Photo: Bring a Trailer
This 2000 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R was born during a rather lackluster period as far as this nameplate was concerned. There was hardly anything spectacular about the fourth-generation Mustang. While some versions were reasonably quick, they certainly couldn’t compete with some of Europe’s finest coupes, as they do nowadays.
For the 2000 model year, Ford’s SVT division built just 300 units of the Cobra R, which featured a standard 5.4-liter V8 engine with an impressive 6,500 rpm redline and peak outputs of 385 hp (390 PS) and 385 lb-ft (522 Nm) of torque. Word has it that several independent dyno tests showed that it pretty much produced those numbers at the wheel instead of the crank—which would explain why there were so fast.
That engine was mated to a Tremec T-56 six-speed manual gearbox with close ratios, which aided acceleration. Its top speed, meanwhile, was said to be 177 mph (282 kph).
As luck would have it, chassis number #239 of 300 is now getting auctioned off through Bring a Trailer, with just 2,500 miles (4,000 km) on the clock. While this is a rare opportunity to grab one of these puppies, it’s definitely not going to be cheap.
Visually, this car looks like pretty much any other 2000 Cobra R, with the factory-standard Performance Red exterior, front air dam, fixed rear wing, side-exit exhaust system, and five-spoke alloy wheels. Compared to “lesser Mustangs”, the Cobra R also came with four-piston Brembo calipers, Eibach springs, Bilstein dampers, and larger anti-roll bars.
Inside, there are manually-adjustable Recaro seats with embroidered Cobra R logos, while the Tremec six-speed manual gearbox uses a B&M Ripper short-throw shifter. These cars were built without rear seats, radio, cruise control or air conditioning for weight loss purposes—it was about the driving experience and nothing else.
Pro tip: its future owner should, however, be wary about putting too many additional miles on that V8.
That engine was mated to a Tremec T-56 six-speed manual gearbox with close ratios, which aided acceleration. Its top speed, meanwhile, was said to be 177 mph (282 kph).
As luck would have it, chassis number #239 of 300 is now getting auctioned off through Bring a Trailer, with just 2,500 miles (4,000 km) on the clock. While this is a rare opportunity to grab one of these puppies, it’s definitely not going to be cheap.
Visually, this car looks like pretty much any other 2000 Cobra R, with the factory-standard Performance Red exterior, front air dam, fixed rear wing, side-exit exhaust system, and five-spoke alloy wheels. Compared to “lesser Mustangs”, the Cobra R also came with four-piston Brembo calipers, Eibach springs, Bilstein dampers, and larger anti-roll bars.
Inside, there are manually-adjustable Recaro seats with embroidered Cobra R logos, while the Tremec six-speed manual gearbox uses a B&M Ripper short-throw shifter. These cars were built without rear seats, radio, cruise control or air conditioning for weight loss purposes—it was about the driving experience and nothing else.
Pro tip: its future owner should, however, be wary about putting too many additional miles on that V8.
Google News