Should i get a svt cobra

Hagerty covers all kinds of collector cars, trucks and modified vehicles. Get an insurance quote. More on this topic. This immaculate, mile Geo Metro will get your heart racing Andrew Newton. Andrew Newton. Share Leave comment. Read next Up next: The 10 highest auction sales in BUY: Fox-body 5. That's the spot that "New Edge" Ford Mustang finds itself right now, with a production run that lasted from to Mustangs from this generation aren't particularly in demand among among enthusiasts or collectors, but there is a major exception to that.

That would be the Mustang Cobra R, which can still be considered one of greatest modern Mustangs of all time, and a car instantly recognizable to anyone who came of age in that era—like myself. The SVT Cobra R program was started back in with an extremely limited run of stripped down, track-oriented Mustang Cobras during the last year of Fox Body production.

The Cobra R returned in applying the same formula to the new SN95 body style but with a larger, 5. By the late s the Mustang had moved to a new modular family of overhead cam V8s, with the Cobra models powered by a 4.

For the model year, Ford pulled out all of the stops with a third and final iteration of the Cobra R that was even more extreme. The Cobra R was instantly recognizable with its unique exterior treatment. Every one of them was painted in a bright Performance Red and external upgrades including an aggressive new front bumper with splitter and a bulging hood. Underneath, the Cobra R featured independent rear suspension just like the other New Edge Cobras, while the standard Mustang models still used a live axle setup.

Perhaps horses was still optimistic. Then we strapped on the test gear and made a few runs at the track. The results were staggering—the Cobra's acceleration time matched a Camaro SS's. The Cobra scooted to 60 mph in only 4. Our last Z28SS a particularly quick model we tested in October hit 60 mph in 4. Had Ford slipped us an especially strong one?

We asked for a second Cobra, and soon a white convertible arrived. The technicians at APE strapped our gray coupe onto the dyno rolls and recorded horsepower at the rear wheels.

If you correct for driveline losses about 15 percent , the rear-wheel dyno number correlates to crankshaft horsepower, exactly as advertised. We then put the white convertible Cobra onto the dyno, and although we expected to see some typical production variation, we did not. It too made rear-wheel horsepower. So you can take it from us: At least two Cobras produced the advertised horsepower.

The newfound quickness and consistent engine performance are only part of the story as the Cobra has left its crude pony-car roots and joined the ranks of competent sports coupes.

The floaty, not-sure-what-the-tires-are-doing feeling that has plagued Mustangs is gone. Now you can point the Cobra exactly where you want and assume it will go there. The car feels appropriately firm without being harsh, and it never bounces off bumps or potholes. You can thank the independent rear suspension for the Cobra's buttoned-down, confidence-inspiring behavior. According to Art Hyde, chief program engineer for the Mustang, the new independent rear suspension achieved three significant things: It slashed unsprung weight by pounds, reduced lateral compliance, and allowed an inch more of wheel travel.

The result is nothing short of a Cobra transformation that, along with some of the other detail changes new seats and an inch more of front legroom and the always alluring exhaust snarl, has turned the Cobra into a car that's a superb all-arounder. There's really nothing the Cobra can't do either well or extremely well.

It's quick, it stops from 70 mph in feet, and it claws at the pavement with 0. Too bad Chevy doesn't have the cojones to respond. Even so, we're glad to know that once the Camaro leaves us next year, the last pony car left standing won't be the slowest one.

It is somewhat irritating to know that a standard Mustang can be had for about 18 grand, but to get one that is going to get your blood in motion, you have to ante up another 10 large.

Once I enter the realm where the price tags even approach 30 grand, the word Mustang is no longer on my mind—I'm thinking Audi and BMW, and could I possibly swing the payments for a C-class Mercedes?