Electrified Mustang Cobra Jet 1400 Prototype Runs The Quarter Mile In 8.27 Seconds

You have to think that Ken Miles is smiling down over Indianapolis right now. The legendary race car driver who drove the Ford GT to victories at LeMans would love to see the blazing raw power and engineering marvel of the Mustang Cobra Jet 1400.

Sure this all-electric prototype is a dragster and not a road racer like what Ken Miles drove, but nevertheless that doesn’t stop it from being an engineering marvel with the performance it’s displayed recently in Indianapolis.

In preparation for this weekend’s NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, the Cobra Jet 1400 did some trial runs and managed to blaze through the quarter mile at an astounding 8.27 seconds at 168 miles per hour and reach 1,502 peak wheel horsepower in doing so. And it did so without using a drop of fuel.

Watch the video here:

Ford Performance claims that kind of output is the equivalent to the combined output of more than three 2021 Mustang GT V8 engines. Developed by Ford Performance in parallel to the recently unveiled Mustang Mach-E 1400 prototype, both cars were built to demonstrate Ford’s technological capabilities and innovation skillset in EV technologies.

"Since revealing the car, we’ve continued to fine-tune it and now know we're just scratching the surface of what we may be able to achieve with this much electric horsepower in a drag racing setting,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports.

How the Ford Mustang Cobra Jet 1400 Prototype Was Built
Ford Performance collaborated with Cascadia Motion to power the Cobra Jet 1400. With four PN-250-DZR inverters coupled to a pair of DS-250-115s, giving four motors total and spinning at up to 10,000 revolutions per minute. These motor-inverter packages run at 800 volts and up to 700 amps, with maximum output of 350kW per motor.

To manage such a potent propulsion package, AEM-EV and Ford Performance jointly developed an advanced data and control system that features a control algorithm unique to the Cobra Jet 1400. The sheer amount of power has also required a different approach with chassis tuning strategies, which MLe, Ford’s build and integration collaborator for the project, has delivered with input from Ford Performance’s longtime Cobra Jet build collaborators at Watson.

"It's been a great but challenging project for all of us at Ford Performance,” said Rushbrook. “The opportunities to learn with the Mustang Cobra Jet 1400, as well as the Mustang Mach-E 1400 we recently introduced, gives us great insight into what may be possible in high-performance all-electric vehicles for Ford going forward. We are very interested in continuing to work with NHRA to determine how electrification can be part of the sport and to show off the Cobra Jet 1400 at max power in due course as regulations develop.”

Where To See The Ford Mustang Cobra Jet 1400
See the Mustang Cobra Jet 1400 in action this weekend at the NHRA U.S. Nationals on both FS1 and FOX TV, as well as nhra.tv livestream.

The U.S. Nationals provide the perfect venue to showcase the Mustang Cobra Jet 1400 where the car will first run in public this weekend. Ford NHRA Funny Car Driver Bob Tasca III will pilot the prototype in showcase runs against two-time Funny Car champion and FOX broadcaster Tony Pedregon, who will drive one of Ford’s internal combustion engine Mustang Cobra Jets, proven winners in the NHRA sportsman ranks.

"Drag racing has always been where Detroit proves its most advanced powertrains,” said Brad Gerber, V.P. sales and chief development officer, NHRA. “The U.S. Nationals is the sport’s quintessential stage for reaching enthusiasts wanting a glimpse at the future technology of performance vehicles. Our fans are fascinated by horsepower in all forms, and the electrification of an iconic vehicle like the Mustang Cobra Jet 1400 shows that innovation at Ford Motor Company never rests. We look forward to seeing the Cobra Jet 1400 and continuing discussions with Ford about the future of electrification in drag racing."

Electrification big part of Ford and Mustang’s future
It’s been well documented that Ford has thrown a Mustang badge on the upcoming all-electric Mach-E crossover. I won’t go further into details about my thoughts on that as my #NotAMustang thoughts are well documented (just Google that hashtag).

I am sure that in the near future there will be a true, all-electric Ford Mustang. Not just some prototype, but one that you can drive on the road and that will rival Tesla. And for me, and many others, that will be awesome.

I stand by my opinion that the what repulses many about the Mustang Mach-E is not the electrification but the crossover part. At least that’s what bothers me. In fact, I’m a big fan of electrified vehicles and they throw around crazy amounts of torque.

What we’ve seen with this awesome Cobra Jet 1400 is that we should not fret about the electrified future of Mustang (and Ford in general), but rather embrace it. Electric vehicles can be a lot of fun, and hey, that Cobra Jet 1400 leads by example.

Jimmy Dinsmore has been an automotive journalist for more than a decade and been a writer since the high school. His Driver’s Side column features new car reviews and runs in several newspapers throughout the country. He is also co-author of the book “Mustang by Design” and “Ford Trucks: A Unique Look at the Technical History of America’s Most Popular Truck”. Also, Jimmy works in the social media marketing world for a Canadian automotive training aid manufacturing company. Follow Jimmy on Facebook, Twitter, at his special Ford F-150 coverage on Twitter and LinkedIn. You can read the most of Jimmy's stories by searching Torque News Ford for daily Ford vehicle report.