Broad Arrow Group’s Amelia Island sale on March 7th wouldn’t be complete without some red-blooded American muscle cars, and when we saw a pair of crimson Ford Mustangs estimated to sell deep into six-figure territory, we needed to put them under the microscope.
1993 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R
First up is a glorious 1993 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R showing a mere 2,118 miles on the clock. Built for one year only and offered in any colour combination as long as you picked Vibrant Red over an Opal Grey interior, just 107 of these wild stallions were created to send the Foxbody Mustang off in style. Powered by a hefty 5.0-litre V8, this Cobra R produces 235 horsepower and an impressive 280 lb-ft of torque, but unusually for a muscle car, the engine wasn’t the real focus here.
The Cobra R improved its racing credentials with a heavy-duty aluminium radiator, an auxiliary engine oil cooler, a heavy-duty power steering cooler, a close-ratio five-speed manual gearbox and a limited-slip differential. Sport tuned suspension, upgraded front and rear springs, and a combination of strut braces and stabiliser bars helped this Cobra R corner unlike any Mustang before it, cementing it as one of the most driver-focused Fords to emege from their Special Vehicle Team.
2000 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R
In 2000, Cobra R name reappeared on the facelifted ‘New Edge’ variant of the fourth-generation SN-95 Mustang, this time with a big old wing and side exit exhausts. Like its Foxbody forebear, the SN-95 Cobra R was an extremely rare machine, with the 300 cars ever built offered exclusively to clients with valid competition licenses.
Under the ‘Power Dome’ hood was a DOHC 5.4-litre V8 rated at 385 horsepower and a whopping 385 lb-ft of torque, connected to a six-speed manual. Meanwhile, Eibach springs, Bilstein front and rear shocks, Brembo brakes, and Gerodisc hydro-mechanical limited-slip differential helped it handle like a Cobra R should. With a mere 1,410 miles on the clock, this Performance Red beauty is a brilliant ambassador for the breed, and would be right at home in any collection of the rarest American muscle cars.
Amelia Island, 7 Mar
