The Ford Performance division of Dearborn’s Ford Motor Co. has introduced a prototype Mustang Cobra Jet factory drag racer with all-electric propulsion. The speedster is projected to run the quarter mile in the low-8-second range at more than 170 mph.
The battery-powered Mustang Cobra Jet 1400 is purpose-built and projected to deliver 1,400-plus horsepower and more than 1,100 ft.-lbs. of instant torque. The goal of the program is to demonstrate the capabilities of an electric powertrain in one of the most demanding race environments.
“Ford has always used motorsport to demonstrate innovation,” says Dave Pericak, global director of Ford icons. “Electric powertrains give us a completely new kind of performance, and the all-electric Cobra Jet 1400 is one example of pushing new technology to the absolute limit. We’re excited to showcase what’s possible in an exciting year when we also have the all-electric Mustang Mach-E joining the Mustang family.”
Following the debut of the all-electric Ford Mustang Mach-E SUV – the first-ever all-electric Mustang (availability early 2021), the Mustang Cobra Jet 1400 prototype represents another opportunity to advance Mustang heritage and performance while simultaneously incorporating some of the most advanced technology coming to Ford’s future powertrains.
Mustang Cobra Jet 1400 also honors the original Cobra Jet that first dominated drag strips in the late 1960s and still is a major force in sportsman drag racing today.
“This project was a challenge for all of us at Ford Performance, but a challenge we loved jumping into,” says Mark Rushbrook, global director of Ford Performance motorsports. “We saw the Cobra Jet 1400 project as an opportunity to start developing electric powertrains in a race car package that we already had a lot of experience with, so we had performance benchmarks we wanted to match and beat right now. This has been a fantastic project to work on, and we hope the first of many coming from our team at Ford Performance Motorsports.”
Ford Performance continues to test Cobra Jet 1400 ahead of its world debut later this year at a drag racing event where fans, media, and competitors will get to see exactly what it’s capable of on the asphalt.
To maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of the project, Ford Performance has teamed with several capable and specialized suppliers, including:
MLe Racecars – Vehicle builder, designer, integrator, and tuner
Watson Engineering – Chassis support and development, roll cage builder
AEM EV – Software and motor calibration and controls
Cascadia – Inverter and motor supplier
