But Ford knows that it's going to take more than a powerful motor and tight brakes to win races. With better springs, advanced racing shocks, and stiffer bushing materials, the Cobra R is capable of lateral acceleration higher than 1.0g on the 100-foot skidpad.

"Everything we've done on this car is a notch, or several notches, above everything we've ever done before," Coletti says. "This 2000 Cobra R pushes the performance envelope far beyond the capabilities of any previous Mustang."

For the Cobra R, SVE developed high-flow aluminum cylinder heads, with dual overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder.

At the bottom, a Canton Racing Products oil pan provides extra oil capacity, reducing windage losses and improving oil control in racing conditions. To cool the synthetic oil used in the R, an air-to-oil cooler system is mounted behind the front fascia. 

The exhaust system consists of short-tube headers leading into a Bassani X-pipe with catalytic converters, which was chosen to achieve emissions compliance, and improved sound quality. Borla produces the unique mufflers and side-exit pipes. The side-exit routing is used to provide more clearance for the 20-gallon fuel cell in the rear.

The engine is mated to a 6-speed manual Tremec transmission, the first time any Mustang has been equipped with a 6-speed gearbox. It is fitted with special mounting bracket and reinforcement system for extra strength and stiffness.

The clutch is the 11-inch single plate unit used in the Cobra, which in durability testing proved capable in handling the high horsepower demands of the Cobra R's engine.

Visteon supplies the hydro-mechanical differential with speed and torque sensitivity. For racing demands, it provides predictable performance and greatly improved torque transfer capability. The final gear ratio is 3.55:1, compared to 3.27:1 in the Cobra.

The rear axle half-shafts are also unique to the Cobra R. Ford used induction-hardened GKN units with the strength to perform reliably under higher torque loads. Shaft diameter is unchanged from the Cobra, but the inner splines have 31 teeth instead of 28, the inner tulips are a tripod design, and the right-side shaft is shorter to accommodate a larger differential.

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