Track Testing Revology Cars' 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback Cobra Jet
Revology Cars in Orlando, Florida, has made quite a name for itself over the past decade. What started in 2014 as one man's passion to combine classic Ford Mustang design with modern automotive technology has become a full-fledged automaker with a 26-station assembly line, multiple sub-assembly processes, and advanced in-house engineering to ensure the components meet Revology Cars' specific needs and high standards for performance, premium materials, and safety. The company has also produced over 300 'new' 1960s Ford Mustangs.
My first experience driving a Revology Cars 1968 Mustang GT 2+2 Fastback, last fall on the public streets north of San Diego, was recently eclipsed by piloting the automaker's 1968 Fastback Ford Cobra Jet model. The Cobra Jet is a recent addition to Revology Cars' catalog of customer choices. And unlike the previous 460 horsepower, 5.0-liter V8 Fastback I drove on the street, this Performance Red Cobra Jet featured the company's more powerful, supercharged 710 horsepower V8 engine. And I drove it at a race track.
The Cobra Jet's classic lines conceal a carefully engineered premium driving experience Revology Cars
Circuit Florida, a new race facility located about 25 minutes from Disney World, features a 1.7-mile road course, though the track already has approval to expand to 2.5-miles, plus add a skidpad and off-road course. It was a convenient location to test the Cobra Jet under controlled circumstances, and between Circuit Florida's flawless road surface, variable speed turns, and long straightaways, I had everything I needed to explore this Ford Mustang's performance limit in a safe-yet-engaging atmosphere.
The Cobra Jet's modern hardware let it confidently navigate Circuit Florida Revology Cars
Engaging is really an insufficient term in this case. With the Cobra Jet's 710 horsepower V8, 6-speed manual transmission, power rack-and-pinion steering, upgraded suspension, and four-wheel disc brakes, the car is ready and willing to thrill its driver in a track setting, in a way no traditional muscle car ever could. But its starting price of $322,000 and its ability to hit well over 100 mph on Circuit Florida's main straight kept me extremely focused while driving it through the track's 10 turns.
Driving the Cobra Jet at the track was among the best driving experiences I've had Revology Cars
And yet, despite the triple-digit speeds and third-of-a-million dollar values in play, I could not suppress the giggles and perma-grin plastered on my face as I drove this gorgeous vehicle in a track environment. Tom Scarpello, Revology Cars' founder and CEO, has endeavored to create an uncompromised modern driving experience, despite the 60-year-old starting point these Ford Mustangs represent. And he's succeeded. I thought I knew this from my seat time last fall, but leveraging the Cobra Jet's more powerful drivetrain in a track environment illustrated the level of engineering Revology Cars has mastered.
The Cobra Jet's interior looks vintage but features modern tech and premium materials Revology Cars
In this circumstance you could just goose the Cobra Jet's throttle on the straights, revel in the Coyote V8's deep exhaust roar, and call it a day. But the car's precise steering, confident brakes, and controlled body roll beg for more sophisticated driving, and if you oblige the Revology Cars Cobra Jet will astound you. Despite enjoying myself immensely I never got close to this version of the classic Ford Mustang's limits, which is just the way I like it when driving someone else's six-figure automobile.
A tour of Revology Cars' factory confirmed the advanced manufacturing the automaker uses Katherine Brauer Revology Cars Factory = Willy Wonka For Ford Mustangs
To get a first-hand look at how Tom Scarpello's team of artisans create these wonderful vehicles I drove the Mustang Cobra Jet from Circuit Florida to Revology Cars' factory in Orlando. And to be clear, the car was just as accommodating on public roads as it was hitting triple-digit speeds at a race track. Once at the factory Tom walked me through the assembly process, pointing out his latest construction enhancement: a structural adhesive bonding process that now supplement's his team's welding process, providing body and chassis rigidity the original Ford Mustang's engineers could only dream about.
Tom Scarpello founded Revology Cars to create the ultimate version of Ford's original Mustang Katherine Brauer
Additional recent upgrades include more comfortable seats and improved window regulators, the latest examples of the constant engineering improvements Revology Cars has been practicing since it started building modern-day versions of Ford's iconic vehicle. It's this level of mechanical detail, along with Revology Cars's wide range of configuration options and dedicated customer support before, during, and after purchase, that has earned the automaker a loyal following, several repeat customers, and an ever-full order bank of car fans seeking the ultimate version of Ford's Mustang.
At home on both the street and the track, this Cobra Jet is ready to deliver driving thrills Revology Cars
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So we wondered what the 2025 Taycan Turbo S—the model sitting just below the Turbo GT in Porsche's Taycan hierarchy—can do. To make it a bit more compelling for nerds like us, we got our hands on a 2025 Porsche Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo wagon version to run the numbers on. The 2025 Porsche Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo impresses with a 0-60 mph time of 2.2 seconds and a quarter-mile in 9.8 seconds. It offers 938 hp, a rapid charge time of 17 minutes (5-80%), and costs $253,465 as tested. It's fast but not as quick as the pricier Taycan Turbo GT Weissach. This summary was generated by AI using content from this MotorTrend article Read Next And the Numbers Are? Undoubtedly big, beginning with our test Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo's $213,695 base price, let alone its as-tested sticker of $253,465. 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Should You Buy a Used EV?
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Think of it as a CarFax for batteries, and you're not far off. It's available directly through many dealers, including CarMax. "Battery health is one of the most critical factors in evaluating a used EV,' a CarMax representative told us. 'That's why CarMax provides an independent, third-party battery health assessment tool through Recurrent. EVs in CarMax's inventory include a battery range score, which gives an estimate of how far the vehicle may drive on a full charge today versus when it was new." Another option is provided by Cox Automotive's Manheim, a VIN-specific battery report. These are automatically included on Autotrader listings, making checking battery health there easy. If that's not enough, some dealers use hardware battery scanners like Voltest, which can provide a comprehensive report of a given car's battery; it's similar to how you might get an OBDII scan of error codes on a regular used car. 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Motor Trend
26 minutes ago
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His Own Snake: Driving Carroll Shelby's Personal 289 Cobra—The Last One Ever Made
[This story first appeared in the Spring 2012 issue of MotorTrend Classic] CSX2589, the last 289 Cobra, uniquely features an automatic transmission. Originally owned by Carroll Shelby, it underwent modifications but was later restored to near-original specs by Mike McCluskey. It's now a display piece, highlighting Cobra's historical significance. This summary was generated by AI using content from this MotorTrend article Read Next Sitting in CSX2589 is a unique experience. Really, sitting in any original Cobra—just 655 were built—is a unique experience, but this one even more so. It's not just that this very car was the last 289 Cobra to roll off the production line before Shelby made the switch to 427s. It's not even that the very seat I'm sitting in is the same seat Carroll Shelby has sat in for nearly five decades (Carroll is the car's first and only owner). What really catches my attention is that automatic transmission lever jutting vertically from its plastic housing on the center tunnel. Yes, the last 289 Cobra ever made (built in 1965, the same year that the slippery-profiled Cobra Daytona Coupe won the FIA manufacturer's championship for sports cars) was equipped with a slushbox. Now, that's an unusual transmission to find factory-installed in a Cobra, but it might not be quite as rare as you'd think. The actual number of factory-built automatic Cobras varies, depending on whom you ask. Original Shelby American shipping invoices seem to point at 16 cars built with an automatic transmission, while others insist that as many as 20 289s were built without clutch pedals. The gearbox itself was a beefed-up variant of Ford's new-for-1964 three-speed C4 automatic, the aluminum-cased transmission first designed for use in the Ford Mustang and its Fairlane stablemate. The Hi-Po version that served in the Cobra was also used in the 1965 Fairlane (this stronger C4 wouldn't come to the Mustang until 1966). The special transmission necessitated several small changes to specification. For one, a unique Autolite carburetor was fitted with an automatic choke (four-speed cars got a manual choke). According to Cobra historians, automatic-equipped Cobras were also given slightly different engines than their four-speed counterparts': Manual transmission bellhousings were attached with five bolts, but the new automatic required six, necessitating a different engine block. According to the Shelby American Automobile Club registry, original invoices show that CSX2589 was the last 289 Cobra roadster to be shipped to Shelby American from AC Cars Ltd., departing in late October 1964. It arrived at Shelby's Los Angeles headquarters with Iris Rouge paint (think metallic maroon) and a black interior, and the car received its six-bolt 289 and C4 transmission. Immediately, the Cobra entered service as a company demonstrator. It shuttled automotive journalists, potential customers, and other Shelby clients for almost a year, racking up nearly 1400 miles by early 1965. Carroll, perhaps recognizing the car's significance, purchased CSX2589 in May 1966, making him the Cobra's first (and only) registered owner. One change was made to the car right off the bat. Shelby ditched the original single four-barrel Autolite for twin two-barrel Weber carburetors. Much more extensive changes were to come. Enter Mike McCluskey. Today, Mike is the owner of McCluskey Ltd. restoration services, a Cobra specialist shop that has worked with Shelby American on several occasions. In 1971, McCluskey was just a car-crazy college kid wrenching on his Sunbeam Alpine. Shelby happened to live in the same part of Playa del Rey, and the two struck up a neighborly friendship. Shelby was impressed with McCluskey's work on the Alpine, and asked if he'd like to take on another project, namely, giving CSX2589 a cosmetic refresh, along with some serious modifications. 'What he had me do was build it with a 351 Cleveland motor and also strip it and do the body and paint,' McCluskey recalls. 'About that time, he was making wheels, so we put some different knockoff rims on it. He said to 'paint it blue' and do whatever else I wanted to do to it.' In the intervening months, the original 289 was replaced with the considerably heavier cast-iron Cleveland engine (though the automatic was retained), a hood scoop was added, and the body was treated to a respray in Targa Blue, a Corvette color, with gold center stripes. The black interior was freshened, a full-width rollbar was fitted, and a set of Shelby's slotted aluminum alloy wheels replaced the original wire-spoked rims. 'We wouldn't do it that way now, but that's how things were in the '70s,' says McCluskey with a hint of regret in his voice. In those days, to Carroll Shelby, at least, CSX2589 was mostly just an old Cobra. As with many other important sports cars of the day, preserving originality wasn't a foremost concern. Shelby drove the car with its 351 for roughly a decade, until giving McCluskey another call in the early 1980s. 'Shelby didn't like the engine; he was never totally happy with it,' McCluskey recalls. 'It was just a pig. For that size car, with the weight of the 351 and the heat it gave off, it just wasn't worth the effort.' By this time, collector cars such as the Cobra were also gaining steam in the marketplace, with values growing and collectors beginning to place strong importance on originality. McCluskey told Shelby that the 351 swap had devalued the car, but fortunately he had just the solution. 'Shelby had just wanted to throw away the original 289, but I kept it in my shop. About 10 years later, when he decided to go back to stock, I was able to pull it out of storage, rebuild it, and swap it back out.' So back went CSX2589 to McCluskey's shop, where the original 289 was rebuilt to stock configuration and reinstalled, along with the original wire wheels, and the rollbar was removed. McCluskey wanted to take things a step further by repainting the car its original color, but Shelby thought the non-factory blue-and-gold combination was just fine the way it was. Since the last work was completed, according to McCluskey, the Cobra has done more sitting than driving, largely serving as a display piece in Shelby American's Las Vegas headquarters. 'He didn't drive it much. You'd normally see him in one of the Mustangs or even some of the Chrysler stuff,' McCluskey explains. 'For his size and stature, the 289 Cobra just wasn't very comfortable.' Of course, that didn't stop us from taking a turn behind the wheel when Shelby American gave us the approval. There were stipulations, of course, as you might expect of a car said to be valued in the multi-millions of dollars (Shelby's personal 1966 Super Snake Cobra, also automatic equipped, sold at a 2007 auction for more than $5 million). We couldn't drive it on public roads, for one. And the car couldn't be driven over 40 mph. Nevertheless, we trailered up CSX2589 as quick as we could and headed to the Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, California. Significantly, the dragstrip is located on the grounds of the Pomona Fairplex, once home to SCCA races where a Cobra scored one of its early victories in 1963. When we first view the CSX2589 in the dimly lit garage space of Shelby's Gardena, California, shop, the car looks old and tired—as if it's been hibernating. But as the Cobra rolls off its enclosed trailer, the sun glinting off its blue and gold paint, it suddenly seems reinvigorated, full of life. McCluskey's restoration has survived well these past few decades—the paint is still shiny and the interior is patina'ed, but not worn out. The wooden steering wheel's varnish is worn; the brightwork isn't quite as shiny as it might have once been; and the driver-side windwing is cracked near its hinge. Other than that, the car is hard to fault. Dash plaques bear testament to Carroll Shelby's ownership and McCluskey's restoration work; look closely and you'll still see the rollbar mounting points located behind the seats. The biggest question on everyone's mind: Will it start? We've been assured it will, but we know better than to take such things for granted on vintage cars that do more sitting than driving. Carefully, a gallon of premium is funneled into the aluminum fuel filler aft of the Cobra's cabin, and the lid is latched closed with a metallic clink! We're ready for ignition. We flick the dash-mounted switch to engage the fuel pump, hold the throttle to the floor, twist the rather short key, and the Cobra fires into life with a growl, then settles into a lumpy 2500-rpm idle, as indicated on the Smiths tachometer (the speedometer is also a British Smiths unit, but the rest of the gauges are American Stewart Warner equipment). Slipping the automatic gearshift (man, this is strange!) through reverse, neutral, then drive brings a lurch and a chirp from the rear tires. Best to keep the brake firmly engaged until you're really ready to go. This snake is rearing to strike. Moving off, the steering is initially heavy, but lightens up by 20 mph, around the speed where the Cobra decides to shift into second gear with another lurching chirp, despite accelerating gently. Having just driven a modern CSX8000 continuation car with a five-speed, it seems strange not to be reaching for the notchy shift lever and stabbing at a clutch pedal that feels like a piece of gym equipment. There's a definite transformation in feel, from would-be canyon racer to boulevard cruiser or, even better, Saturday night Stoplight Grand Prix champion. That's not a bad thing, just different. Still, the question remains. Why the automatic? McCluskey offers his interpretation. 'Shelby was always a fan of automatics. A Cobra with an automatic isn't really what you think of today, but he was sort of pushing for that. He built a few 427s that way also.' Hey, if a slushbox is good enough for Carroll, it's good enough for us. Our Take Then: 'It has everything a sports car should have. The power is tremendous, and it has brakes and handling to match. Very impressive.'—Jim Wright, MotorTrend, September 1963 Now: As the decades pass, the Cobra continues to assert itself as an important addition to any serious sports car collection. While the ride and handling can be charitably described as 'vintage,' the Cobra is still very driveable even with today's roads and traffic. It's Not Too Late! If you only have mega bucks and not the mega, mega bucks you'd need to purchase an original Cobra from the 1960s, you do have options. And while several companies sell Cobra replicas, there's only one company still selling cars with that respected CSX identification number: Shelby American. Shelby American is currently building three variations of the timeless Shelby Cobra: a 289 Street Cobra, a 289 FIA Cobra, and a 427 S/C Cobra (CSX8000, CSX7000, and CSX4000, respectively). Each is available in fiberglass or aluminum construction and comes complete except for engine and transmission which are available from Ford Racing. While the design and build of the cars remains mostly authentic to those built in the 1960s, Shelby makes a few changes to these continuation series cars in the name of safety and performance with some uprated materials and chassis specifications. We got a day behind the wheel of a 50th Anniversary CSX8000 demonstrator, part of a limited 50-car run that is sold out, but identical to the standard CSX8000 cars save for some cosmetic additions. Attention to detail is fantastic on these continuation cars, and, besides the fact that our car was made of fiberglass and was in near-pristine condition, it was nearly impossible to tell that it wasn't made in the 1960s. The ride is rough and the steering not the most precise, but the driving experience is purely a vintage one—exactly as it should be. Listening to the sound of the 289 as it runs through its rev range, with the smell of exhaust heavy in the air, while bumping along a twisty bit of backroad, it's tough not to be transported back in time. —R.J. Want one? Fire up your Web browser and head to to learn more.
