Drag racing is a typical American motor sport. Simple as it can be. You put two cars on a straight as arrow track and see who reaches the line first. More than top speed, what matters here is the acceleration. And acceleration is a function of the torque. The best torque characteristics are of an electric motor. So why not drag race with them?
Well Ford has done exactly that. While Tesla keeps claiming the acceleration figures, Ford decided to prove them on a race track. Ford has developed an all electric Mustang Cobra Jet 1400. The car is designed with a single minded pursuit of winning on the drag strip. The Mustang Cobra Jet 1400 is inspired by the Cobra Jet which set the drag racing scene on fire in the 1960s.
The present iteration generates 1400 BHP of power and 1100 lb-ft ( 1,491 N-m) of torque. Its expected to cover the quarter mile on a drag strip in low 8 seconds. At the end of the strip, the car is expected to be doing 170 mph ( 272 Km/h) when the anchors are dropped. Ford Performance, who are developing the car expect to unveil the car at a drag racing event towards the end of the year.
“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 Transport Journal 