When a proper petrolhead hears the King Cobra moniker, one can hardly resist to not feel nostalgic about the Shelby Can Am racers from the late 1960s. That same name was used to market a limited-run Mustang II and the Torino King Cobra NASCAR bad boy. But that’s enough nostalgia for today, so let’s rejoice in the presence of this all-new King Cobra.
During this year’s SEMA show, the Blue Oval reintroduced the King Cobra with a special one-off of the 2015 Mustang GT. But those cobra-skin graphics and tasteful paint fade isn’t all there is to this venomous pony. For starters, the mechanical enhancements grant a sub 11-second 1/4 mile time.
The 2015 King Cobra is able to do such a blistering run thanks to a 5.0 Coyote V8 that’s been supercharged by Roush to 625 hp. There’s a cat-back exhaust in there as well, joined by goodies such as a Drag Pack chassis, an FR3 Handling Pack, new bushings, heavy-duty half-shafts and performance springs, dampers and sway bars. Braking duties have also been enhanced with new six-piston calipers.
Unveiled by legendary Stock Car racing icon Richard Petty
The SEMA show car further differentiates itself from the Mustang GT through drag slicks, etched wheels, supportive Recaro bucket seats and a short-throw shifter as any proper drag warrior needs to have. It's a big disappointment that Ford doesn’t plan to make a limited-run model boasting with the same graphics as the King Cobra, but there’s something good in store for you in terms of out-and-out performance.
Ford Racing and Roush will offer that extra oomph of the King Cobra through a similar go-faster package for owners of the GT pony. “Combining our mutual expertise and high-quality engineering, we are delivering an outstanding supercharger kit for 2015 Mustang GT owners," said Doug White, Ford Racing Performance Parts manager. “Our software and calibration was developed using Ford Racing calibrators and test facilities.”
For more info on availability and such, check out the release below. But if you want to see the collaborative effort in action on the drag strip, then the video below is your reference material.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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