Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R Is a Must Have for Every Collector
Only 300 copies of the Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R were ever made. If you ever wanted one, this may be the only chance you get.
Side pipes. A Mustang with side pipes. Does it get any cooler than that? Well, the 2000 SVT Mustang Cobra R has quite a few things going for it. Side pipes are just one of them. The GT500 may hold the crown today. But when the Cobra R was released, it was the fastest factory Mustang ever produced. Under the hood was a naturally aspirated 5.4L V8 that cranked out 385 horsepower. It was enough to launch the car to 60 mph in about four and a half seconds. It would keep pushing until about 170 mph. This was not just a drag strip special either. The Cobra R was designed for a road course. Big Brembo brakes, Recaro seats and a huge rear wing were a few of the highlights. And you could get it in any color you wanted. As long as it was Performance Red Clearcoat.
Ford has sold about 10 million Mustangs to date. However, the 2000 SVT Mustang Cobra R represents only 300 of those sales. That is .003 percent of all Mustang cars ever sold. Good luck finding one at your local Car Max. In comparison the Cobra R makes the Ford GT about as common as a Honda Civic. In other words, if a Cobra R ever comes up for sale, you better jump on it fast. Well, our friends at Bring a Trailer have a Cobra R for sale right now. And it has only 1,600 original miles on the clock. It won’t be cheap, but the car was never cheap. The original window sticker is still with the car. The MSRP was $54,995 in 2000. That is about $85K in todays money.
That may have been a big splurge on a Mustang back in the day but look at what you got. Not only was it exclusive, it looked mean and had the performance to back it up. The car came with an independent rear suspension. That would not be commonplace on a Mustang until the S550 generation about 15 years later. Also, everything that was not needed to make the car go faster was stripped out. The car has no rear seat, no radio, no cruise control, and no air conditioning. This is not a car for poseurs. It is a car for serious drivers. Or, it is a car for collectors. Sadly, it is unlikely that the new owner would be taking this car to the next local HPDE.
Adding to the collectability and provenance of this car is the copious amount of documentation that comes with it. There is a certificate of authenticity, dyno charts, pictures from the assembly line, magazine articles. Just about anything you would ever want to know about the car is included in the sale. This is an epic car and a piece of Mustang history. It should bring a hefty sum of money but will likely never depreciate. Sure, the only music you will hear in this car comes from the side pipes. And you will be sweaty by the time you get home. But they don’t make cars like this anymore and having a bit of sweaty fun is what it is all about.
Images: Bring a Trailer
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