Ford shocked enthusiasts when it unveiled an electric, Mustang-derived dragster with 1,400 horsepower. It finally let the model loose on a drag strip to find out how much time it takes to sprint through the quarter-mile.
Developed jointly by the company’s Performance division and Cascadia Motion, the dragster is called Cobra Jet 1400, a name that references its output. Though Ford might need to change it, because its engineers realized the battery-powered drivetrain actually delivers 1,502 horses, a figure that puts it on par with the Bugatti Chiron. It cracked the quarter-mile in 8.27 seconds at 168 mph, a figure that makes it a few tenths of a second quicker than the last Cobra Jet introduced in 2018. It was powered by a 5.2-liter V8, and its time checked in at about 8.5 seconds.
Popping the hood reveals an assortment of orange high-voltage wires that connect the drivetrain’s components. Power comes from four electric motors that spin at up to 10,000 rpm, though details about the battery pack remain under wraps. Ford claimed it’s just scratching the surface of what’s possible with electrification.
Don’t expect to find a 1,502-horsepower electric Mustang basking under the lights at your nearest Ford dealer anytime soon. However, the brand pledged to continue fine-tuning the technology on and off the drag strip, and the Cobra Jet will be put through its paces publicly for the first time at the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) U.S. Nationals taking place from September 3 to 6, 2020. It will race against one of Ford’s V8-powered dragsters.
“The opportunities to learn with the Mustang Cobra Jet 1400, as well as the Mustang Mach-E 1400 we recently introduced, give us great insight into what may be possible in high-performance electric vehicles for Ford going forward. We are very interested in continuing to work with the NHRA to determine how electrification can be part of the sport,” affirmed Mark Rushbrook, the global director of Ford Performance Motorsports, in a statement.