The S650 Mustang range is reportedly about to grow, but it’s unclear exactly how. According to unconfirmed reports supercar blogCiting insider sources, Ford will use the Detroit auto show to reveal not one but two new Ford racing models, one of which “may be a Mustang Cobra or Boss.” The annual event starts next week and will take place between January 14 and 25, and it seems the perfect place to showcase the new high-performance vehicles, as the Blue Oval has confirmed that its annual Ford Racing season launch will take place at the show, where both Red Bull teams’ Formula 1 liveries will also be unveiled.
Ford rebrand muddies the waters
Ford
Ford Performance recently changed its name to Ford Racing, covering both motorsport (see Mustang GT3) and road-going performance vehicles, so it’s difficult to tell whether reports of a new Cobra are actually hinting at a Cobra Jet race car. Regardless, Ford CEO Jim Farley said the company is “investing heavily in the Mustang,” suggesting more variants are on the way, and we’ve seen evidence of this in spy shots of what could be the new GT500. Could this development mule be Cobra or Boss? Time will tell, but we know Ford Racing will definitely unveil a new production road car this month. This November announcement could have heralded a successor to the Ford GT supercar, but according to this report from TSAperhaps it hints at a new Mustang.
Why the name Cobra seems poised to make a comeback
With trailer
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From 1993 to 2004, the SN95 Ford SVT Mustang Cobra was the king of the top pony cars in the Ford lineup, ranking above the Mustang GT and the Mach 1 with a supercharged V8 engine until the introduction of the S197 Mustang GT500 in 2007. With the current S650 generation, the Mach 1 has effectively been replaced by the Dark Horse, so the GT500 name may now be dropped to make way for the return of the Cobra. As for the Boss nameplate, last seen in the 2012 Boss 302, the GT’s 5.0-liter Coyote engine has been upgraded with a forged crankshaft, ported cylinder heads, new camshafts, and a modified intake system derived from the 302R race car. In short, the Cobra and Boss are both high-performance variants of the Mustang, with the supercharged Cobra most similar to the GT500 and the naturally aspirated Boss sharing principles with today’s dark horse. So we may be about to get a new Cobra/GT500 with a supercharger. Fingers crossed.
This article was originally published by Autoblog on January 6, 2026 and first appeared in the News section. Click here to add Autoblog as your preferred source.