Ford unveils all-electric Mustang Cobra Jet 1400 drag car prototype

As seen in recent production cars and prototypes like the 2020 Ford Escape Hybrid, the all-electric Mustang Mach-E SUV, and recently-released details about plans to put electric powertrains in a number of iconic Ford products in coming years, including the first all-electric Ford F-150, Ford Motor Company is clearly investing in vehicles powered in ways other than gasoline and diesel in a big way. Their latest project not only hints at what a more electrified future will look like, but also says that it doesn’t have to be slow and boring: an all-electric drag car prototype they’re
calling the Mustang Cobra Jet 1400. Capable of turning quarter-mile passes in the low 8-second range at more than 170 miles per hour, the Cobra Jet 1400 is a fun look at our more electric, more sustainable tomorrow.

Built in house by Ford, the Mustang Cobra Jet 1400 prototype delivers the equivalent of 1,400 horsepower (that’s where the “1400” in the name comes from) and over 1,100 ft.-lbs. of torque to the rear wheels nearly instantaneously. The name Cobra Jet honors the original Cobra Jet Mustang drag cars of the 1960s, building a bridge between the muscle car past and the high-performance future of the Mustang name.

“Ford has always used motorsport to demonstrate innovation,” said Dave Pericak, Global Director, Ford Icons. “Electric powertrains give us a completely new kind of performance and the all-electric Cobra Jet 1400 is one example of pushing new technology to the absolute limit. We’re excited to showcase what’s possible in an exciting year when we also have the all-electric Mustang Mach-E joining the Mustang family.”

The Mustang Cobra Jet 1400 was built in cooperation with a number of Ford suppliers and custom fabrication shops, including MLe Race Cars, roll-cage fabricator Watson Engineering, electric vehicle software and motor control supplier AEM EV and electric motor and inverter company Cascadia. The car debuted on April 26, appearing on MotorTrend On Demand’s show “Hard Cell,” which showcases electric vehicles that display the versatility and power that can be achieved with electric batteries and DC motors. The Mustang Cobra Jet 1400 will make its racing debut later this year at a location
and event that’s still to be determined.

“This project was a challenge for all of us at Ford Performance, but a challenge we loved jumping into,” said Mark Rushbrook, Global Director, Ford Performance Motorsports. “We saw the Cobra Jet 1400 project as an opportunity to start developing electric powertrains in a race car package that we already had a lot of experience with, so we had performance benchmarks we wanted to match and beat right now. This has been a fantastic project to work on, and we hope the first of many coming from our team at Ford Performance Motorsports.”

Henry Ford was a racer and innovator, and that same spirit still lives at Ford. It’s one more reason why McLarty Daniel Ford of Bentonville is proud to sell quality Ford products, including the latest iteration of the original, iconic muscle car: the 2020 Ford Mustang. So stop in today to check out our full selection of Ford vehicles, or shop us online at our website today.