Ford Aims To Break NHRA EV World Record With 1,800-HP Mustang Super Cobra Jet
Not content to rest on its laurels, Ford is heading back to the strip with to improve on its previous round of records.
Ford isn't the first brand that comes to mind for EV performance, but it has form in this area. The company isn't content with the records it set with the bonkers Ford Mustang Cobra Jet 1400. To rectify that, it's heading back to the drag strip with a new car with an even longer name.
The Ford Mustang Super Cobra Jet 1800 isn't just a mouthful. It's a new electric drag weapon set to warp perceptions and send quarter-mile records tumbling. Compared to the previous Cobra Jet, it features a new transmission and battery system, and a revised rear-end setup for better traction. It also runs new control and data-gathering systems to aid tuning.
Notably, the Super Cobra Jet 1800 still runs the same two DS-250-115 motors as before, paired with four PN-250-DZR inverters. However, Ford has been able to tune the system to deliver 1,800 horsepower, up from 1,500 hp previously. The new lighter-weight battery has a role to play in those gains. Along with other modifications, it's helped shed hundreds of pounds from the car, too.
Ford's hope is that the new revision will break the previous full-bodied EV quarter mile record set by the Cobra Jet 1400. In 2021, it achieved a quarter mile time of just 8.128 seconds at 171.97 mph with Bob Tasca III behind the wheel. It's also hoped the car will claim records for the fastest EV zero-to-60 mph time, both in two-wheel-drive and outright classifications.
The record attempts will take place at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Las Vegas on April 14-16. Pat McCue of MLe Racecars will be behind the wheel of the Super Cobra Jet 1800 given his experience gleaned from the Cobra Jet 1400 program.
While Tesla has one of the quickest road-registerable EVs, Ford is very much dominating on track. Whether that transitions to bigger performance for the company's road-going vehicles remains to be seen.
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