The New Mustang Cobra Jet Is Fastest Factory-Built Mustang Drag Racer Yet
Ford’s new limited edition, purpose-built drag racer will run a mid-eight-second quarter-mile at 150 mph.
Ford has released new information about the 2018 Mustang Cobra Jet, the latest iteration of its purpose-built, drag strip-only Mustang. The brand claims the new Cobra Jet will be the fastest car in a straight line with a stallion badge on it, tackling the quarter-mile in eight seconds at 150 mph.
Mustang fans will no doubt have heard of the Cobra Jet designation, but here's a refresher. Like its predecessors, the 2018 Cobra Jet pays tribute to the 1968 Cobra Jet drag racer, a car that wiped the floor with its competition at the 1968 NHRA Winternationals. That legendary car turns 50 this year, so Ford Performance Parts has made the 2018 Cobra Jet extra special.
“From the very first Mustang Cobra Jets dominating the 1968 NHRA Winternationals to our modern-day Cobra Jet racers, the Ford Performance Parts team continues to build the Cobra Jet brand based on its success at the track over five decades,” commented Eric Cin, global director of Ford Performance Parts.
The new drag racer is powered by a supercharged, 5.2-liter Coyote V8 and a collection of modifications from the brand's Ford Performance Parts division, plus a Strange Engineering nine-inch solid rear-axle, 50th Anniversary-badged Weld Racing wheels, NHRA-approved roll cage, Racetech FIA seats, and drag race-optimized coil-overs with a four-link rear suspension kit. These modifications make it legal to race in National Mustang Racers Association and National Muscle Car Association series events, in addition to NHRA drag races.
Buyers can option their new Cobra Jets in either Oxford White or Race Red, and can choose to add a 50th anniversary graphic pack if they so desire. There is a catch though—Ford will only build 68 new Cobra Jets, none of which are road-legal. Pricing and additional performance numbers will be announced this summer, but considering the 2016 Mustang Cobra Jet's nearly six-figure price tag, the 2018 edition definitely won't be cheap.
