Long before the GT350R became the track day king, the ultimate modern Ford Mustang you could buy was the 2000 Cobra R. With only 300 ever built, the cars became instant collectables and some owners hid them away from the public in the hopes they'd appreciate. This is one such Cobra R, with less than 85 miles on the clock and an interior still covered in plastic from the factory.
Texas dealer BJ Motors has it listed for sale on eBay with an asking price of $79,995, which is nearly $26,000 more than the Cobra R's 2000 list price of $54,000. While most Mustangs of this era aren't even remotely collectible, the Cobra R easily qualifies an an exception. Besides being rare, the Cobra R was the most track-focused Mustang since the original Shelby GT350.
Its 5.4-liter V8 made 385 horsepower, it had independent rear suspension, a race-ready fuel cell, and a stripped out interior. You could argue that in 2000, the Cobra R was a more significant leap ahead for the Mustang than the GT350R is today. The Cobra R's only drawbacks were really its prohibitively expensive price, and the fact that Ford didn't build many.
If you missed the chance to buy one in 2000, this is as close as you'll get today, but is it worth more than a GT350R? If you're a collector, it probably is because it's rare these cars come up for sale at all, let alone in virtually new condition.
A car enthusiast since childhood, Chris Perkins served as Road & Track's engineering nerd and Porsche apologist.
