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]

The headline could have also read “finally, a Honda with some torque.” Ok, we kid. But the mere existence of a rear-wheel-drive Acura Integra with a blown 454 Chevy big-block says two things: 1.) you can turn anything into a Pro Street racer with enough knuckle sweat, and 2.) always follow your dreams, kids.

The impressive Integra was reportedly built by Pro Street Unlimited, based in Manchester NH, and features a manual transmission, a belt-driven supercharger, electric blue paint and a sound like God’s Own Cuisinart. Rumors that this car is the current prototype for the next NSX are still unsubstantiated.

[Source: 1A Auto Blog]

Watch the video after the jump:

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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]

To continue promoting the sport of drag racing, GM Performance Parts will be putting on the LSX Challenge Series restricting entry to GM production-based LS and GM Performance Parts LSX engines and engine components.

The LSX Challenge Series will be a four-race points drag racing series, ending at the 5th annual LSX Shootout which will be held with NMCA’s World Street Finals on October 6-9 in Indianapolis.

The classes of drag racing will be LSX Drag Radial, LSX All Motor, LSX Real Street, LSX Rumble (Index) and 5th Gen Chevy Camaro Challenge (Index) – providing a little bit of everything for GM enthusiasts. Along with the drag racing, the LSX Challenge Series will feature a car show at each event. In order to compete for the championship, each racer much participate in three of the four events.

GMPP’s LSX Challenge Series’s schedule of events:

March 18-20 NMCA Season Opener at Bradenton Motorsports Park, Bradenton, Florida

April 14-17 NMRA / NMCA All-Star Nationals at Atlanta Dragway, Commerce, Georgia

September 9-11 Holley LS Fest at Beech Bend Raceway Park, Bowling Green, Kentucky

October 6-9 NMCA World Street Finals at Indianapolis Raceway Park, Indianapolis

Although we were one of the first outlets to bring you specs on the competition-only 2012 Ford Mustang Cobra Jet, official pictures were hard to come by – until today, when Ford released the first shots of their factory backed dragster.

Unveiled at the PRI Show (a trade show for racing gear held in Orlando, Florida), the Cobra Jet. Only 50 will be built, and ordering will be done on a first come first serve basis. Starting at $91,900, the Cobra Jet gets a 5.4L V8 similar to the Shelby GT500, but with a choice of two superchargers, the top unit being a massive Ford Racing Whipple supercharger. A full roll cage and a special automatic transmission are also standard, along with beefed up engine internals and Weld drag racing wheels. Fully loaded, the Cobra Jet will cost $103,980.

[Source: Ford]

Technically, the above headline isn’t true. You can buy a Ford Mustang Cobra Jet, but this pony car isn’t road legal, and is meant strictly for drag racing.

Specs on the 2012 Cobra Jet haven’t been announced yet, but they have been leaked by a Ford dealer in Puerto Rico. Big changes include a standard aluminum block for the 5.4L V8 engine, forged connected rods, beefed up braking components, revised spring rates and new Weld drag racing wheels with Goodyear drag tires. The full details are below for those who like to go fast in a straight line.

[Source: Autoblog]

Hit the jump for the official specs

New for 2012 Model Year:

* Revised 5.4L supercharged engine – different specifications/rating than 2008/2010 model
* Aluminum engine block
* Double keyed crankshaft snout
* Manley H-beam rods
* Improved low-drag racing brakes – Strange Engineering
* Improved rear suspension w/revised rear upper control arm and lower control arm mounts
* Revised and optimized spring rates front and rear
* New design black anodized Cobra Jet wheels – Weld Racing
* Goodyear tires – all new DR compound – Cobra Jet branded
* Brake pedal 2-step switch (micro)
* Optional colors – Race Red, Grabber Blue, and Winner White – no additional charge

Drivetrain:

* 430hp 5.4L DOHC supercharged engine (aluminum block)
* 2.3L TVS Supercharger with twin 65mm dual bore throttle body
* 3-Speed C4 Auto Race Transmission – Joel’s on Joy
* 9″ rear axle w/4.29:1 Axle Ratio – Strange Engineering

Chassis:

* NHRA Stock Eliminator legal interior
* 8.50et NHRA certified roll cage
* Estimated weight of 3,200 lbs
* Cobra Jet trim and appearance package
* Drag race wheel/tire combination (Rear Tire 30.0 x 9.0)
* Cobra Jet spring/adjustable damper tuning
* Light-weight, low-drag brakes (manual)

Colors:

* Red (M-FR500-CJ12R)
* Grabber Blue (M-FR500-CJ12B)
* Winner White (M-FR500-CJ12W)

Optional Graphics Package:

* MSRP: $1,995.00
* Includes: Powered-By-Ford fender emblems, Sweeping Snake side graphics, 5.4 Cobra Jet hood graphics, Ford Racing windshield header decal, Ford oval front fascia decals, Ford oval license plate decal, FR500CJ decklid decal.
* Optional graphics may be unique to Cobra Jet body color.

Optional 4.0L Supercharger upgrade – M-6066-SCJ:

* MSRP: $9,995.00
* Step up to the most powerful combination in NHRA Super Stock. The 500hp 4.0L supercharged 2010 Cobra Jet has delivered mid-8 et’s, Class champions, divisional race winners and national records all in its first year on track!
* Ford Racing offers their exclusive upgrade kit to the base 2012 Cobra Jet for the racer looking to perform at the highest levels of NHRA Super Stock Competition.
* Kit includes supercharger, billet throttle-body, complete inlet system with 140mm billet mass-air housing, installation instructions, and exclusive Ford Racing race-ready calibration.
* Final horsepower rating TBD, rating will differ from 500hp 2010 model.
* 4.0L Supercharger upgrade is delivered separately and must be installed by the end user.

Debuting alongside the new 2011 Challenger SRT8 392 at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Dodge unveiled an even more potent version of its Mopar Drag Pak model. While you might expect it to also come with a 392 under the hood, you’d be wrong. In it’s place is something even better: the Viper’s 8.4-liter V10! That’s right, with 512 cubic inches of displacement, the engine makes 600-hp and 560 ft-lbs of torque.

Also included in the package is a 2-speed automatic transmission, fuel cell, light weight polycarbonate door windows, lightweight drag racing front brakes and racing wheels and tires. And of course, it’s a full body-in-white with everything stripped out so you can take it straight to the track.

Just 70 versions of the Mopar Challenger V10 Drag Pak will be built, for the price of $85,512. Like street cars, Dodge will offer option packs, including a $7,950 Competition Package with an eight-point coll cage, six-point safety harnesses and a mesh window net. There’s also a $950 Mopar Body Logo Wrap, or paint for $6,800.

GALLERY: Dodge Challenger V10 Drag Pak at SEMA

GALLERY: Dodge Challenger V10 Drag Pak

With a new 6.4-liter V8 due out for the 2011 Dodge Challenger, you’d expect the 2011 model year version of the special edition Mopar Drag Pak model to also get the more powerful engine… but you’d be wrong. In it’s place is something even better: the Viper’s 8.4-liter V10! That’s right, with 512 cubic inches of displacement, the engine makes 600-hp and 560 ft-lbs of torque.

Also included in the package is a 2-speed automatic transmission, fuel cell, light weight polycarbonate door windows, lightweight drag racing front brakes and racing wheels and tires. And of course, it’s a full body-in-white with everything stripped out so you can take it straight to the track.

Just 70 versions of the Mopar Challenger V10 Drag Pak will be built, for the price of $85,512. Like street cars, Dodge will offer option packs, including a $7,950 Competition Package with an eight-point coll cage, six-point safety harnesses and a mesh window net. There’s also a $950 Mopar Body Logo Wrap, or paint for $6,800.

Dodge will officially reveal the new Mopar Challenger V10 Drag Pack at the SEMA Show in early November.

GALLERY: 2011 Mopar Challenger V10 Drag Pack

Official release after the jump:

PRESS RELEASE

Mopar® Introduces 2011 Challenger Drag Pak for Sportsman Racers
This One Has a V-10 and is Race-ready

• Mopar® Challenger V-10 Drag Pak built for sanctioned NHRA Stock and Super Stock configurations
• Priced at $85,512, Mopar to build 70 serialized units
• Production starts 1Q 2011, applications available now at local Dodge dealerships or at www.mopar.com
• Past Mopar Challenger Drag Pak model-year programs sold out (2009 and 2010)

October 1, 2010 , Auburn Hills, Mich. – Racers rejoice. Mopar® is dropping a V-10 into the iconic Dodge Challenger.
The new race-only V-10 powered rear-wheel drive 2011 Mopar Challenger Drag Pak features an 8.4-liter 512 cubic-inch engine with a 2-speed automatic transmission. Mopar will showcase its new drag car this evening at the Dodge Viper Owner’s Invitational in Salt Lake City. The vehicle will then make its way to the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas from Nov. 2-5, and the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) show in Orlando from Dec. 9-11.

“With the introduction of our new 2011 Mopar Challenger Drag Pak, Mopar will be the only place to get a factory-built V-10-powered race-ready drag car,” said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group’s service, parts and customer-care brand. “Mopar’s new Challenger Drag Pak is a race rocket that will appeal to racers, collectors, dealers, and Dodge Viper owners.”

Based on the 2011 Dodge Challenger and finished in a Stock Eliminator and Super Stock configuration, the 2011 Mopar Challenger V-10 Drag Pak is the first and only 500-plus cubic-inch V-10 drag-race package car. The car features competition wheels and tires, a Mopar solid rear axle with performance gear ratio, a 2-speed drag race transmission with integrated roll control, a complete competition fuel system with fuel cell, and a complete interior with gauge package.

The Mopar Challenger V-10 Drag Pak features a Bright White paint scheme with color options. The Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) is $85,512 and production begins early next year.

Mopar offers three options with this vehicle. First, the Competition Package includes an eight-point roll cage, six-point safety harness and a mesh window net (MSRP: $7,950, part number P5155820). Second, a Mopar logo body wrap (MSRP: $950, part number P5155892) and a range of body colors (MSRP: $6,800, part number P5155893). With the Competition Package, the car is ready to go down the drag strip.

Orders must be submitted using the Mopar Challenger V-10 Drag Pak Application, which is available now at www.Mopar.com, the Mopar Direct Connection Tech Line at 888-528-HEMI (4364), or a local Dodge dealer. Customers should work with their local Dodge dealer to submit their application.

2011 Mopar Challenger V-10 Drag Pak Highlights

Identification plate with unique serial number sequence
Primed and painted body, color options available
512 cid V-10 engine
Unique engine calibration
2-speed automatic transmission with shift assembly and built-in roll control
Special body-in-white modified for drag racing
No windshield wiper assembly
No HVAC system (includes block off plates)
No rear seats
No power-steering system
No underbody heat shields
Complete fuel cell assembly
Race headers with collectors
Modified tunnel for transmission clearance and one-piece drive shaft
Raised floor above differential for solid-axle conversion clearance
Polycarbonate door windows
Smart-glass door window system
Solid engine mounts
Mopar solid rear axle
Lightweight seats to accommodate 6-point harness
Special modified K-member with drop-out crossmember
Lightweight drag-race only front brake assembly
Manual rack-and-pinion steering
Front chin spoiler
Lightweight cooling module with electric fan
Lightweight instrument panel assembly
Special cable-operated decklid release
Special cable-operated throttle pedal and linkage
Race-style wheels and tires

What do you get when you take an AWD Chevrolet Express Van and toss in a 5.3L Vortec V8 motor? Just another heavy gas guzzler. Now what if you tossed in a Z06 cam and a 72mm turbocharger? Now you’re talking about a 7,300 lb tank that probably pushes well over 600-hp and 600 ft-lbs of torque, if not more to all four of its wheels. Now what if you took that van to the track in Las Vegas and lined it up with a Corvette ZR1? Well the safe bet would be on the ZR1 now wouldn’t it?

Unless the owner of these two vehicles knew each other, the Corvette ZR1 driver was probably wondering what in the world this Chevrolet Express van was doing in the other lane. And apparently he slept a little too long at the light trying to figure it out, as the Van not only treed him, but took the win at the other end of the track.

Now it’s a little deceiving given that the Vette had an atrocious .800 reaction time while the van jumped with a .260. But that was enough to make up the difference despite the van running a slower 13.34 @ 99 mph. The ZR1 ultimately took over (once it actually accelerated) tripping the lights with a 13.02 @ 121 mph.

At the end of the day though, the Van would’ve taken the win at any professional drag racing event. We’re wondering if they’re back at the shop trying to fine tune this thing in a 12-second sleeper. Imagine packing 10-15 people in that van with that power!

Check out the video after the break.

[Source: Examiner]

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With all the hype surrounding AMS’ 9-second GT-R and SP Engineering’s record-setting GT-R, we knew more Nissan GT-Rs would be coming out of the woodwork. And now there is GTC Titan’s entry all the way from the UK. Their GT-R has been modified with what they call a 750R Power Pack which netted 735-hp and 750 ft-lbs of torque on the dyno. They went off to the drag strip on Toyo Tires’ R888 and threw down multiple 10.3 passes.

While it may not be 9s, GTC’s 750R Power Pack still offers plenty of potent power and is a nice alternative for the Europeans that cannot easily get GReddy parts or a full build from AMS. At the heart of it all are GT30 ball bearing turbos with ported manifolds that lead out to GTC’s own 80mm cat-less downpipes, 90mm y-pipe and 90mm exhaust system. Other GTC proprietary parts include 80mm air MAF pipes, bar and plate intercooler, big capacity radiator and 14-plate clutch system with steel plates and shims.

They plan on returning to the track with some stickier tires to help combat wheel spin. We’d be more than willing to bet they could break the 9-second barrier with some more passes down the quarter mile.

Check out a video of the GT-R at the track after the break and hit the source for more information on GTC Titan’s parts.

GALLERY: GTC Titan Nissan Skyline GT-R

[Source: Nagtroc.org]

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Mark Niver, a 60-year-old native of Phoenix, AZ, died on Sunday when his Top Alcohol dragster crashed at Pacific Raceways in suburban Seattle during the final day of the NHRA Northwest Nationals.

According to the NHRA, the crash happened in the shutdown area, where Niver deployed his car’s parachutes to rapidly slow down after crossing the 1/4-mile finish line at over 260 mph. The NHRA’s website states that Niver’s parachutes opened but then became detached. The runaway dragster ran off the end of the drag strip and into a sand trap and then into a restraining net, but tragically the impact proved fatal.

The loss of Mark Niver is the third fatality of the season for the NHRA, Neal Parker, 58, of Millville, NJ, having lost his life in a very similar crash just 30 days earlier (June 11th) at Old Bridge Raceway Park when his Top Alcohol dragster crashed into a barrier and sand trip designed to slow runaway cars. In February, a spectator was killed at Firebird Raceway when the left rear tire flew off a Top Fuel dragster during a collision with the wall.

Given these tragic events and with speeds of Top Fuel dragsters exceeding 300 mph, there’s little question the NHRA will be investigating any and all ways to improve the safety of its sport. All forms of motorsport involve a level of risk to the drivers, but clearly longer shutdown and runoff areas are required for these top tier dragsters given the incredibly high speeds they are now achieving.

[Source: insideline.com]