Ford is thinking about adding a mid-range track car to their Boss 302S and 302R lineup. They quietly debuted a concept called the 302SX at the recent Performance Racing Industry trade show in Orlando, FL.

Don’t let their modest unveiling fool you, this car is something to talk about. It borrows aspects of the new Cobra Jet drag car and the Boss 302R race car. With that step comes a jump from the standard 444 horsepower to more than 500 out of a built 5.0-liter V8.

It also means a slew of improved parts like the six-speed transmission out of the 302R.  Upgraded exhaust,oil and fuel systems offer the engine help while a fully adjustable coilover suspension, adjustable front and rear sway bars, camber/caster plates, Brembo brakes and racing slicks deliver track-gripping performance.

The interior is also trimmed back including lightweight seats, and a quick release steering wheel. Proving that this is a serious track machine, as if that isn’t enough, Ford is also tossing in a system to record lap times.

The 302SX is a concept for the time being but Ford says it’s testing the market to see if releasing this latest iteration is worth their while.

Ford officially announced its 2013 Mustang Cobra Jet at the 2011 Performance Racing Industry (PRI) show in Orlando, Florida, ready to roll into NHRA’s Stock and Super Stock classes and start dominating. The 2013 Cobra Jet will be limited to just 50 units and orders can be placed at a local Ford dealer where it’ll be first come, first serve.

Production of the Cobra Jets won’t begin until June of 2012 and Ford anticipates to start delivering vehicles by mid-summer of that year. It has an approximate MSRP of $86,000 with the naturally aspirated option while the supercharged variant will run $93,000. Additional options and pricing won’t be announced until the beginning of next year in January.

But what we do know about the race car is that both will be powered by Ford’s 5.0L TiVCT powerplant, with the naturally aspirated one featuring a Cobra Jet induction system, CNC ported heads, high lift cams and low-drag accessory drive while the supercharged version sports a 2.9L Whipple supercharger mated to a 5.0L with CNC port-matched manifold and heads and a proprietary 10-rib supercharger drive system for high RPM use without the need of a belt.

Ford also improved the chassis on the 2013 Cobra Jet with lightweight body modifications helping give it better weight distribution and while electric power steering provides better drivability without parasitic horsepower loss. On the inside, a new roll cage was designed to optimize safety and chassis rigidity. Minor tweaks include a new brake pedal ratio for more modulation and stopping power while the rear suspension’s geometry has been tweaked to deliver faster and more consistent 60-foot times.

Unfortunately no horsepower figures were announced with the release of the vehicle at PRI.

Ford is also allowing its fans to vote for the color of the 2013 Cobra Jet (classic white, silver or black) at fordracing.com with voting ending on December 31st, 2011.

GALLERY: 2013 Ford Mustang Cobra Jet

[Source: Mustangs Daily]

Among the buzz already surrounding the 2013 Mustang, Ford has announced that the specialized Cobra Jet drag version will be part of the lineup. However, like the more mainstream variants, it will feature a number of updates. The 5.4 quad cam V8 will return, in either naturally aspirated or supercharged forms, but joining it on the options list is a version of the 5.0 ‘Coyote’ engine, found in the current Mustang GT.

The reason for this, according to Ford Racing’s Jesse Kershaw, is that it will allow the ’13 CJ to compete in a wider variety of NHRA sanctioned events than previous versions of this car.

Other changes on the 2013 model  include revisions to the CJ’s suspension, steering, even the roll cage design and seats in an effort to balance improved capability while minimizing mass. “We’re looking at ways to cost-effectively take weight out of the Cobra Jet,” said Kershaw “and are also paying close attention to the final price. Based on our research we know where the car needs to be performance and price wise.”

The 2013 Mustang Cobra Jet is slated to make it’s debut at this year’s Performance Racing Industry (PRI) show, which runs from December 1-3 at the Orange County Convention Center, in Orlando, Florida, with production likely to begin sometime next year.

[Source: Mustangs Daily]

Ford has been keeping itself pretty busy with new versions of the ever popular Mustang, and now it has made one only for drag racers.

It’s called the Mustang Cobra Jet and it is strictly for drag racing, so no you can’t drive it to the mall. What you can do is trailer it to your local drag strip and lay some rubber. Under the hood is a 5.4-liter V8, which now features an aluminum-block. You can choose to then have either a 2.3-liter TVS supercharger or a mammoth 4.0-liter Ford Racing whipple supercharger.

Out of the factory gate, both units produce a humble NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) approved 425 hp. Although, both units are easily tweakable and can produce hundreds more ponies. Couple that with sticky Goodyear racing slicks, and you can get the quarter-mile covered in under 10-seconds, under 9-seconds with the whipple-charger.

Ford recently threw a party to deliver the first of the 2012 Mustang Cobra Jets, where customers from North and South America were flown in to receive their new toy.

If you want an out of the box drag racer, you can go to your local Ford dealer and order one. Prices start at $91,990.

[Source: Autoblog]

Following in the footsteps of the Mustang Cobra Jet and Challenger Drag Pak, Chevrolet is reportedly considering a track-only Camaro to terrorize dragstrips across the nation.

The rumors came from Ford, surprisingly enough, in an effort to keep tabs on their rivals. Ford Racing’s drag racing manager Jesse Kershaw let this information slip during an interview, where he was discussing the efforts of others to compete with the Cobra Jet: “Dodge has produced a Challenger to compete with us…We know that General Motors is on track to release a Camaro version.”

If he’s right, then Chevrolet will most likely reveal this car at SEMA in November, just as Ford and Dodge did in previous years. And Kershaw is looking forward to some competition, which will pay off for fans: ”I think that the NHRA fans as well as the racers themselves are very excited to get out there and have this new era of horsepower war.”

[Source: FordRacingTV via Autoblog]

After the success of Ford’s 2008 Mustang Cobra Jet, the company has announced plans to bring back the factory drag racer using the new 2010 platform.

The new model will use a 425hp supercharged 5.4-liter V8 direct from the Ford Racing Performance Parts catalog. Ford also plans to make another engine available, with an aluminum block and 475hp. A six-speed manual transmission (the same found in the ’08 model) will be standard equipment, however, there will be an option to upgrade to a 5-speed Liberty manual unit or a race-spec auto-box.

In addition, the Cobra Jet will get an NHRA certified roll cage and lightweight racing brakes.

“I’ve said from my first day in this job that I wanted Ford Racing to continue to be a ‘racer-friendly’ organization,” said Ford Racing boss Brian Wolfe. “That’s why we take great pride in being one of only two car companies worldwide that builds ready-to-race cars and sells them as part of our performance parts offerings.”

The 2010 Cobra Jet comes hot on the heels of the 2008 model (pictured above), which was created to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the original.

Only 50 Cobra Jets will be built, the exact number required by the NHRA in order for the vehicles to run in the series.

Pricing is expected to be in the $75,000 range with production in the Fall for delivery early 2010.

Official release after the jump:

PRESS RELEASE:

Milan, Mich. – The 40th Anniversary 2008 Mustang Cobra Jet more than lived up to its billing, joining its historic predecessor-the original 1968 Cobra Jet in winning its inaugural race at the NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, Calif. Now, Ford Racing is ready to update the latest Cobra Jet, and is announcing plans to build a 2010 version of the CJ. The announcement was officially made today at the National Mustang Racing Association event in Milan.

A little more than a year ago, Ford Racing announced plans to build a modern edition of the Cobra Jet. The limited run of 50 cars sold in less than two weeks, even before the first car was built. Once again Ford Racing will produce a limited run of 50 2010 Mustang CJs, the minimum number that must be produced in order to receive clearance from NHRA for competition.

Exact specifications are being finalized, but the initial plan is for the ’10 Cobra Jet to have a 425-hp 5.4-liter supercharged engine from the Ford Racing Performance Parts catalog, but with an option to upgrade to an estimated 475-hp aluminum block engine. Likewise the 6-speed manual transmission that was available in the ’08 Cobra Jet will be standard, but an option to upgrade to 5-speed Liberty manual transmission or a race prepped automatic transmission will be available. Other ’10 Mustang Cobra Jet upgrades include an 8.50et NHRA certified roll cage and lightweight racing brakes.

“I’ve said from my first day in this job that I wanted Ford Racing to continue to be a ‘racer-friendly’ organization,” said Wolfe. “That’s why we take great pride in being one of only two car companies worldwide that builds ready-to-race cars and sells them as part of our performance parts offerings.”

Component testing is underway and base pricing will be less than $75,000. Production is expected to begin during the fourth quarter with delivery expected in early 2010. Sportsmen racers interested in placing a pre-order for the ’10 Cobra Jet should contact their local Ford Dealership.