Weekly Treasure: 1993 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R

The Fox platform Ford Mustang, built from 1977 until 2004, is currently experiencing somewhat of a collector's renaissance. These types of things are always hard to tell but there's definitely been renewed interest lately over this often unloved pony car. This rear-wheel-drive platform was not just for Mustangs, but also for small sedans when it was first introduced.

Ford was eager to downsize the Mustang for a number of reasons, among them greater fuel efficiency. But having the right engine under the hood was always a priority. The Fox setup was designed to accommodate four cylinders, V6s and V8s, ranging from a 2.3-liter inline-four to a 5.8-liter V8. Strangely enough, Ford even tweaked this architecture to utilize a BMW-sourced inline-six oil burner in the 80s.

Another platform bonus was its flexibility as it could be lengthened and shortened depending on the model. All told, the Blue Oval built 15 vehicles with this platform, among them the third and fourth-generation Mustangs. This long production life resulted in many great Mustangs, including the 1993 SVT Cobra R. As one of the first vehicles built by the then-new SVT division and something of a swansong for the soon-to-be-retired third-gen, the SVT Cobra R had to deliver the goods.

Under its hood was a naturally aspirated 5.0-liter small-block V8 rated at 235 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque. Power was directed to the rear wheels via a modified five-speed manual gearbox. "R" stood for "Race" and those who bought one knew exactly what they were getting. Engineers managed to shed some 450 pounds worth of unnecessary weight, meaning creature comforts like a radio, air conditioning, sound-deadening materials, and a rear seat were all eliminated.