Ford may sell only one true car these days — the iconic Mustang — but the Blue Oval has no apparent qualms about going all-in on pony car madness. Indeed, a Ford Mustang Cobra seems set to return. We know because Ford dropped a teaser on its social-media sites this morning.
Listening to a V8 rev while I sipped my coffee gave my Tuesday a jolt.
The company could mail it in when it comes to the ‘Stang, since the pony car has little competition. The Chevrolet Camaro is on hiatus (though a return is imminent, it appears) and Dodge no longer makes the Challenger. A two-door Charger is as close at the Fratzog brand gets. Looking further afield, the Toyota Supra is going away. That leaves just the Nissan Z. Some might argue a base Corvette is in the competitive set, but I think the missions are too different.
Instead, Ford is bolstering the lineup. The Dark Horse SC recently hit the road — I drove one at Road America and found it to be perhaps the best track Mustang I’ve ever driven, though the last GT350 might handle a tick better — and one can still get a base, GT, or “regular” Dark Horse. The GTD is out there for racers.
Now we’ve got another Cobra on the way. Ford hasn’t dropped specs, but Ford Reports suggests that the car will bridge between the Dark Horse and Dark Horse SC and use a naturally-aspirated engine, probably a 5.2- or 5.4-liter V8. It will be, in spirt, a successor to the last GT350, and yes, it will apparently have a manual transmission.
We’d expect the car to have other track goodies such as performance brakes, a track-focused suspension tune, the necessary aerodynamics, and the shedding of unnecessary weight. It could share components with the SC, perhaps.
The only other thing we know is that it will launch in 2027.
Tim’s Take
If the reporting is correct and this next Cobra is a successor to the GT350, that’s very fun news. The last GT350 I drove might have been the best handling Mustang I’ve driven. It wasn’t a beast like the GT500, but it felt lighter on its feet. It wasn’t as balanced a track machine as the Dark Horse SC, which rockets down straightaways, because it didn’t have quite as much power. But it handled excellently.
This news not only brings a famed name back to the pony-car stable (sorry) but leaves a clear lineup. The base EcoBoost offers affordable performance, the GT gets you V8 power (though affordability has sort of gone out the window there, unlike with the GTs of my youth), and the Dark Horse gets you a street-legal supreme weapon. The Dark Horse SC, meanwhile, is a street-legal track machine that’s somewhat accessible for novices, and the GTD is for the well-heeled amateur racer.
The upcoming Cobra should be a track-focused weapon that won’t cost as much as the Dark Horse SC, which can run towards $150K with the Track Pack. Figure this car will be for the weekend warrior who wants something that’s better on track than the Dark Horse but can’t afford the SC.
Now, if only Ford could go the other way and create a LX trim for affordable V8 power like it did in the late ‘80s.
Dreams aside, this is exciting news for Mustang fans.
[Image: Ford]
