03 November 2009 - 14:00
Battle of the bulge
Yowch. Is that a four-litre Whipple supercharger under your bonnet... or are you just pleased to see us?
The SEMA show has only just kicked off in Las Vegas, but we think we might have found an early contender for ‘bulgiest car in show'.
This is the Mustang Cobra Jet, the latest version of Ford's drag-race ready muscle car, intended for stock and super stock racing and armed with a nose like a great chrome proboscis monkey.
Hiding under that bonnet is a 5.4-litre V8 equipped with a 4.0-litre supercharger. Ford hasn't yet revealed the Cobra's power output, but says that in base form it will develop around 475bhp - so expect this forced induction monster to pump a whole lot more than that to those fat rear tyres.
For the first time, the Cobra is equipped with proper launch control, enabling those dedicated draggists to nail the perfect start every time. We're no experts in the world of drag racing, but doesn't that, sorta, take the only element of skill out of proceedings?
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Looks ridiculous... and putting launch control on a drag racer... WTF?!?... it's now as skilful a pursuit as dropping ball bearings and seeing which one lands first!
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Launch Control, eh? Is there a Wheelie Control too? Automatic Parachute (although I don't know if they use chutes at this level)? Hell, let's just add an AutoStart and have a reactions test - when the lights go green, press a button before the other guy to win.
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It looks good and brutal, although silver is infinitely boring and the wheels appear to be styled after a plughole. 4 litres is probably a rediculous size for a supercharger, but how does it compare to, say, an SLR's (which needs 125bhp just to spin)?
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if it comes to racing in a straight 1/4 mile line this will put an slr to shame but do not even think about turning with more than 20 mph the whole thing will topple over.
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God I hate Mus... actually I don't hate Mustangs; they have their own place in the echelon of great cars. I just hate the see-you-en-tees who drive them.
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One of the single most ugly cars EVER. Take it away, i never want to see it again. HORRIBLE.
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Its not launch control in the ways you think. its a transbrake with a 2 step setup probably. The way all drag race cars are setup
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i love topgear.com?the comments on this article say it all. we are not drag racing folk, we are true car enthusiasts?im glad theres still a place for us.
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Americans don't care much about cars anymore. If they did they'd support USF1.
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you might aswell take a dump of a building with your mates and see which one lands first
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i think the guys should enter a drag race, with a car built with their own hands. (and by that i mean with a lot of help, cause we know good they are) but not a full out dragster, one of the normal production cars.
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the ford looks like it could swallow you whole if it came up behind you....... hehehehehehehehehe......chomp chomp chomp. ....buuuuuurrrrrppp. yum what do we have next. ooooohhhh lookky a strawberry coloured fiesta.
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^^^ He He, funny afzalkhan
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Drag racing has come a long way from its start in the 1950s. Remember, this is intended to be a competitive offering with the current state of the art for the classes that this machine will compete in. Also, this machine is all about corporate marketing, getting it in front of the fans of drag racing so they go to their dealership and buy a Mustang.
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Lunchi commented on this article
03 November 2009
Launch control on a drag racing car? What next, auto parking guides for gymkhana cars? Anyway, I quite like the new Mustang. As a drag racer it's looking good as well... but instead of that huge bulge I'd prefer a big hole in the bonnet for the engine bits to stick out of.
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