Rare 2000 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R Destroyed In Dealer Crash

The 2000 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R represented the ultimate, hardcore, track-focused, no-frills version of the iconic pony car in its heyday, instantly cementing its status in both Blue Oval and overall automotive history. Just 300 units were built in total, making it a rare and valuable machine as well, but we’ve seen a few pop up for sale in recent years, regardless. However, there may now be one less 2000 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R out there in the world after an unfortunate crash that wiped out one example that was merely on display in a dealer’s showroom.

As we can see in these rather unsettling photos posted on Facebook by Stacey Deann Moore recently, this poor 2000 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R was on display in the showroom of Tri-City Ford in Eden, North Carolina, but it wound up becoming the victim of a driver who seemingly lost control of their own vehicle and smashed into the dealership. The damage is rather shocking and extensive, with the out of control crossover smashing the passenger side door in, damaging the roof and even the windshield in the process.

It’s unclear if this Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R is damaged beyond repair or not, but we’re fairly certain that the dealer or someone will opt to fix it anyway, based on how rare and valuable the car is. Even if it’s facing some seriously diminished value as a result of the accident, there’s certainly still enough meat on the bone to justify some repairs – even if it winds up being a track toy. In fact, we’ve seen lower-mile examples sell at auction for well over $100,000, and another example with quite a few miles on the clock was bid up past $60k recently, too.

All 2000 Cobra Rs were essentially identical, each finished in Performance Red paint, extra aero bits and pieces, SVT badging, and 18-inch aluminum wheels. However, the R also featured a host of upgraded performance parts including Bilstein monotube dampers, stiffer Eibach springs, larger anti-roll bars, and four-wheel ventilated discs with four-piston Brembo front calipers, as well as Recaro seats. There were no frills, however, as the Cobra R came with no radio, air conditioning, rear seat, or sound deadening, and featured manual windows and door locks. Under the hood, the track-ready model is equipped with the naturally-aspirated Ford 5.4L V8 Triton engine that is rated to produce 385 horsepower and 385 pound-feet of torque.