The 2013 Mustang lineup at the L.A. auto show in November, but one member of the new pony family was missing: the non-street-legal, factory-built Cobra Jet drag racer. Worry not, racing fans, as Ford Racing announced the updated 2013 Mustang Cobra Jet and showed off the new car at the Performance Racing Industry show in Orlando, Florida. The new factory drag special wears the latest Mustang’s styling and benefits from a few mechanical improvements that should improve its performance at the stripprevious Cobra Jets, the new one isn’t actually a member of Ford’s consumer lineup.
Instead, like the Focus ST-R race car, it exists as a part number in the Ford Racing catalog—part number M-FR500-CJ, to be specific. As before, the new CJ is fully race prepped and includes a roll cage, sticky drag tires, and an adjustable suspension. New this year are two 5.0-liter V-8 engine options, one naturally aspirated and the other supercharged; the 2012 CJ offered two supercharger options—a big one and a bigger one—for the same 5.4-liter V-8. Ford isn’t ready to talk outputs, but a company representative confirms that the goal is Stock Eliminator eligibility for both the standard and blown Cobra Jets, with the naturally aspirated car competing in Class B and the supercharged in AA. Based on the NHRA’s latest guidelines, that means the n/a CJ would carry between 8.50 and 8.99 pounds for each NHRA-factored horsepower.
