Photos: Sneak Peak – BAMA Testing Ford’s Cobra Jet Intake!

Published by Andrew Cilio on December 31, 2012 in AM Behind the Scenes and Mustang Product News.  ( 13 Comments )

Cobra Jet Intake Manifold for 2011 2012 2013 Mustang GT by Ford RacingWith Ford Racing’s upcoming release of the Cobra Jet intake, Mike and the Bama team got a chance to test out a new prototype on our 2013 GT. Here’s some photos of the install and testing, as well as a little of what you can expect when these new intakes hit the streets.

For those of you who caught the video we posted of the twin-turbo 2013 Cobra Jet Concept Mustang may have been wondering when the Cobra Jet intake for the 5.0 Coyote motors would be hitting shelves. Well, the wait is almost over!

The first thing that needs to be aired regarding this intake is that it absolutely does look sick under the hood of the new GT and there’s just little room to argue with that (keeping in mind the prototype will be slightly different than the production model). Upon first glance I did question how snug this thing was going to be but, as it turns out, the Cobra Jet intake manifold provided a little more room between the fire blanket and top of the intake than its counterpart, the BOSS 302 intake.

Mike and the Bama Performance team were still tuning when I left them but it was clear from the beginning – the Cobra Jet makes more top-end power than that of the BOSS 302 intake and only gives up a little more in terms of low-end torque compared to the Boss unit. That said, those with more complementary mods will minimize the loss in torque and be able to better utilize the increased RPM range of the Cobra Jet.

One other noteworthy observation that is made clear by the photos is how much larger the throttle body is on this intake over stock. Yes, you will have to change out the stock throttle body and have oval intake tubing that will clamp up, but what’s the point of a bigger intake manifold if you’re going to be pulling air through restrictive tubing, anyway?

BOSS 302 or Cobra Jet Intake?

Since pricing comes in higher for the Cobra Jet than the BOSS intake, those looking for maximum airflow and performance later in the power band( 7750 rpm is peak performance for the Cobra Jet) will want to consider the Cobra Jet intake over that of the Boss. More mild builds and those who do not plan on changing up the rest of their intake may want to stick with the Boss as their go-to manifold. Either way, it’s nice to see how quickly the Mustang aftermarket is pushing out performance products for the new 5.0 powerplant.

As for a release date, the Boss intake is available now but you’re going to have to wait a couple more weeks before the Cobra Jet intake hits the shelves.

Would you consider picking up a Cobra Jet intake for your 2011+ GT? Share your thoughts with us below!

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About Andrew Cilio

I love to write and I've had a passion for cars since I could drive. I'm a blogger who's devoted interest in Mustangs has me continuously following the automotive industry with a vigilant eye. My Google+ Profile

  • Guest

    I am hoping to get one this year, I was looking at a Boss for a while until I read about the N/A CJ last summer. I have been extremely anxious for the CJ to come out and to see tests with various levels/types of parts/mods. Things that have crossed my mind are TB options. It wonder if a car without headers and cams would do better with the stock GT500 twin 60, the CJ twin 65 or the Monoblade, will the CJ 123mm MAF be the best or will something smaller work? I wonder what it’s going take to put Boss R cams 260 intake 13mm lift/ 290 exhaust 13mm lift and Boss valve springs on Coyote heads. I have read that the heads need to be clearanced for the rocker arms. What about Boss valves? There isn’t ANY info on the internet about doing it or having it done yet. I wonder if Comp or JPC cams would be as good or better for the money. I wonder if American Racing 1 7/8″ LT headers that cost over a $1K offer an advantage over say JBA 1 7/8″ LTs that go for $600. I want to know if Ported or Boss heads are really worth the added cost, it seems like the stock Coyote heads flow an awfully well already . I have also been wondering how much beefing I will have to do to rev to say 8100rpms. Obviously the CJ ignition pulse ring. What about cooling, would the $140 Boss heat exchanger oil cooler be enough, should I plan on doing the Gerotor Oil pump from the CJ, A FR500/Boss R rad, external oil cooler radiator maybe with a fan, Moroso 10qt or Boss R 12qt oil pan. What about the bottom end, would ARP rod studs be enough? Or will I need Boss pistons, rods and crank or Mahle Pistons and Manley Rods? Would ALL ARP main, pod and head studs be over kill? I basically want to make as close to 600hp at the crank without buying parts that will be adequate for the job but not complete overkill on price or durability for an N/A car. Can’t wait to see AM’s tests on the CJ in the future and thanks for the blog.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=736582138 Lee Henderson

    I am hoping to get one this year, I was looking at a Boss for a while until I read about the N/A CJ last summer. I have been extremely anxious for the CJ to come out and to see tests with various levels/types of parts/mods. A LOT of things that have crossed my mind. It wonder what the power differences between the stock GT500 twin 60, the CJ twin 65 or the Monoblade will be, will the CJ 123mm MAF be the best or will something smaller work? I wonder what it’s going take to put Boss R cams 260 intake 13mm lift/ 290 exhaust 13mm lift and Boss valve springs on Coyote heads. I have read that the heads need to be clearanced for the rocker arms. What about Boss valves? There isn’t ANY info on the internet about doing it or having it done yet. I wonder if Comp or JPC cams would be as good or better for the money. I wonder if American Racing 1 7/8″ LT headers that cost over a $1K offer an advantage over say JBA 1 7/8″ LTs that go for $600. I want to know if JPC or Boss heads are really worth the added cost, it seems like the stock Coyote heads flow an awfully well already . I have also been wondering how much beefing I will have to do to rev to say 8100rpms. Obviously the CJ ignition pulse ring. What about cooling, would the $140 Boss heat exchanger oil cooler be enough, should I plan on doing the Gerotor Oil pump from the CJ, A FR500/Boss R rad, external oil cooler radiator maybe with a fan, Moroso 10qt or Boss R 12qt oil pan. What about the bottom end, would ARP rod studs be enough? Or will I need Boss pistons, rods and crank or Mahle Pistons and Manley Rods? Would ALL ARP main, rod and head studs be overkill? I basically want to make as close to 600hp at the crank with parts that will be adequate for the job but not complete overkill on price or durability for an N/A car. Can’t wait to see AM’s tests on the CJ in the future and thanks for the blog.

    • http://www.americanmuscle.com AmericanMuscle.com

      From what I gathered from your post, you want to end up at 600HP at
      the crank and be revving to around 8,100 RPM. Breaking down your
      questions one at a time:

      1. GT500 vs. CobraJet vs Monoblade Power Differences?
      Answer:
      Since you are looking to stay N/A and rev up to 8,100RPM, for a build like
      this, keeping air velocity is going to be very important. Because of
      this, you will most definitely want to go with a monoblade design. Other
      blades still flow very well, however, for your particular build a
      monoblade is going to be essential.

      2. Is a 123mm MAF best with the Cobra Jet?

      Answer:
      Unfortunately, I do not have a good answer for you on this one yet. I
      can tell you that the JLT intake will work very well with the CJ intake
      but will require some custom piping to fit.

      3. Will the Boss R cams fit? What about Boss springs and valves?

      Answer:
      They will all fit but you will need to get some machine work done as
      you will need additional clearance with the rockers and fresh valve
      seating.

      4. Comp or JPC cams?

      Answer:
      Aftermarket cams will be better – they will make more power and have a
      better powerband for your build. Due to the nature of your particular
      build, you may want to consider getting custom cams.

      5. Longtubes: ARH or JBA?

      Answer:
      Again, for this particular build, you want to go with the set that has a
      better collector. ARH will better suit this need and should make
      slightly more power. JBA makes a good set of headers too, but with the
      kind of power you want to make N/A, every bit of HP you can get out of a
      mod is essential.

      6. Are JPC or Boss Heads worth the cost?

      Answer:
      Stock heads will need a lot of modding – both porting and for fitment
      of cams, rockers, ect. It is much easier (and potentially cheaper) to
      buy Boss or JPC heads already done.

      7. How much work is involved for a build that can handle revving to 8,100RPMS?

      Answer:
      At the very least, you will want to go with ARP rod bolts. For an
      engine that you want to last a long time, all forged components are
      highly suggested.

      8. Oil Pump Upgrade?

      Answer:
      You do not want a higher psi oil pump unless you plan to race your car
      around the track or do a ton of hot lapping at the strip. You do,
      however, want more volume from your oil pump and is a very important
      upgrade if you are planing a high-revving build like this. As long as it
      is a drag strip or street build, just look for a pump that has greater
      volume.

      9. Boss Radiator or FR500?

      Answer:
      Your stock radiator will be fine for the drag strip or street. If this
      car will see track time you will want to upgrade and either of the above
      two radiators will work out fine.

      I know this does not cover every single thing but I hope it helps!

      - Andrew

      • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=736582138 Lee Henderson

        Thx the reply Andrew, there is still a lot of guess work at this point until I see some builds in the ‘stang rags in the next year or so. I am sure I will have a better Idea of what I’m going to do and how far I’m going to go with the overkill and power balance in that time.

        • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=736582138 Lee Henderson

          I have an ’11 GT Auto BTW…I didn’t even mention that in my rant lol :D

      • http://www.facebook.com/Ironhead5.0 Tyler Watkins

        Andrew I’m curious, you recommend the ARH headers, but I don’t see them for sale on your site (very benevolent of you). How do they stack up to the Kooks LT’s that you sell? Has anyone compared the ARH setup to the Kooks 1 7/8 vs 1 1 7/8 (both with the o/r X-pipe)?

        • http://twitter.com/AMAndrewC Andrew Cilio

          Hey Tyler, good question. The Kooks headers are hand-made in the USA with the same quality T304 stainless steel as ARH. In reality, fitment and power is nearly identical to one another and both are top notch headers – you can’t go wrong with either. I hope that helps!

          Give credit to AMShaneLesky for the insight and don’t hesitate to reach out to us anytime, whether it be here on the blog or the forums.

          • http://www.facebook.com/Ironhead5.0 Tyler Watkins

            Thanks Andrew, are there any articles or blogs comparing the two? I would like to see some dyno numbers and maybe an install video on the Kooks (I’ve seen the ARH install and the fit looks to be amazing for aftermarket longtubes)?

          • http://twitter.com/AMAndrewC Andrew Cilio

            Tyler, I apologize but after spending some time searching I could not come up with any hard evidence All I could find was forum discussions and the word of a few people here at AM. Your best bet currently for the install of the Kooks headers might be to find a couple forum member who have both sets and ask questions. I’ve found more than a few guys willing to go in-depth about their parts and what their opinion is on the products.

          • http://www.facebook.com/Ironhead5.0 Tyler Watkins

            I’ll check out the forums then, thank you Andrew!

  • http://twitter.com/HennessyJoe Joe Hennessy

    Anyone know if any of the Big Cold Air Intake Companies is looking at producing intakes made for the CJ setup?

    • http://www.americanmuscle.com Andrew Cilio

      As of right now, I do not know of any companies that are producing intakes made specifically to fit this new intake. However, like always, I’m sure the aftermarket will get CAIs out to the public specifically for the CobraJet, the question remains as to when. In my personal opinion, I can’t see a Ford Racing product going unsupported by aftermarket companies for very long.

      - Andrew

    • http://www.facebook.com/Ironhead5.0 Tyler Watkins

      It’s pretty much an assurance Ford Racing will make one. They would not go to all the trouble to make it work with the stock 5.0 engine, stock fuel rails, and fit under the stock hood (not to mention offer it for sale to the general public) if they did not intend for it to be used on the engines. I’m sure there will be aftermarket and Ford kits out there within a few months of the intake coming out. It’s a safe bed it American Muscle has a prototype so do some of the big intake manufacturers. Hopefully it will come down in cost like the Boss intake did. I’d gladly pay an extra $300-$400 on top of the cost of the boss intake kit for a kit featuring this intake. Initially though it looks to be too expensive to piece together. I’m very excited to get my hands on one of these. In the meantime I’ll get my exhaust squared away so I can take full advantage of this intake.