With 305 horsepower and 320 lb-ft of torque, it is a significant upgrade from the garden-variety single-cam GT motor, resulting in plenty of grunt for all but those for whom no amount of horsepower is ever enough. New developments on the engine include a modified upper intake so that the air from the scoop has somewhere useful to go, hotter camshafts, a forged crankshaft and more free-flowing exhaust manifolds.
Transmissions are a five-speed manual and a heavy-duty four-speed automatic with oil cooler and tricked-up torque converter. The power flows back to the rear wheels where it should go, via a lower-geared 3.55 axle for snappier acceleration. That axle is still of the "live" variety, as the expensive and exclusive independent rear suspension of the Cobra is not part of the Mach 1 package. Having said that, Ford has done much work on it to enhance the car's handling.