What does this mean for the future of the hobby?
Ford Performance really rocked the boat when it recently revealed the new Mustang Super Cobra Jet 1800, an all-electric drag racer with 1,800-horsepower on tap. Immediately, you probably realize this is an evolution of the Mustang Cobra Jet 1400, a car which captured a NHRA world record and won over many fans and showed EVs can be competitive on the track while simultaneously shutting up Tesla fans who claim their beloved brand is faster than anything.
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You’ve probably also guessed the whole point of building the Mustang Super Cobra Jet 1800, what with its long and very aggressive name, is to push past the Cobra Jet’s world record for full-bodied EVs in the quarter mile. That target is 8.128 seconds at 171.97 mph.
Now you might be thinking that quarter mile time is respectable, but it’s not blistering when compared to full-bodied ICE drag racers. In other words, as impressive as it might sound, EV drag racing performance seriously lags behind the “dinosaurs” as they’re called by electrification fanboys.
That’s not to say the day isn’t coming that EVs might be legitimate contenders for records that don’t include “electric car in them” – we don’t know what the future holds. But we do know that innovations in motorsports lead to improved designs for consumer vehicles and aftermarket products.
Just don’t get your hopes up for many of those innovations flowing toward ICE models. What Ford Performance has divulged about improvements over the Mustang Cobra Jet 1400 apart from more power is exclusive to EVs. Among them are lighter batteries designed in collaboration with MLe Racecars, new control software developed by Ford Performance that runs on AEM-EV hardware, a revised rear end from MLe Racecars, updated rear suspension geometry via PMR, and bigger Mickey Thompson drag radials to improve launches.
Ford Performance says it not only wants to set a new quarter mile record but also set the bar higher for 0-60 acceleration.
Images via Ford
