The S650 Mustang family is reportedly set to grow imminently, but how exactly is currently unclear. According to an unconfirmed report from The Supercar Blog, citing insider sources, Ford will use the Detroit Auto Show to reveal not one but two new Ford Racing models, and one of them "might be a Mustang Cobra or Boss." The annual event begins next week, running from January 14-25, and it seems like the perfect place to showcase a new high-performance vehicle since the Blue Oval has already confirmed that its annual Ford Racing Season Launch will take place at the show, as will the reveal of both Red Bull teams' Formula 1 liveries.
Ford's Rebrand Muddies the Waters
Ford
Ford Performance recently rebranded as Ford Racing, encompassing both motorsports (see Mustang GT3) and roadgoing performance vehicles, so it's difficult to tell if reports of a new Cobra might actually hint at a Cobra Jet racecar. Regardless, Ford CEO Jim Farley has said that the company is "investing a lot in Mustang," indicating that more variants are in the works, and we've seen evidence of this with spy shots of what was may have been a new GT500. Might this development mule have been a Cobra or Boss instead? Time will tell, but we know that a new production road car will definitely be unveiled by Ford Racing this month. Teased in November, the announcement might foreshadow a successor to the Ford GT supercar, but with this new report from TSB, perhaps it hints at a new Mustang instead.
Why the Cobra Name Seems Primed for a Comeback
From 1993 to 2004, the SN95 Ford SVT Mustang Cobra ruled the roost as the top-tier pony car in Ford's range, sitting above both the Mustang GT and the Mach 1 with its supercharged V8 until the S197 Mustang GT500 arrived for the 2007 model year. For the current S650 generation, the Mach 1 has effectively been replaced by the Dark Horse, so perhaps the GT500 name will now be dropped, making way for the Cobra's return. As for the Boss nameplate, it was most recently seen on the 2012 Boss 302, where the GT's 5.0-liter Coyote engine was upgraded with a forged crankshaft, ported cylinder heads, new camshafts, and a modified intake derived from the 302R racecar. In a nutshell, both Cobra and Boss were high-performance variants of the Mustang, with the supercharged Cobra most similar to a GT500 and the naturally aspirated Boss sharing principles with today's Dark Horse. Therefore, we may be about to get a new Cobra/GT500 with a supercharger. Fingers crossed.