Ford Mustang SVT Cobra

Designed in the unmistakable image of Shelby Mustangs of the 1960s, the Shelby GT500 melds SVT's modern engineering with the big-block performance that made the original GT500 the king of the road. Even though some 47,000 US military personnel remain in Japan today, they are there at the invitation of the Japanese government under the terms of the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan and not as an occupying force. Tires: 285/40ZR18 rear and 255/45ZR18 front GY Eagle supercar. The San Francisco Peace Treaty, signed on September 8, 1951, marked the end of the Allied occupation, and when it went into effect on April 28, 1952, Japan was once again an independent state (with the exception of Okinawa, which remained under US control until 1972). Rears are stock Mustang GT, but different pads. In 1949, MacArthur rubber-stamped a sweeping change in the SCAP power structure that greatly increased the power of Japan's native rulers, and as his attention (and that of the White House) gradually diverted to the Korean War, the occupation began to draw to a close. Brakes: 14” front disks with 4-caliper Brembo pinchers. After a short period of Democratic Party administration, Yoshida returned in late 1948 and continued to serve as prime minister until 1954.

Current press runs say it feels better (handling-wise) over bumps and in turns than the IRS on the ’03. Thereafter, the socialist party steadily declined in its electoral successes. Revised bushings, spring rates and shock rates. This divisiveness in conservative ranks gave a plurality to the Japan Socialist Party, which was allowed to form a cabinet, which lasted less than a year. Suspension: Stock Mustang GT K-member. For the 1947 elections, anti-Yoshida forces left the Liberal Party and joined forces with the Progressive Party to establish the new Democratic Party (Minshuto). Weight: 3850 lbs with F/R distribution of 57/43. The first postwar elections were held in 1946 (women were given the franchise for the first time), and the Liberal Party's vice president, Yoshida Shigeru (1878-1967), became prime minister.

Eaton is currenlty claiming a 15% improvement in adiabatic efficiency over the M112. The old Seiyokai and Rikken Minseito came back as, respectively, the Liberal Party (Nihon Jiyuto) and the Japan Progressive Party (Nihon Shimpoto). It has redesigned rotor and port design over the M112 currently used in the 2003/04 Cobra. Left-wing organizations, such as the Japan Socialist Party and the Japan Communist Party, quickly reestablished themselves, as did various conservative parties. Supercharger: Due to availablity issues of the twin screw Whipple shown in the early prototype, the Eaton M122H (H for hybrid…revised 5th-gen blower) Roots-style blower will be used. Political parties had begun to revive almost immediately after the occupation began. Heads are directly from the GT, including cams, valves, springs and ports and even have the same part number! Redline is 6,000 rpm and fuel shut off is 6,250. Once Japan's wartime leaders were weeded out, a generation of junior officers was ready to take command of the country.

Mahle connecting rods which the engineers claim are on par w/ the Manleys in the ‘03s, but less expensive. While these other reforms were taking place, various military tribunals, most notably the International Military Tribunal for the Far East in Ichigaya, were trying Japan's war criminals and sentencing many to death and imprisonment. 8.5:1 on the ’03 Cobras.) Ford GT crank. The Japanese written system was drastically reorganized to give the Toyo Kanji, predecessor of today's Jōyō kanji, and grammar was greatly altered to reflect conversational usage. Static compression ratio is 8.4:1 (same as Ford GT, but vs. The longstanding issue of restricting Kanji usage, which had been planned for decades but continuously opposed by more conservative elements, was also resolved during this time. Engine: Wet-sumped 5.4L iron block). The Imperial Rescript on Education was repealed, and the Imperial University system reorganized.

(Smaller diameter reduces polar moment of mass inertia so less inertial loss during acceleration.). During the occupation, Japan's secondary education system was changed to incorporate three-year junior high schools and senior high schools similar to those in the US: junior high became compulsory, but senior high remained optional. Clutch is a double-disk unit (215 mm = 8.44 in) sourced from Valeo. Before and during the war, Japanese education was based on the German system, with gymnasiums and universities to train students after primary school. So overall gear ratio in 1st is 9.831 (vs 9.443 on the ’03). In February 1947, Japan's workers were ready to call a general strike, in an attempt to take over their factories; MacArthur warned that he would not allow such a strike to take place, and the unions eventually relented, making them lose face and effectively subduing them for the remainder of the occupation. Rear-end ratio is 3.31 (vs 3.55 on the ’03). This turned out to be one of the greatest hurdles of the occupation, as communism had become increasingly popular among the poorer Japanese workers for several decades, and took advantage of Japan's recent left-leaning atmosphere.

2.66 on the ’03 and ‘04s). Women gained the right to vote, and in April of that year, 14 million turned out for the election that gave Japan its first modern prime minister, Shigeru Yoshida. Transmission/Gearing/Clutch: First gear is 2.97:1 (vs. Shinto was abolished as a state religion, and Christianity reappeared in the open for the first time in decades. However some information on the GT500 has leaked to the automotive press the past few weeks:. The new constitiution guaranteed basic freedoms and civil liberties, abolished nobility, and, perhaps most importantly, made the emperor the symbol of Japan, removing him from politics. The final design and specifications will be released at the Detroit NAIAS January 8-20th 2006. In 1946, the Diet ratified a new Constitution of Japan which followed closely a 'model copy' prepared by the Occupational authorities, and was promulgated as an amendment to the old Prussian-style Meiji Constitution.

The 475-plus horsepower and 475 lb/ft of torque, supercharged 5.4-liter, V-8 is the first production vehicle in a string of specialty Mustangs that SVT will help deliver. Five million acres (20,000 km²) of land were taken out of the hands of nobles and given to the farmers who worked them. The SVT Team unveiled what is being called the most powerful factory Mustang ever at the New York International Auto Show on March 23rd, 2005. The Allies dismantled Japan's zaibatsu: only their factories remained, in the hands of a wide array of corporations which eventually coalesced into what are now known as keiretsu. The 2007 SVT Cobra is now called the Shelby GT 500. Even so, at $46.9 billion in 2003, Japan's defense budget is the second-largest in the world, at 5% of the worldwide total spend on defense. Owners are reporting as much as 650 rear wheel horsepower to a stock rotating assembly with the use on a 2.3L Whipple or 2.2L/2.4L Kenne Bell twin screw supercharger and increased boost pressure. Traditionally, Japan's military spending has been restricted to about 1% of its budget, though this is by popular practice, not law, and has fluctuated up and down from this figure (see Defense budget of Japan).

The 2003-2004 SVT is heavily noted as one of the best bangs for the buck. However, within less than a decade, America was pressuring Japan to rebuild its army as a bulwark against Communism in Asia. While in production, SVT had codenamed this model the "Terminator" since it was supposed to finally put an end to any competition between the Cobra and the Trans Am / Camaro. The initial intent of the "Peace Clause" was to prevent the country from ever becoming an aggresive military power again. The only major addition to the 2004 model was the optional Mystichrome paint scheme. Recently, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and other politicians have tried to repeal this clause. Other improvements to the driveline include the use of a Tremec T-56 six speed transmission and stronger 31 spline half shafts in the independent rear suspension. During the occupation, a "peace clause" was also included in the constitution that specifically forbade Japan from waging war; although the origins are unclear, both Allied and Japanese leaders apparently took part.

The motors internals were also strengned through the use of forged pistons and Manley H-beam connecting rods. The national police force was dissolved and replaced by regional police forces. A cast iron cylinder block was used in place of the aluminum block which had been standard on 1996-2001 Cobra models. Shortly after his arrival, MacArthur ordered that all Japanese personnel give up their katana and wakizashi: seven tons of swords were confiscated and sent to San Francisco. Numerous improvements were made to the driveline to handle the additional power output. During 1947, BCOF began to decrease its activities in Japan and it was officially wound up in 1951. It was later learned that SVT had underrated the Cobra, as many owners have reported an average of 430 hp and 430 ft·lbf of torque. At its peak, the force numbered about 40,000 personnel.

Debuting in early 2002, the 2003 Cobra came with a supercharged 4.6 L DOHC engine with 390 hp (291 Kw) and 390 ft·lbf (528 Nm) of torque. While US forces were responsible for overall military government, BCOF was responsible for supervising demilitarisation and the disposal of Japan's war industries.[1] BCOF was also responsible for occupation of several western prefectures and had its headquarters at Kure. The Cobra came back in 2001 with the same power and the problem fixed. The official British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF), comprised of Australian, British, Indian and New Zealand personnel, was deployed from February 21, 1946. Due to problems with the 1999 Cobras producing the claimed power, the 4.6 L Cobra was not produced in 2000. By the end of 1945, more than 350,000 US personnel were stationed throughout Japan. In 2000, a special Cobra R came in limited production of 300 with a 5.4 L DOHC engine that produced 385 hp (287 Kw) and 385 ft·lbf (521 Nm) of torque. While other Allied political and military leaders pushed for Hirohito to be tried as a war criminal, MacArthur resisted such calls, arguing that any such prosecution would be overwhelmingly unpopular with the Japanese people.

The new Cobra had an upgraded 4.6 L DOHC engine with 320 hp (239 kW) and 317 ft·lbf (429 Nm) of torque. With the sanction of Japan's reigning monarch, MacArthur now had the ammunition he needed to begin the real work of the Occupation. All 1999-2004 Cobras featured independent rear suspensions, unique to the Cobras. The two men met for the first time on September 28; the photograph of the two together is one of the most famous in Japanese history. With the introduction of a new Mustang in 1999, came a new SVT Cobra. Once the food network was in place, at a cost of up to US$1 million a day, MacArthur set out to win the support of Hirohito. The '96 model proved capable of performance levels matching those of the '95 Cobra R. His first priority was to set up a food distribution network; following the collapse of the ruling government, and the wholesale destruction of most major cities, virtually everyone was starving.

of torque at 4800 rpm, making the Cobra capable of running 0-60 miles per hour in 5.9 seconds. General MacArthur was technically supposed to defer to an advisory council set up by the Allied powers, but in practice did everything himself. They did this by taking the existing 280HP DOHC 32V all aluminum modular engine and massaging it to produce 305 horsepower at 5800 rpm and 300 lbs.-ft. Allied (primarily American) forces supervised the country. The new engine became standard equipment in the Mustang GT, but the SVT division wanted and needed more for the Cobra in order for it to compete with the more powerful Camaro models. On September 2, Japan formally surrendered, signing the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, and the occupation began. For 1996, Ford finally did away with the aging 5.0 liter OHV V8, replacing it with a new 4.6 liter, SOHC, "modular" unit that was smoother, had slightly better fuel economy, and was able to meet pending emissions standards; peformance, however, was roughly the same. No Allied personnel were to eat the scarce Japanese food.

Only 250 vehicles were built, available only in white, each with a unique center-tiered fiberglass hood tall enough to clear the engine and induction system. No Allied personnel were to assault Japanese people. Heavy-duty progressive-rate springs, thicker stabilizer bars and a front strut tower brace helped improve handling on the racetrack. MacArthur himself arrived in Tokyo on August 30, and immediately set several laws: No Allied personnel were to fraternize with Japanese people. Again, weight-savings was targeted, so there was no back seat, radio or air-conditioning – not even fog lights, which were omitted to provide ducts for getting cool air onto the front brakes. Other Allied personnel followed. To handle the torque of the more powerful engine, a Tremec five-speed manual transmission was installed. They were followed by USS Missouri, whose accompanying vessels landed the 4th Marine Division on the southern coast of Kanagawa.

In response to those requests, SVT replaced the Cobra’s 5.0L V8 with an SVT modified version of Ford’s 5.8 liter Windsor V8, re-engineered to produce 300 horsepower and installed a 20 gallon fuel tank. On August 28, 150 US personnel flew to Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture, and became the first Allied forces to land on Japanese soil. Top priority became addressing customer requests for a larger, more powerful engine and more fuel capacity. Japanese officials left for Manila on August 19 to meet MacArthur and to be briefed on his plans for the occupation. In the wake of the '93 R’s unexpected success, SVT engineers developed a more powerful R-model based on the1995 Cobra. On V-J Day, Truman appointed General Douglas MacArthur as Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers, to supervise the occupation of Japan. Ford re-introduced the Cobra for '94 featuring the new styling as well as larger brakes, a revised suspension setup and wider wheels than the outgoing version, but the engine was essentially a carryover. The Soviet Union would be responsible for North Korea, Sakhalin, and the Kuril Islands, while the United States and the British Empire would have the responsibility for Japan, South Korea, and Japan's remaining possessions in Oceania.

Ford introduced a completely re-styled Mustang for the 1994 model year, but the vehicle was mechanically similar to the outgoing model, and rode on a version of Ford's aging Fox platform. At Potsdam, United States President Harry Truman, British Prime Minister Clement Attlee and Soviet leader Josef Stalin had agreed on how the Allied occupation of the Japanese Empire would be carried out. In keeping with its more track-oriented nature, non essential items such as air conditioning, sound deadening, stereo system and rear seats were not present on the Cobra R to minimize its weight. It was V-J Day, the end of World War II, and the beginning of a long road to recovery for a shattered Japan. Ford debuted a Cobra R as a late '93 model, a more track-oriented version of the Cobra featuring larger brakes, altered spring rates and shocks and a new 21mm rear anti-roll bar. On the following day, Hirohito announced Japan's surrender on the radio. It shared its platform with the Fox-bodied Mustang GT, but featured an upgraded suspension system and a high-output version of the GT's 5.0 liter OHV V8 producing 235 hp (175 kW) and 280 ft·lbf (379 Nm) of torque. Japan surrendered to the Allies on August 14, 1945, when Emperor Hirohito accepted the terms of the Potsdam Declaration.

Ford introduced the Cobra variant of the Mustang in 1993 to help boost sales and the overall image of the Mustang, although in later years Ford's focus for the Cobra was as a competitor to Chevrolet's Camaro SS and Pontiac's Trans AM WS6. . . The occupation was satirised in the 1956 American film The Teahouse of the August Moon. On rare occasion, Ford produces a higher-performance Cobra R variant. The phrase "shikata ga nai", was commonly used in both Japanese and American press to encapsulate the Japanese public's resignation to the harsh conditions endured while under occupation. It is generally the highest performance version of the Mustang built by Ford, sitting in the model range above the Mustang GT model.

The Ford Mustang SVT Cobra is a sportscar built by Ford since 1993.