- Ford has revealed a new factory dragster from its performance division that wears the automaker’s traditional Cobra Jet name but this time is all-electric.
- The Mustang Cobra Jet 1400 is a prototype that makes 1400 horsepower and offers up 1100 lb-ft of “instant torque.”
- Ford intends to present the car to the public at a drag-race event at some point later this year.
It’s understandable if the use of the words “electric” and “Mustang” bring to mind a completely different car than the one pictured here. After all, Ford’s first EV wasn’t what we expected—a crossover named the Mustang Mach-E. Some have objected to the use of the Mustang name on such a car that was both electric and a crossover. Perhaps they’ll prefer Ford Performance’s latest creation, which, although an EV, is something a bit more traditional: the Mustang Cobra Jet 1400.
For more than half a century, the Mustang Cobra Jet name is famous for being applied to factory-built Ford Mustang drag cars that go really, really fast in a straight line. Those cars started a tradition that the latest Mustang Cobra Jet 1400 can definitely uphold, even as an EV, thanks to its beefy powertrain. The Cobra Jet 1400 produces, as its name suggests, 1400 horsepower and a crushing 1100 lb-ft of twist. Ford claims it’s capable of the quarter-mile in the low 8s at 170 mph.
There’s no word on what kind of motor setup, battery capacity, or range the car is capable of, but we should learn those figures soon enough. As far as the numbers go, we’re not surprised; for the past few years, EVs have been laying down some absurd numbers at the drag strip thanks to the instantaneous acceleration and on-demand torque afforded by electric motors.
Ford
Global Director of Ford Icons Dave Pericak says that the company is excited to explore the new dragster’s possibilities, pointing out: “Electric powertrains give us a completely new kind of performance.” Ford Performance worked with four other companies to build this drag racer: MLe Racecars designed, integrated systems, and tuned the car, Watson Engineering built the roll cage and worked on the chassis, AEM EV did software and calibration controls, and Cascadia supplied the motor and inverter.
We can’t wait to see how Ford’s Mustang Cobra Jet 1400 shapes up against Chevrolet’s eCOPO Camaro. The Camaro, which was introduced in late 2018, is down 700 horsepower, but an all-EV drag race promises to be exciting, if far too quiet. Ford is currently testing the Mustang and hopes to have it debut at a drag event in the near future, likely when social distancing measures are no longer in place.
