Ford Racing pulled the wraps off the new 2012 Cobra Jet at the PRI Show in Orlando in early December, and then just last week, provided the public with it’s first glimpse of the Winner White and Race Red models that make up the three-color offering. And with that, anticipation for their release and debut is beginning to build.

To see the engine build process in more detail and in it’s entirety, be sure to check out the Cobra Jet Engine Build on the Ford Racing website.

Production of the newest of the CJ’s is set to begin in just a few weeks, but before that can commence, a surplus of complete engines must be prepared and assembled to drop into the cars as they roll down the assembly line. To accomplish that, Ford Racing is utilizing the Romeo Niche engine assembly line, which has been used since 1996 to provide production for flagship engines like those in the SVT Cobra and Ford GT. On this line, one engine can be completed every two hours.

The Cobra Jet engines will all be based upon a 5.4L aluminum block sourced from the Ford Racing catalog. As with any build, the block is first paired with a crankshaft and then, after going through a high-tech washing station, is ready for station one on the assembly line.

In all, the Cobra Jet powerplant will find it’s way through ten stations before being tagged as complete and ready for installation. The process begins with final block prep and installation of the crank, followed by installation of the rods and pistons, the oil pump and seals, cylinder head preparation and installation, timing set installation, and the addition of the front cover, cam covers, and oil pan.

Once stage seven is reached, everything that’s been completed prior is given the once over with a leak test. If it passes, it then receives the option of 2.3L TVS or 4.0L FRPP/Whipple superchargers. Station nine provides the final test, with a cold fire evaluation to check for leaks using pressurized air. With the final FEAD assembly and packing that encompasses the tenth and final station complete, the engines receive their signature plate and are put in line for installation into one of fifty turn-key CJ’s.