| 2000 SVT Cobra R | |
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a corral original article |
| Christopher Ihara |
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see image] Each successive "R" model has built upon the last and the culmination of these advances is seen quite plainly in the 2000 SVT Cobra R. "This is the fastest, the best-handling Mustang ever. It will set a performance benchmark for the competition," says John Coletti, Ford Special Vehicle Engineering manager. The 1993 SVT Cobra R was Ford’s first step towards a street legal racecar in recent years; however, it was also only slightly different from the regular SVT Cobra. The 1993 model is, however, one of the rarest of the Cobra Rs as only 107 were produced. [see image] At 235 horsepower the power output of the 1993 SVT Cobra R was identical to its more streetable little brother. Unfortunately though, The Corral knows for certain that one of those 107 cars was destroyed at Watkins Glen last year, leaving only 106 on the road. When compared to the Cobra of the same year, the major differences were what the 1993 SVT Cobra R didn't have, rather than what was added to achieve it's "R" status. Deletions from the 1993 SVT Cobra included the back seat, power windows, power door locks, power mirrors, sound deadening, radio, Air Conditioning, fog lights, and front fender liners, all of which served to shave some weight from the car. Performance enhancements included a larger aluminum radiator, SN95 front spindles, 13" front brakes with twin piston PBR calipers, 11.65" rear brakes with single piston Varga calipers, 17" SN95 wheels, coolant de-gas tank, special springs, Koni shocks and struts, different anti-sway bars, and a strut tower brace.
Despite how well the 1995 SVT Cobra R was prepared, those who took this car to the road course found that a few other items needed to be added. The 13" brakes were very unhappy when not supplied with adequate cooling, so ducting had to be added by the owner to prevent warping and cracking. In addition, supportive seating to replace the R's standard Mustang seats, functional aerodynamics, and gobs of horsepower were lacking from the 250 SVT Cobra Rs built in 1995. This platform, however, proved itself time and time again on the racetrack during its tenure. Fast-forward five years. The Windsor engine is dead and the Modular motor is firmly planted between the strut towers of the Mustang. Over the past few years, the previous generation R models were able to hold their own on the race tracks across the country. This legacy ends now, for the 2000 SVT Cobra R will not just be "holding it's own." The 2000 Cobra R is going to give the competition a swift kick in the ass, shove them into the grass, and leave them choking on dust and spent Cam2.
The 2000 SVT Cobra R's 5.4-liter 4-valve DOHC V8 engine is based on Ford's TritonTM 5.4-liter cast-iron modular block and forge-steel crankshaft. The main difference between this engine and the 4.6-liter aluminum-block engine is the 5.4-liter's 29mm higher deck height. The bore is identical between the two engines; however, to achieve the extra displacement the 5.4-liter engine has an additional stroke of 105.8mm vs. the 4.6-liter's 90.0mm stroke. Carrillo billet-steel connecting rods are crowned by forged aluminum, flat top pistons which increase the Cobra R's compression ratio to 9.60:1. These pistons are similar to the SVT Lightning's pistons and replace the weaker standard Cobra units. A Canton Racing Products internally baffled oil pan and windage tray holds the Mobil 1 synthetic oil until it is pumped through the engine. Ed Olin, a systems engineer at Ford's Advanced Powertrain Engineering, oversaw the R's powerplant through its development phases. Olin indicates that the secret to the Cobra R's tremendous power is the result of specially designed 4-valve cylinder heads. "Initially we used DOHC heads that were designed for Ford's Rough Riders off-road truck racing program," Olin says. "That was a major help and it really paved the way for our work. Initial development was a success, but because of tooling limitations we had to design new heads for the Cobra R. They're similar to the 4.6 Cobra heads, but with a lot more flow through the intake and exhaust ports." By reshaping the intake and exhaust ports, redesigning the intake and exhaust valve heads, and increasing the exhaust valve diameter by 2mm the engineers were able to improve peak airflow by over 25 percent compared to the 4.6-liter Cobra. The camshafts are similar to those of the regular Cobra, however, intake and exhaust lifts have been increased by 13mm and 12mm respectively, compared to the 10mm lift for the Cobra.
To overcome this challenge SVE had to ensure that the 5.4-liter engine would fit in the engine bay. This had to be done without doing major body and chassis alterations or displacement of parts surrounding the engine. Additionally the installation process had to be engineered so that it could be done on Dearborn Assembly Plant's line. A change to the engine mounts lowered the engine by 6mm, the number-two crossmember was also lowered 6mm, yielding a total powertrain drop of 12mm within the car's engine bay. To accommodate the extra girth of the 5.4-liter SVE moved several coolant and made changes to the master cylinder, including removing the bleeder valves and moving the accumulator and brake fluid sensors to different locations. One of the most noticeable features of the car are its aggressive front air splitter, domed hood and F1 style rear wing. [see image] Unlike some of the outrageous aftermarket pieces seen on some street cars, these pieces actually work. At high speed Mustangs are often prone to front end lift, and in a car that can achieve speeds of over 170 mph, this is a seriously undesirable trait. Darrell Behmer, a Ford chief designer whose projects have included the design of the 1994 Mustang, and more recently, the 1999 Mercury Cougar, was called upon to help design these pieces. Behmer was responsible for taking engineering data from SVE regarding component design, clearance, wing angle, and height restrictions, and desiging these parts so they not only looked right on the Cobra R, but also so they worked right. Ken Winarski, and a small team of clay modelers from the Advanced Design studio, worked with Darrell to create the pieces in one third the normal development time. The end result is a front end with ten times less front-end lift and three times the rear downforce with overall drag reducing the top speed by only five miles per hour. This translates to a car that is very stable at high speeds. As the 2000 SVT Cobra R rolls down the assembly line with other Mustangs some parts will not be installed. The rear wing, engine hood, air to oil cooler, brake ducts, and Borla side exhaust pipes will be installed at MSX International in Detroit. [see image] This is the same company manufactures the hood, splitter, and rear wing. Because of the Cobra's lower ride height the front splitter will be installed by the dealer, or the customer if they choose to do so. Installation and removal of the splitter is fairly easy as it is attached to the front fascia using Dzus fasteners. [see image]
By comparison the 1995 Cobra R was able to stop from 60 mph to 0 in 143 feet. The 2000 Cobra R achieved the same task in only 127 feet. Even more impressive though are the 100 mph to 0 stopping distances. The 1995 Cobra R slowed to 0 from 100 mph in 371 feet, while its 2000 counterpart did the same in only 315 feet, nearly 50 feet shorter! [see image]
Unfortunately we have to agree with may people who believe that the 2000 SVT Cobra R is way too expensive. The 300 unit production run and estimated $54,000 price tag will keep all but the wealthiest from being able to afford this car. The performance of the Cobra R definitely appears to justify this hefty price tag; however, we're left wondering how many people would actually race this car after plopping down this much money?
On the brighter side though is the advancement in aftermarket parts spawned by the Cobra R. The 2000 Cobra R program will have a much needed trickle down effect for the rest of the Mustang owners. Just as the 1995 Cobra R program produced the ever popular R model 17" wheels and R model hood, so too will the 2000 Cobra R generate new and exciting parts to be used by the rest of us. Already the Brembo brake swap is becoming popular even before the car has officially hit the streets. With any luck the "formula" for the R model build will help those looking to add serious performance through 5.4-liter engine swap parts, aerodynamic parts, and IRS upgrade parts. So those of us who can't afford to buy our own 2000 SVT Mustang Cobra R might at least have a chance to build our own.
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