Automoblog.net » Drag Racing

2013 Ford Mustang Cobra Jet Features 5.0 V-8 Power

Chris Nagy — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 09:43:07 +0000

Through the 1950s and 1960s, American automakers ambition to beat each other on the sales charts saw race tracks staging some of the fiercest battles in auto racing history. Muscle car era icons like the Chevrolet Camaro Z-28 and the Plymouth Superbird were specifically designed street cars purposed to wage combat in motorsports. When the Ford Mustang debuted in mid-1964, the pony car arose to be the blue oval brand’s vanguard in auto racing activities. The original Ford Mustang Boss 302 was unleashed as a weapon inside the popular SCCA Trans Am Series. Piloted by drivers like Parnelli Jones, the Mustang Boss 302 remains a cultural symbol identified for road racing.

Commanding respect on the twists and turns of many racing closed-course road circuits, the Ford Mustang Cobra Jet was unleashed as a straight-line competitor. In 1968, a total 50 Cobra Jet examples were produced and quickly emerged as a force to be reckoned with in stock-based drag racing. As Ford Motor Company brought the sizzle back to the Mustang with their 5th generation vehicle in 2005, the Cobra Jet name would return as a limited edition model for 2008. Twice more in 2010 and 2012 model year, the Ford Mustang Cobra Jet would be released as purpose-built drag racing vehicles.

Presented on the restyled 2013 Ford Mustang shown ahead of the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show, the fifth reboot of the Cobra Jet nameplate was made at the Performance Racing Industry trade show in Orlando, Florida.

Built only for racing, the non-street legal 2013 Ford Mustang Cobra Jet features discrete body modifications over the production model meant to lighten the pony car as well to focus weight for better performance. Worn on the side panels of the 2013 Ford Mustang Cobra Jet is striking white and red graphics depicting the vehicle’s persona modeled after a venomous snake. Riding on Goodyear Eagle racing tires, the upcoming 2013 model of the Cobra Jet incorporates a refined suspension system optimized for better times at the beginning of a quarter-mile run. The new 2013 Ford Mustang Cobra Jet also features driveability enhancements with electric power steering as well as an altered pedal ratio. Building a better mousetrap, the 2013 Mustang Cobra Jet improvements are a product of computer modeling and numerous drag racing runs.

The 2013 Ford Mustang Cobra Jet features a cockpit ideal for living life one quarter-mile at a time. Providing safety and structural rigidity from a carefully designed roll cage, a drag racing pilot in the 2013 Mustang Cobra Jet will strap into fiberglass-constructed Recaro FIA racing seats said to be designed for the extreme rigors of motorsports.

While the 2010 and 2012 Cobra Jet models utilized the 5.4 liter displacement engine based off the SVT Mustang, Ford’s newest edition of the drag racing special presents downsized powerplants utilizing the storied 5.0 liter V-8 configuration. Presenting the option of naturally aspirated power or the extreme performance from a Ford Racing/Whippie supercharger, the cylinder and manifold for the aluminum block 5-liter V-8 engine is precision machined using a CNC production process. Details of the power output from the 2013 Cobra Jet powerplants has not been released (Ford was also tight-lipped on the 2012 Mustang Cobra Jet). Ford Racing had pegged a supercharged engine for the 2010 Ford Mustang Cobra Jet at 475 horsepower.

With 50 examples of the 2013 Ford Mustang Cobra Jet, pricing for the upcoming vehicle starts close to double the price of a 2012 Shelby GT500. The naturally aspirated-engined 2013 Cobra Jet runs at $85,490 while the costlier supercharged version is priced at $92,990. Ford Performance Parts will tout a series of optional parts and components to potential buyers in January for the new Ford Mustang Cobra Jet guaranteed to inflate the vehicle‘s price tag. The first of the 50 cars comprising the 2013 model year Mustang Cobra Jet release is slated to roll off the AutoAlliance International facility at Flat Rock, Michigan in June of 2012. As early as late next year, it may be possible to see the 2013 Ford Mustang Cobra Jet in competition in NHRA Stock and Super Stock categories.

Even before the key for the first 2013 Mustang Cobra Jet is transferred into the hands of drag racers, fans are given an opportunity to interact with the 2013 Ford Cobra Jet through a vote. Given the choice between exterior colours classic white, silver or black, the 2013 Cobra Jet appearance will be determined by an on-line vote ending on December 31st 2011. Blue oval racing faithful can cast their choice shade through the Ford Racing Facebook page or the Ford Racing Parts website.

Information and photo source: Ford Motor Company

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Nitrous: Everything You Need to Know

Guest — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 03:30:32 +0000

If you want to upgrade your car into a supercar, then adding nitrous oxide seems to be the way to go. But rather than going by hearsay, you should probably get familiar with what the hell it is, how it can benefit your motor and, most of all, is it what you need?

What?

Well it’s a gas, or a chemical or something. Do you really care what it actually is? Either way, here’s the facts. Your engine, just like your body, needs oxygen to work. The more oxygen it gets, the more efficiently it burns fuel. Nitrous releases oxygen as it burns, so as long as there’s more fuel there, there’s more power. Plus the nitrous also cools as it works, creating even more oxygen. Almost too much oxygen.

The nitrous comes in small compressed bottles stored in the car and sent to your engine via lines that you control from the seat of your Honda Civic or similar. Fascinating fact: the drag racing term ‘funny cars’ comes from the fact that this is the same nitrous oxide used in the dentist’s office, known as ‘laughing gas’. Though the vehicular nitrous has some weird stuff added to it and so shouldn’t be huffed. Not that you would ever do anything like that.

Which?

In the old days, only ‘dry’ nitrous kits were available, which just squirted nitrous into your system using the fuel that was already available in the car. Then the scientists took over. Or possibly maverick mechanics working in petrol stations under the cover of darkness. They came up with the more advanced ‘wet’ kits which added nitrous and fuel together, thus producing a crazy drag racing with a male model in downtown Tokyo sort of situation. This magical alchemy of fuel and Nos either happens in or around the intake manifold or else id applied straight into the cylinders, depending on the injection system you use.

Why?

Hey, can you think of a better way to give your beautiful car a quick, happy burst of power? Nitrous Oxide is fairly cheap, in the old cash versus horsepower equation we all love. The kits are pretty easy to install and you can easily switch the whole thing off if you don’t fancy it.

How?

I’m so happy you asked! You’ll send away for your Nos kit which should include your compressed bottle of nitrous, the lines to send it to the engine, the injectors, solenoids and all the nuts and switches you need to put it together. Plus detailed handy dandy instructions on how it should be installed. Make sure your bottles are mounted securely. As with all compressed things, they can blow up if knocked around.

So you have your lovely cylinder containing pressurized liquid nitrous oxide in your boot or other car-based hidey-hole. Using the magical properties of the hose it is connected to an electric solenoid valve. The valve lives under the bonnet and is turned on and off by a throttle switch available in a variety of colours. A ‘T’ piece sends fuel to the valve, which is attached to the fuel delivery line, this is triggered by the same switch. Then this wonderful, almost royal, marriage of gas and fuel are pinged to an injector mounted in the inlet tract (no, me neither). All this can be adjusted by metering jets installed in your solenoids.

Why not?

Besides looking like a bit of an idiot as your gaudily coloured Vauxhall Viva burns up and down the high street, you could right gunk up your engine if it isn’t quite fast or furious enough. Be sure your car is up to the stresses and strain of all that extra power. If your vehicle suddenly starts to sound like an Irish Wolfhound coughing up a Malteser, then stop what you’re doing immediately and seek mechanical help. Excessive Nos-ing could cause possible damage to your engine, gearbox and clutch and compressed gas of any variety can always be dangerous, thanks to it’s explosive qualities. Consider paying a little extra and picking up a nitrous gauge to keep an eye on how much “magical speed juice” is getting distributed. And don’t forget your tank top!

This article was produced by Wish.co.uk – for epic driving experiences, including racing and track days, check out Wish’s awesome range of experience day gifts.

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Induction Wars: Turbo vs. Superchargers

Mandie Rainwater — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 22:55:29 +0000

In the automotive world a battle has been raging since the early 1900′s on which one was better, the turbo or the supercharger. Like all epic battles- light beer or full flavor, regular or decaf, brunette or blond- some people just have an opinion and nothing will ever change that. The truth is turbos are members of the supercharger family, but they are worlds apart in the way they operate to deliver the extra horsepower we’re all looking for.

Superchargers are distinct from turbos in they are mechanically driven units, whereas turbos get their boosting powers from exhaust gasses. The supercharger can be belt, gear, or chain driven like other automotive accessories including the alternator and the power steering. While this allows for instant power availability, nearly 1/3 of the engines efficiency is eaten up by the unit, leading to the supercharger being labeled parasitic. However, if efficiency is a secondary concern and response and power are paramount, then the supercharger rules.

Supercharger

A turbocharger, on the other hand, runs off of exhaust gasses produced by the car already, leading proponents to say that the turbo is actually more eco-friendly. In a 4-stroke internal combustion engine, the final stroke is exhaust. The hot gas that would normally travel down the tailpipe to mingle in the atmosphere is instead sent into a turbo where it spins a turbine which powers a compressor that will send pressurized air into the combustion chamber to achieve a more efficient burn. This sounds like it should be the hands down favorite, but it takes a while for the heated exhaust gases to build enough momentum to start the effective spinning of the turbine, giving poor performance at lower RPM’s. This is normally referred to as turbo lag or boost lag. The supercharger does give the driver immediate access to power, but the engine load it creates makes it a more cumbersome unit, even though at higher revolutions it will usually out perform a turbo- “A” turbo…

Turbo

The best set up according to Gale Banks in an interview he did with Jay Leno is to use two smaller turbos each injecting air into its own cylinder bank. While you still have the same draw backs as a single turbo, the lag is less significant and the power delivered is greater. But, superchargers won’t be left to the wayside in the attempt to deliver maximum horses with minimal draw. The future of supercharging is in electrically driven units. Controlled Power Technologies has a developed an electrical supercharger that provides 40% more torque at lower speeds as well as making available 90% of the units torque in less than 1 second, while also lowering emissions.

Like all great debates through time, the battle between supercharging and turbocharging may never be settled. As innovation drives science forward to create better, more efficient ways to achieve maximum power, the pros and cons will continually shift. All that will remain constant is our love affair with the spooling of the turbo, the whine of the supercharger, and a need for speed.

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Toyota’s Hot Rod Tacoma X-Runner RTR

Chris Nagy — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 03:33:13 +0000

As over 80,000 industry spectators prepare to converge for the 2010 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Toyota is preparing to show off the ingenuity and remarkable performance passion with a special Tacoma pickup truck.

Constructed almost entirely out of parts obtained over the Toyota Racing Development (TRD) parts counter, the Toyota Tacoma X-Runner RTR (Ready to Race) has obviously been a labour of love for the engineering team behind this project. Raiding the parts bin of TRD, the Tacoma X-Runner RTR SEMA show truck is swimming in the characteristics of a perfect straight-liner.

Besides the truck-like ground clearance of the production Tacoma X-Runner model reduced by 4.5 inches, the compact hauler’s body is left untouched from its stock appearance. A two-tone Five Axis Classic Silver and Red paint scheme complies to Toyota’s corporate motorsport colours. The number 95 symbolizes the 1995 model year when the Tacoma name was first worn by the compact pickup truck.

Creating an ideal sleeper hot rod truck, the Toyota Tacoma rather stock appearance on the outside conceals some special surprises. Shoehorned into the Toyota Tacoma engine bay is specially fitted 500-plus horsepower V-8 powerplant. Borrowing a 5.7 liter powerplant from the full-sized Toyota Tundra truck, the Tacoma X-Runner RTR receives the TRD twin-scroll supercharger kit generating an SAE certified 504 horsepower and 550 pounds-feet of torque. Joining the Tundra engine for the tip into this unique SEMA show vehicle is the 6-speed automatic transmission and rear axle assembly modified to the shorter Tacoma length. A Eaton-engineered TRD limited-slip differential drives dragway-spec Goodyear Eagle tires.

In catering to the drag racing truck theme, rear Goodyear Eagle tires are comparably larger than the front tires by 2 inches in diameter and 7 inches in width. The braking system and all the electronic aids are preserved but the exhaust system is given a major overhaul. Moving the exhaust outlet is done to maximize high-impact take offs from drag racing’s popular ‘Christmas Tree’ starting light.

Adapted to the sport of drag racing, non-essential weight is removed from the Tacoma X-Runner RTR. Including the windshield washer fluid reservoir, power convenience equipment, air conditioning as well as the rear seat shaves weight in order to shave quarter-mile times. Accounting for safety, a TRD roll-bar is outfitted inside a racing-tailored interior.

Though this demonstration model Tacoma presents a profound shift by Toyota to achieve maximum horsepower within a tight vehicle frame, dropping an 8-cylinder powerplant into a compact pickup is not a new notion. Both the Dodge Dakota as well as the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon pickup trucks have V-8 power on tap as an option in production trucks. In the case of General Motor’s compact trucks, their recent adaptation to V-8 engines in 2009 came years after mechanically-inclined tuners swapping in small block powerplants into the S-10 pickups.

With the Toyota Tacoma X-Runner RTR existing only as a show vehicle, the principles of TRD and the thrilling motorsports inspiration makes this combination a real go-getter.

Information and photo source: Toyota Motor Sales USA

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