2028 款福特野马 Cobra 搭载源自赛车的 V-8 值得等待

Ford only just launched the Mustang Dark Horse SC earlier this year, but the Blue Oval brand isn’t letting up when it comes to high-performance versions of its iconic pony car. While the S650-generation Mustang introduced the new Dark Horse branding—at the expense of the legendary Shelby nameplate—and saw the arrival of the new $300,000-plus GTD, Ford’s upcoming Mustang variant revives a famous name from the past: Cobra. The new Mustang Cobra is expected to slot between the Dark Horse and Dark Horse SC as an indirect successor to the last Shelby GT350, providing track-ready performance and high-fidelity driver engagement.

Why It Matters

The Shelby GT350, offered from 2015–2020, is considered one of the best Mustangs ever, thanks to its naturally aspirated flat-plane-crank 5.2-liter V-8 known as Voodoo. The last Cobra is also coveted by Mustang fans, so the new track-focused model has big shoes to fill. And with a new engine most likely under the Cobra’s hood, there’s potential for another legendary Mustang to be born.

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Platform

The Cobra will continue to utilize the S650 platform, itself an evolution of the S550 chassis that underpinned the Mustang from 2015–2023. The Cobra will adapt the Mustang into a dedicated track car, and we think it will also spawn a more hardcore Cobra R with even more extreme aerodynamics, stronger brakes, and greater weight savings, potentially even removing the backseat. We expect the Cobra’s bodywork to be based on the Dark Horse SC, but with small tweaks and possibly a rear wing that harkens back to the 2000 Cobra R.

Powertrain

Mustang fans are obviously clamoring for the return of the Voodoo, but we don’t think that’s what Ford has in store. Fret not, however, because the automaker is cooking up something special for the new Cobra.

Instead of the 5.2-liter Voodoo, the new Cobra will pack a naturally aspirated 5.4-liter engine derived from the Mustang GT3 race car that has triumphed at the 24 Hours of Daytona and secured a podium at Le Mans. The Coyote-based GT3 engine features a cross-plane crank, but the teaser video released by Ford emitted a high-revving scream, so there’s a chance that the Cobra’s engine will switch to a flat-plane-crank setup. Still, if you’ve recently been to an IMSA race, you’ll know the GT3 car produces a thunderous soundtrack, so enthusiasts are in for an auditory treat regardless.

Although Ford hasn’t confirmed that the Cobra will adapt the GT3 race car’s engine, in the first teaser it said the car would pack a “heart born from racing.” We don’t expect the Cobra to come close to the Dark Horse SC or GTD in terms of power, but we wouldn’t be shocked if the 5.4-liter V-8 exceeds the 550 horsepower that the GT3 car is restricted to by racing regulations.

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Better yet, the new 5.4-liter V-8 will be paired with a six-speed manual for maximum driver engagement. We think Ford will likely employ the Tremec TR-3160 transmission already used in the Dark Horse.

Competition

At the moment, the Mustang has the V-8 muscle car world all to itself. Dodge is expected to stuff a supercharged V-8 back into the Charger for the 2028 model year, while Chevy is gearing up to bring back the Camaro around 2028. The only other V-8-powered car under $100,000 is the Corvette, which has a completely different form factor with its mid-engine layout, but it will likely still be cross-shopped against the Cobra.

What Might Go Wrong

Pricing is probably the biggest risk. Ford needs to make sure it doesn’t alienate its customers by making it too expensive, given that the Dark Horse SC already has a hefty $105,585 asking price (about $20K more than the GT500 that it replaced). The new 5.4-liter V-8 will also have to make a strong impression as a successor to the much-loved Voodoo.

Estimated Arrival and Price

The Mustang Cobra will likely be revealed in early 2027 and go on sale before the end of the year. We expect pricing to start somewhere in the $80,000 range, but it could easily climb to $100,000 for a Cobra R model.

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Caleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan.

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