Yesterday Ford debuted the new 2013 Shelby GT500 Convertible, but in our opinion the real star of the show is this 1993 Mustang SVT Cobra R. Ford brought out the car to celebrate the 20th anniversary of SVT, a fitting tribute since the 1993 SVT Cobra made its debut at the Chicago Auto Show exactly two decades ago.
Although it doesn’t have the horsepower of the modern Shelby (who could have imagined in 1993 that a factory Mustang would have 650 horsepower), the 1993 Mustang SVT Cobra R was capable of impressive performance. The 5.0-liter high-output V8 rated at 235 horsepower is the same as the one in the standard SVT Cobra, but the two cars have many differences. Visual changes include the removal of the fog lights to feed cool air to the brakes, and Ford also fitted special 17-inch aluminum wheels and Goodyear tires. Inside the car has been stripped of anything nonessential, and the radio, air conditioning, rear seats and all sound deadening material are absent. Ford didn’t stop there, though, and added larger front and rear brakes, adjustable Koni shocks with heavy duty springs, larger front and rear anti-roll bar and a strut tower brace. Finally, additional modifications for track use included a power steering fluid cooler, an external engine oil cooler and an aluminum radiator.
The performance of the 1993 Mustang SVT Cobra R was impressive for the time, with testing showing that the car was capable of going 0-60 mph in 5.5 seconds and running the 1/4 mile in 14 seconds flat at 100 mph. The real value of the car, though, is its rarity. Only 107 were ever produced by Ford.
We went through the 1993 Mustang SVT Cobra R on display at the Chicago Auto Show in detail, and Ford even allowed us to photograph the interior and open up the engine bay to have a look at the motor. Amazingly, only 4,183 miles have been put on the car since now.
Check out the 1993 Mustang SVT Cobra R in detail in the gallery below.
