This month, I was invited to Milan, Michigan, by Ford Racing to check out and drive some of their new Mustangs. The first car I drove was a nearly bone-stock 2010 Mustang GT in eye-popping Grabber Blue paint. I cruised around the paddock and down the dragstrip at Milan Raceway. I have to say, this is one of the easiest cars to just get in and drive. That wasn't the highlight of the weekend though; there was a car I drove that impressed me a whole lot more. That was the '08 Cobra Jet.
I first saw this car at the '08 SEMA convention, and you might remember it from the "13 Cars of SEMA" story in the March 2009 issue. It's a purpose-built drag car good for low 10-second passes that has all the NHRA Stock Eliminator class rules accounted for. It's a way for racers to get a ready-to-run car that's competitive and consistent. The power output is limited by NHRA's power-to-cubic-inch requirements. Ford reluctantly estimates output to be 425 hp, but that's hard to believe once you've taken the driver seat. The production run was limited to 50 vehicles, none of which were given a VIN tag, so don't think this would be your next daily driver.
I was excited and nervous to drive this car because it was much faster than anything I've run at the dragstrip. I had become very familiar with my Camaro running mid-12s with its four-speed and DOT slicks. Though my Camaro's road-race suspension didn't let the car leave very hard, it was still loads of fun. By no means was I ignorant of the feeling of a hard-pulling vehicle, as my daily rider CBR 1000rr motorcycle is capable of e.t.'s much lower than the Cobra Jet. At Milan, the other drivers warned me of the Cobra Jet's radical launch and difficult shifting. This made me worry. I watched the others make passes letting off the throttle after the violent launch and continuing down the track just as hesitantly. Now I was really worried. When it was my turn to drive the CJ, all I wanted was to make a clean run. I didn't need the fastest or most impressive run; I just wanted to hit all the marks.
Step one is to do a burnout. This was the part I was looking forward to with no anxiety. I was no stranger to line-lock controlled burnouts and I think I did a pretty good one. Next up was the launch. I was instructed by the Ford Racing guys to simply rev it to 4,500 rpm, drop the clutch, and hold on. I may have brought the revs up a bit higher than that, since they told me the 4,500 number to soften the launch due to it scaring people. The lights started to drop, and my almost-perfect red light reaction time was premature by 0.004 second. That didn't matter. I was already past the 60-foot mark before I noticed. The launch was amazing! I was floored, literally. I held the pedal down through three more gears, not missing any of them, and went through the traps dead straight. This was my first pass in the 11s, and it sure felt good. They de-tuned the car to run in the 11.20 range, so there wasn't much better I could do, but that was a second and a half faster than any car I've driven. I was really impressed with how in control and straight the car went. Besides the g-forces leaving the line, it drove like a stock Mustang.
When I was in high school, I went to the dragstrip almost every week and ran my '68 Camaro. Once I got to drive at a road course, I pretty much abandoned the dragstrip. Coming back to the track six years later brought back some really good memories. Also, driving a car that is actually fast has helped me understand why folks spend so much time and money on their drag cars. This experience makes me want to try my hand at building and racing a real drag car. Thank you, Ford, for opening my eyes and giving me the opportunity to drive this exceptional race car. I can't wait to see the 2010 version when it comes out!