Ford Performance: The 2018 Mustang Cobra Jet Comes with More Displacement; Poised as Fastest Factory Mustang Ever Built

TopSpeed

By Jonathan Lopez

Published Apr 18, 2018

Ready to race right out of the box

Half a century ago, Ford unleashed the very first Mustang Cobra Jet, quickly capturing the hearts of straight-line Blue Oval enthusiasts with its impressive prowess in the quarter-mile sprint. Now, Ford is celebrating that history with a new limited-run racer model that brings the heat in a big way.

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The Full Story

Broken down to its essentials, the 2018 Mustang Cobra Jet by Ford Performance is the “most powerful and quickest from the factory ever.” That’s an impressive claim, even for a “turnkey racer,” but that’s to be expected for the 50th anniversary of a drag racing legend.

Making this machine ready to roll is a variety of extra performance parts from the Ford Performance catalog, as well as a number of special modifications that take it from street prowler to certified track terror.

Indeed, the new Cobra Jet isn’t street legal, and you won’t be able to register it, which means you’ll need to bring a trailer. That’s just as well, as it’s undoubtedly a hardcore racer that belongs on the 1320 and nowhere else.

Properly piloted, Ford says the 2018 Mustang Cobra Jet will run the quarter mile in the mid-8-second range, passing the speed traps at around 150 mph. That’s insanely fast, and the numbers actually beat the 2016 model years by several tenths, which did the quarter mile in the high-8’s.

Motivation is provided by a supercharged 5.2-liter “Coyote” V-8, which sees an upsize of 200 cc’s over the older model’s 5.0-liter powerplant.

Helping it grip is a unique four-link rear suspension, added as a replacement for the independent rear suspension used prior. The Cobra Jet also uses a new 9-inch solid rear axle provided by Strange Engineering, plus drag race-specific coilover suspension pieces, all of which should lay down some mighty traction.

Unique Weld Racing wheels are mounted in the corners, while the requisite 50th anniversary badging decorates the exterior.

Inside, the Cobra Jet is equipped with an NHRA-certified roll cage and FIA-approved Racetech seats.

Ford is planning a limited production run of just 68 examples, a nod to the Cobra Jet’s first year of production. Exterior colors include the choice of either Oxford White or Race Red.

Pricing and final specs will be released closer to the dragster’s release date this summer. That said, expect a figure around $100,000, give or take.

It’s pricey, for sure, but that’s what you gotta pay for a world-class race-ready speed machine. The 2018 Mustang Cobra Jet was designed to compete in a variety of drag racing events, including those sanctioned by the NHRA, the National Mustang Racers Association, and the National Muscle Car Association.

Obviously, this thing draws several comparisons to recently released Dodge Demon. The Demon is a bit slower than the Cobra Jet, managing a quarter run in the mid-9’s at 140 mph. However, while the Ford is a pure-bred racer, the Demon is street legal. At the same time, the Ford is sanctioned by the NHRA, while the Demon is not.

Wrap your brain around that one.