1995 Mustang Cobra R

As you may have guessed, the R here is for racing, and although the Cobra R was actually street legal, this car was absolutely intended for track use. Ford was so serious about seeing the Cobra R on the track (rather than in collectors’ climate-controlled garages) that it required buyers to have a competition license. The fact that only 250 examples were built did indeed make the Cobra R collector bait, but the fact that the cars were seriously stripped-down machines made them true track stars.

A comprehensive chassis upgrade made the Cobra R race ready, and the car was factory-equipped with a fuel cell. In a further testament to its seriousness of purpose, Ford axed the air-conditioning, the radio, the sound insulation, and the back seats. In place of the standard Cobra’s 240-hp, 4.9-liter V-8, Ford installed a 5.8-liter—better known as the 351 Windsor—in a Mustang for the fi rst time since 1973. Output was an even 300 hp, along with a healthy 365 lb-ft of torque; the bulging powerplant was topped with a fi berglass hood. Reportedly, Ford made more money selling ’95 Cobra R fi berglass hoods and Cobra R wheels than it did on the 250 actual cars it produced.