered by a strengthened, 5.2-litre version of the 5.0-litre V8 found in the Mustang GT, the Cobra Jet also employs a 3.0-litre(!) Whipple supercharger, enabling quarter mile runs "in the mid-eight-second range" and making it the quickest factory Mustang dragster ever built.

To handle its as-yet-unannounced but presumably enormous power output, the Cobra Jet also features a 9-inch solid rear axle, four-link rear suspension with anti-roll and panhard bars, two-way coil-over shock absorbers with adjustable ride height, and a low-drag disc brake system. Oh, and there's also an NHRA-certified safety roll cage and seats incase all that turns out to not be enough.


You may well question the relevance of such an offering but Ford certainly doesn't, seeing it as the continuation of a lineage which inspires customers to purchase and modify some Mustang muscle of their own. Eric Cin, Global Director of Ford Performance Parts explains: "From the very first Mustang Cobra Jets dominating the 1968 NHRA Winternationals to our modern-day racers, the Ford Performance Parts team continues to build on Cobra Jet's success at the track over five decades. This has inspired generations of Mustang fans to create their own performance machines for the street."

The new Mustang Cobra Jet is available in either Race Red or Oxford White and can be optioned with the throwback 50th Anniversary decals seen here, because why not? Production is set to be limited to just 68 cars, in honor of the Cobra Jet's 1968 debut, with each example priced at $130,000.




Author
Discussion

sidesauce

Original Poster:

2,456 posts

217 months

Friday 17th August 2018
quotequote all
That look pretty ace actually.

chazwozza

724 posts

185 months

Friday 17th August 2018
quotequote all
Not something i'd want, but I love the fact that a mainstream manufacturer still signs off on a car like this. Variety is the spice and all that!

Pericoloso

44,044 posts

162 months

Friday 17th August 2018
quotequote all
How bizarre .

Has any manufacturer ever offered a dragster off the shelf before ?

68 cars ,perhaps they could have a one make drag series ?

Bencolem

1,013 posts

238 months

Friday 17th August 2018
quotequote all
Is it road legal?

rb_89

113 posts

69 months

Friday 17th August 2018
quotequote all
That's cool, interesting of Ford to offer a drag car off the shelf.

Drag racing isn't something i'd be interested in for a car to own personally, but I like watching drag races on Youtube, seeing how much power people can squeeze out of Nissan GTR's etc.

james_tigerwoods

16,287 posts

196 months

Friday 17th August 2018
quotequote all
chazwozza said:
Not something i'd want, but I love the fact that a mainstream manufacturer still signs off on a car like this. Variety is the spice and all that!
This is mad and as you say, it's nice that there's manufacturers that do bonkers things like this smile

Plug Life

978 posts

90 months

Friday 17th August 2018
quotequote all
Perfect daily driver.

Mr_Sukebe

374 posts

207 months

Friday 17th August 2018
quotequote all
I wonder how they've worded the warranty?

unsprung

5,467 posts

123 months

Friday 17th August 2018
quotequote all
chazwozza said:
Not something i'd want, but I love the fact that a mainstream manufacturer still signs off on a car like this. Variety is the spice and all that!
+1

and meet the product team down the pub, to hear their development stories

would be great fun

3.0-litre blower? mwa-ha-ha-haaa !

unsprung

5,467 posts

123 months

Friday 17th August 2018
quotequote all
Bencolem said:
Is it road legal?
no, as none of the 68 examples will have a VIN

this is a dedicated track monster and, like its forebears, the 68 units will be sold out in an instant

some background info
https://autoweek.com/article/racing/new-2018-cobra...

AmosMoses

4,039 posts

164 months

Friday 17th August 2018
quotequote all
Pericoloso said:
How bizarre .

Has any manufacturer ever offered a dragster off the shelf before ?

68 cars ,perhaps they could have a one make drag series ?
Quite a few in the US!

Dodge did the Challenger Drag Pak

https://jalopnik.com/new-dodge-challenger-drag-pak...

Chevy sell the COPO Camaro

https://www.chevrolet.com/performance/copo-camaro

Ford have done the Cobra Jet for a few years

2014 - https://www.motortrend.com/news/2014-ford-mustang-...

2008 - http://www.mustangandfords.com/featured-vehicles/m...

Quite the market for this stuff in Merica.

ducnick

1,765 posts

242 months

Friday 17th August 2018
quotequote all
If you want one that goes round corners Ford also sell the GT350S mustang which is essentially a Shelby gt350R stripped out with a roll cage and race electronics system, big wings and stock GT engine, built to GT4 regulations. No VIN either sadly

treeroy

564 posts

84 months

Friday 17th August 2018
quotequote all
So Ford has cancelled all its cars in America and yet will build a dragster out of the factory. LOL

unsprung

5,467 posts

123 months

Friday 17th August 2018
quotequote all
AmosMoses said:
Pericoloso said:
How bizarre .
Quite a few in the US!
true

primer on half a century of Big Three* drag racers
http://www.racepagesdigital.com/7-seconds-to-glory...

and race-ready GT4 cars, too

Camaro
https://www.motortrend.com/news/the-chevrolet-cama...

Mustang
https://performanceparts.ford.com/GT4/

*Bonus points for knowing the pony car produced by the fourth independent OEM, no longer extant


MikeGalos

261 posts

283 months

Friday 17th August 2018
quotequote all
unsprung said:
*Bonus points for knowing the pony car produced by the fourth independent OEM, no longer extant
Do you mean the American Motors Javelin or the American Motors AMX?
Or maybe the Studebaker Avanti (if you want to argue it was the first "Pony Car")?

ManyMotors

628 posts

97 months

Friday 17th August 2018
quotequote all
I'm not a Ford fan but this car is interesting. Of course, Chevrolet and Dodge make similar non-registerable vehicles.

Drag racing is a delight as it is simple and satisfying. With handicapping, nearly any vehicle can race another. And though there is racing against others, just trying to run your best is a challenge. And, when running a quicker (read that "more horsepower") vehicle, there is an orgasmic type of satisfaction of feeling it get off the line and down the track. I have found fellow competitors at drag racing somewhat unique: they all seem smart, cautious and full of comradery. And in drag racing, "rubbin' is NOT racing" as crossing into your opponents lane is automatic disqualification. Though purpose built drag vehicles are very quick, a 911 Turbo S can deliver amazing results - so Europe actually has some excellent equipment to enjoy the sport. Or, put "720S" into You Tube search and enjoy wonderful displays of getting down the strip.

Gandahar

9,600 posts

127 months

Friday 17th August 2018
quotequote all
This car reminds me of my cooking exploits with yeast.


The Mclaren 720S just creeps into the high 9's, this doing 1 second quicker? It must be huge bhp and the tyres. The tyres. Hooters sponsored Hoosiers no doubt. First person in the UK to get one and brings it to a PH meet gets a hearty slap on the back.

Wait till they do the plug in hybrid version for all that low down torque hippy


Edited by Gandahar on Friday 17th August 16:11

unsprung

5,467 posts

123 months

Friday 17th August 2018
quotequote all
MikeGalos said:
unsprung said:
*Bonus points for knowing the pony car produced by the fourth independent OEM, no longer extant
Do you mean the American Motors Javelin or the American Motors AMX?
yes



MikeGalos said:
Or maybe the Studebaker Avanti (if you want to argue it was the first "Pony Car")?
non-starter / system error / false



Cold

15,207 posts

89 months

Friday 17th August 2018
quotequote all
Is there scope for moddng or will any of the potential track times all be down to the individual driver?

Ultrafunkula

996 posts

104 months

Friday 17th August 2018
quotequote all
Wonder what it's Nurburgring lap time will be...