2018 Ford Mustang Cobra Jet Will Exorcise Challenger SRT Demons With Mid-Eight-Second Quarter-Mile
It has been exactly five decades since Ford introduced its original Mustang Cobra Jet, which made its debut only four years after the first Mustang arrived. In celebration of the Cobra Jet's 50th anniversary, Ford went and built another model for 2018 that is the "most powerful and quickest version from the factory yet." And by that, Ford means it roar down a quarter-mile in the mid-eight-second range while topping 150 miles per hour.
"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," said Eric Cin, global director, Ford Performance Parts. "That, in turn, has inspired generations of Mustang fans to create their own performance machines for the street."
The 2018 Mustang Cobra Jet is faster in the quarter-mile than Dodge's hellishly fast Challenger SRT Demon, which itself breathes 840 horsepower and burns the quarter-mile in 9.65 seconds. To slay the Demon, Ford outfitted its latest model Mustang Cobra Jet with a supercharged 5.2-liter Coyote V8 engine. Ford's Performance tuned the engine and purpose-built the car for the racetrack.
It's also outfitted with a unique four-link rear suspension and a 9-inch solid rear axle from Strange Engineering. There are a variety of add-ons that will be made available, including an NHRA-certified roll cage, racing seats, and a drag race-specific coil-over suspension with specially designed Weld Racing wheels with 50th anniversary badging.
Ford is limiting its production run of the 2018 Mustang Cobra Jet to just 68 cars as a nod to the original's 1968 debut. It will be available in Race Red and Oxford White color options. There is no word on price yet—ordering information and a full list of specifications will be released this summer.
