Ford Reveals the Fastest Drag Racing Mustang Ever
Ford has revealed the 2018 Mustang Cobra Jet which is the quickest drag racing Mustang ever and is capable of going down the quarter mile in the mid-eight-second range. This limited edition, turnkey race car honours the 50th anniversary of the original that dominated drag strips back in 1968 and is set to make its public debut this coming weekend at the 2018 Woodward Dream Cruise. The Ford Performance Parts team developed the 50th anniversary car to be the most powerful and quickest factory Mustang Cobra Jet ever with the goal being to top 150 mph (241 km/h) in the aforementioned mid-eight-second quarter-mile run. The car features a powerful 5.2L version of the popular 5.0L V8 and has been strengthened and outfitted with a 3.0L Whipple supercharger. The engine sends power through a 9-in. solid rear axle, two-way coil-over shocks with adjustable ride height and a low-drag disc brake system from Strange Engineering as well as a four-link rear suspension with antiroll and panhard bars. Other factory—provided racing performance upgrades include an NHRA-certified safety roll cage, FIA-certified seats and anniversary-badged racing wheels. The car comes available in either Race Red or Oxford White and can be outfitted with 50th Anniversary graphics and badging. Production will be limited to just 68 cars and will feature a starting price of $130,000 USD. See below for a brief timeline of the history of the Mustang Cobra Jet.
Mustang Cobra Jet timeline
1968 – Original FE 428-cubic-inch V8-powered Cobra Jet is created:
- Ford produces 50 lightweight Mustangs to hold the 335-horsepower engine; six are shipped to Holman Moody and Bill Stroppe to be prepared for NHRA competition
- Al Joniec pilots one of the six to Cobra Jet’s first victory
2008 – Rebirth of factory Mustang Cobra Jet, M-FR500-CJ, 40 years later:
- Powered by a supercharged 5.4-litre dual-overhead-cam V8, this drag racing renaissance was the first Stock Eliminator car to dip into the eight-second zone at an NHRA National Event
- Unlike the original, the 50 produced this time around do not feature VINs, so they are not street legal
- John Calvert drives a Cobra Jet featuring Joniec tribute paint scheme to victory at NHRA Winternationals on 41st anniversary of its original win
2009-16 – M-FR500-CJ:
- 250 additional cars are produced with dozens of domestic drag racing records, victories and championships achieved across NHRA, IHRA, NMCA and NMRA
- Drivers range from experienced veterans to young drag racing stars in the making
- Through half a century, Mustang Cobra Jet orders are still being placed at local Ford dealerships
