Jumping straight to the bottom line, Ford does not exactly score a performance knockout, even with the long-stroke crankshaft, limited production, restricted availability, $35,000 bill, and track-only fudging of the street-fight rules. When we tested it (admittedly, well before the development cake was fully baked), the new Cobra R's claimed 300 horsepower generated a 0-to-60 time of 5.4 seconds, just a tenth of a second ahead of what your basic $20,000 streetgoing Camaro Z28 can do. The Mustang's quarter-mile slip read 14.0 seconds at 99 mph, compared with the Camaro's 14.1 at 101.

This Mustang was a mighty stiff-legged horse, but the ride felt decent as long as the pavement was. And it pulled 0.89 g on the skidpad, feeling obligingly neutral and manageable.

The 351 V-8 from the F150 Lightning sport truck forms the basis for the R powerplant. It has the same 4.0-inch bore of the Mustang-orthodox 302, but its stroke stretches from 3.0 up to 3.5 inches. The Lightning's ratings of 240 hp at 4200 rpm and 340 pound-feet of torque at 3200 climb to the R's 300 hp at 4800 and 365 pound-feet at 3750. The increases are achieved via higher compression (9.2:1 versus 8.8), more aggressive cam timing, and a larger-diameter air-meter body. Cooling-system capacity is increased in anticipation of the racetrack duty cycle.