Born-again Ford Mustang Cobra confirmed

Ford has confirmed it will resurrect its famous Cobra nameplate, this time for a high-performance version of its Mustang muscle car in 2027.

“You’ll want to hear this. For the drivers, with an all-motor heart born from racing. Ford Mustang Cobra, a Legacy Reborn. The story continues in 2027,” said Ford Racing in an X post published earlier today (November 11).

While the accompanying teaser video revealed no more details, that suggests the reincarnated Mustang Cobra won't be electrified – and may be powered by a motorsport-derived naturally aspirated V8.

It’s not yet clear whether the 2027 Mustang Cobra will be a standalone model or a special-edition Mustang, or where it'll be positioned in the Mustang range.

However, Ford Authority recently reported that Ford is planning a replacement for the previous-generation Mustang Shelby GT350, based on the existing Mustang Dark Horse SC.

But while the latter is the spiritual successor to the S550-generation Mustang Shelby GT500, the upcoming S650-series Mustang Cobra will reportedly eschew its supercharged 5.2-litre V8 in favour of a naturally aspirated V8 (as seen in the S550 GT350) that’s expected to displace either 5.2 or 5.4 litres.

Ford is unlikely to announce full specs until next year, but according to reports the born-again Mustang Cobra will produce more than 600hp (447kW) and may only be available with a manual transmission.

That would position the Cobra neatly between the standard Dark Horse and the Dark Horse SC, which so far appears unlikely to come to Australia. However, unlike the Dark Horse SC, the Cobra is expected to be a coupe-only model, with no convertible version expected.

For the record, in Australia the standard Mustang GT is powered by a 5.0-litre ‘Coyote’ V8 producing 347kW of power and 550Nm of torque, while the Dark Horse ups that to 350kW and 550Nm (373kW/567Nm in the US). Both rear-wheel drive muscle cars are available with manual and automatic transmissions, and in both coupe (Fastback) and convertible body styles.

North America’s Mustang Dark Horse SC has a supercharged 5.2-litre cross-plane crank V8 making 593kW and 895Nm, which drives the rear wheels via a seven-speed Tremec dual-clutch automatic transmission, and adds chassis and cosmetic upgrades including a new front fascia with larger air intakes, a bonnet with more vents, a taller carbon-fibre rear wing, and a more aggressive rear bumper.

The supercharged 5.2-litre GTD remains the top-shelf Mustang, but the high-performance limited-edition flagship is produced only in left-hand drive and isn’t officially available in Australia, though that hasn’t stopped at least one example being imported here.

For what it’s worth, the track-focused Mustang GTD is priced at US$325,000 (A$508,000) in North America, and is powered by a 5.2-litre supercharged ‘Predator’ V8 producing no less than 608kW and 900Nm. It also has a rear-mounted eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transaxle to deliver near-50:50 weight distribution, plus pushrod rear suspension, coil-over springs, Adaptive Spool Valve dampers, Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes, and 20-inch wheels shod in Michelin Cup 2 tyres.

While the Mustang Cobra will lack all that exotic, motorsport-derived equipment, it should offer all of the Mustang SC’s cosmetic extras as well as upgraded suspension, bigger brakes, and additional cooling capacity for its normally aspirated 5.2-litre (or 5.4-litre) V8, potentially making it an ideal track tool.

Cobra is one of the most famous names in American muscle car history, previously gracing the supercharged Mustang SVT Cobra and various Shelby models, including the legendary Terminator Cobra from the early 2000s.

However, in Australia, the Cobra name is most synonymous with the 1978 Ford Falcon XC Cobra, a homegrown limited-edition two-door built to clear out 400 leftover XC Falcon hardtop body shells, powered by 5.8- (351ci) and 4.9-litre (302ci) Cleveland V8s and wearing Sno White paint with bold blue over-body stripes inspired by Ford's one-two victory in the 1977 Bathurst 1000.

Ford Australia also offered the FPV GT Cobra in 2007, a modern limited-edition sports sedan produced by Ford Performance Vehicles. It wore the same classic white-and-blue colour scheme and was powered by a 302kW 5.4-litre ‘Boss’ V8.

More recently, Ford Australia has confirmed it'll release 250 examples of the Supercars-inspired ‘T8-Spec Pack’ Mustang, based on the Dark Horse coupe ($104,990 before on-road costs) and priced at $138,888 plus ORCs – making it the most expensive factory Mustang ever sold in Australia, eclipsing the 2019 Mustang R-Spec that was also modified at Ford Australia’s Broadmeadows Plant 2 facility in Melbourne.

MORE: Explore the Ford Mustang showroom