First Look: 50th Anniversary Ford Performance Mustang Cobra Jet

By RK Motors - Aug 16, 2018

Ford’s Cobra Jet Mustang has been a success since 1968, and now Ford Performance introduces the 2018 CJ—a 50th Anniversary Mustang Cobra Jet that is slated to be the quickest and most powerful drag racing Mustang ever.

Ford revealed the new 50th Anniversary Mustang Cobra Jet at the popular Woodward Dream Cruise in Detroit and HOT ROD was there to get a first look. “From the very first Mustang Cobra Jets dominating the 1968 NHRA Winternationals to our modern-day racers, the Ford Performance Parts team continues to build on Cobra Jet’s success at the track over five decades,” said Eric Cin, global director, Ford Performance Parts. “This has inspired generations of Mustang fans to create their own performance machines for the street.”

Cobra Jet has always epitomized the close teamwork between traditional and motorsports engineering groups to maximize the design, performance and durability. In its NHRA debut at the 1968 NHRA Winternationals at Pomona, Al Joniec drove his brand-new 428-powered Mustang to victory in Super Stock eliminator. This amazing feat kick started decades of winning in Cobra Jet-powered Ford and Mercury cars.

The first era of Cobra Jet included the 428, 429, and lastly the 351 CJ. Cobra Jet retuned in 2008 as a track-only, special-edition racer with 50 examples being offered to the public. The program was an instant hit and culminated in great success on track. Racers, collectors, and fans loved the new CJ, and Ford Performance kept the momentum going with a 2010 model CJ that offered refinement and better performance.

The success solidified Cobra Jet’s place in history, and Ford continued production in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016. And now, to celebrate the 50th Anniversary, Ford Performance has developed a very special 2018 CJ of which 68 will be built.

The new CJ is powered by a 5.2-liter version of Ford’s famed 5.0-liter Coyote V8, strengthened internally and outfitted with a 3.0-liter Whipple supercharger. “The upgrades to the engine will be exciting,” said Dave Born, engineering manager at Ford Performance. “It’s got the GT350-style heads, which produce higher flow so there’ll be a power improvement there. The supercharger went from a Gen 3 Whipple to the Gen 5, and it’s the inverted design so the intercooler went from a single-core to a three-core and it’s a double-pass-through type. The flow path is much better with less restriction. The rotors are shorted and larger in diameter, so thing is a lot more efficient. It still features a front-entry and the jackshaft has been removed so there’s less mechanical loss. The unit is fed by a 150 mm single-blade throttle body as well.” The CJ engine now utilizes Speed Density, where it used mass airflow in the past. It also features a mammoth air inlet scoop that is fed by the entire grille of the car. Cobra Jet now uses Kooks headers to expel the burnt gasses. Born added, “Our goal is to build the baddest, fastest production Cobra Jet ever.”

The engine sends power to the ground through a 3-speed automatic transmission and a 9-inch solid rear axle. Suspension consists of a four-link rear with a Panhard bar along with two-way coil-over shocks with adjustable ride height and a low-drag disc brake system from Strange Engineering. Performance is tied to safety with a roll cage that’s legal to 7.50. Additional factory-provided racing performance upgrades include FIA-certified seats, wheelie bars, parachute, and one-off racing wheels. “We definitely look to define the safety aspects of the car,” said Andy Vrenko, vehicle dynamics engineer. “Doing a 7.50 cage was interesting and a challenge because we have to accommodate different size and shaped drivers. But we know these upgrades would make the car desirable to a lot of customers racing shootout and Stock eliminator. Instead of using conventional gauges, we got a Racepak. We’ve been working very closely with Racepak and it will provide a lot of data to the racers. It will be called a Cobra Jet IQ3. Adding anything to a car that you already bought can be a challenge, so if we can integrate it’s a strong desirability.”

The new Mustang Cobra Jet is available in either Race Red or Oxford White and can be outfitted with exclusive 50th Anniversary graphics and badges. Customers can order now at an MSRP of $130,000. Production is limited to 68 cars, in honor of Cobra Jet’s 1968 debut.

After its display at Mustang Alley as part of the Woodward Dream Cruise, the 50th Anniversary Mustang Cobra Jet will travel the following weekend to Norwalk, Ohio, for the 50th Anniversary Ford Performance Cobra Jet Reunion at Summit Motorsports Park – the largest gathering of Cobra Jets in history. More than 150 vehicles dating back to 1968 are expected to attend.

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-liter 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.

50th Anniversary Cobra Jet Specifications

ENGINE

New stronger 5.2L block—94.0 mm bore
5.2L GT350-style cylinder heads
Ford Performance Parts forged steel crankshaft—93.0 mm stroke
9.5:1 compression ratio
3.0L Whipple inverted supercharger with front entry
Billet steel gerotor oil pump
Mahle forged and anodized pistons with Grafal® coated skirts
Manley H-beam connecting rods with ARP 2000 bolts
Kooks 2-inch ceramic coated headers
Deatschwerks 95 lb injectors
ATI SFI-approved crank damper
Proprietary engine control software and calibration

FUEL SYSTEM

Aeromotive fuel delivery system
Watson Racing aluminum fuel cell

TRANSMISSION

Custom 3-speed automatic racing transmission
SFI Case, bellhousing and flexplate
Roller bearing tail housing
Precision Performance Products Shifter with clean neutral

BRAKES

Strange Engineering low-drag 4-wheel disc brake system

REAR SUSPENSION

4-link design with anti-roll and Panhard bars
Strange Engineering 2-way adjustable coil over shocks with adjustable ride height

REAR AXLE

9-inch Ford design axle
Strange Engineering Pro HD aluminum center section
Strange Engineering HD Pro Aluminum 40-spline lightweight spool
Large stem Pro 9-inch US Gear, 35-spline tapered support pinion
1350 Yoke
Strange Engineering Ultra-light gun-drilled axles with lightweight flanges

FRONT SUSPENSION

Strange Engineering 2-way adjustable coil over struts with adjustable ride height
Anti-roll bar removed

 
BODY/CHASSIS
 
Carbon Fiber Hood
Ram Air system – feeds from the grille
Billet Aluminum 50th Anniversary Cobra Jet fender badges
7.50 ET “Funny Car” rollcage with SFI padding and Carbon Fiber tube covers
Trunk mounted weight box with laser etched Cobra Jet 50th Anniversary Logo and car build serial number
 
INTERIOR
 
Sparco® quick-release steering wheel
RaceTech® 1-piece FIA-certified racing seats
Racepak instrumentation and data acquisition with shift light
RJS 5-point racing harness
LED illuminated switch panel
 
WHEELS/TIRES
 
Lightweight racing wheels with unique 50th Anniversary Cobra Jet Identification
15×11-inch rear, 15×3.5-inch front
Drag Racing Specific tires, 30×9-15 rear, 26×4.5-15 front
 

SOURCE: HOT ROD

AUTHOR: Evan J. Smith