This Mustang drag-racer can do an eight-second quarter mile

If you want a new Ford Mustang that’ll go fast, you need to pop down to your local Ford dealer and place an order for part number M-FR500-CJ. Granted, it’s quite an expensive part, but it’ll allow you to record an eight-second quarter mile time.

What then, is this magical part that’ll allow you and your Mustang to record an eight-second quarter mile time? It is, dear readers, the entire Ford Mustang. All of it. All of the Mustang.

It’s called the 2016 Cobra Jet Mustang, and has been developed by Ford Performance as a proper factory-built, turnkey racing car. It’s eligible for many classes of national and international drag racing, along with other classes in hot rod associations.

It’s a 5.0-litre V8 underneath, sharing 75 per cent of its internal components with the road-going Mustang, we’re told. The parts it doesn’t share include a front inlet Whipple supercharger, and solid rear axle suspension (the standard new Mustang remember, gets an independent setup). No power output has been specified, but Ford reckons fresh out of the box, it'll hit a quarter mile in eight seconds. Therefore, we suspect the horsepower figure is officially 'many'.

There’s more than just power, though. The Mustang also gets drag-race specific shocks and springs, lightweight racing brakes by ‘Strange Engineering’ – no, really – a roll cage, a new boot-mounted fuel cell, racing seats and a race-prepped automatic gearbox.

Oh, and a water pump from Ford’s C-Max hybrid.

“The modern Cobra Jet has performed for our customers and put Ford in the winner’s circle consistently since 2008,” explains Ford Performance boss Dave Pericak. “The new car is the first Cobra Jet built off the all-new 2015 Mustang. We are excited to see it compete.”

The Cobra Jet Mustang ‘part’ costs $99,990, which is certainly an expensive part. But the optional wheelie bar only costs $1,995. Everyone’s a winner.