Real Cobra Experience

Seems that a lot of the comments on the Cobra's performance are based on results of tests read in performance car magazines, viewed on television shows, heard from a friend of a friend, conjecture, ESP et al.
I am the lucky owner of a 2004 Mysticrome Convertible Cobra.

In its stock form, the car is one of the hardest pulling street cars that I've driven. I qualify that with the following. I've previously owned a 421 hp supercharged LX Mustang, a 440 71 Barracuda (which I still own :) ), and a heavily modified 98 Cobra. I've also driven myriad Corvettes, Camaros, and would be foreign iron.

I dynoed my Cobra at Brothers performance, and was rewarded with 371 RWHP in completely stock form. In the first week I moved a K&N filter into the fender and added a high flow intake set up, auxiliary idler pulley set up (to add blower wrap, which added nearly two psi), and a catback exhaust system. Absolutely nothing more. I returned to the dyno and received 407 avg hp at the wheels. The difference in power delivery is phenomenal. My total investment. About eight hundred dollars. You be the judge.

nice

Can you scna/take a pic of the sheet and post?

this thread really doesnt have anything to do with street racing but since im in here.............just had a quick question............
(to add blower wrap, which added nearly two psi)
does that mean you have a turbo or super charger?

this thread really doesnt have anything to do with street racing but since im in here.............just had a quick question............
(to add blower wrap, which added nearly two psi)
does that mean you have a turbo or super charger?


just gonna ask the same thing, and if he does have either than i wouldnt say its very stock

this thread really doesnt have anything to do with street racing but since im in here.............just had a quick question............
(to add blower wrap, which added nearly two psi)
does that mean you have a turbo or super charger?

He said he has a 2004 Ford Mustang Mystichrome Cobra Vert. 03-04 Mustang Cobra's have S/C stock. So yes he does have a S/C.

He said he has a 2004 Ford Mustang Mystichrome Cobra Vert. 03-04 Mustang Cobra's have S/C stock. So yes he does have a S/C.

thanks mustang guru..................

jeenkies no wonder why those things are so fast hummmmmmmm........

Bah, I'd still take a 400hp ///M5, or the new on ethat is supposed to have 500....

Bah, I'd still take a 400hp ///M5, or the new on ethat is supposed to have 500....

Yea it's only almost 3X the price :evillol:

over $200,000 aussie bucks
U could make a friggin 3000Hp dragster for that almost!!

2004 Mustang Cobra:
390hp, 390tq
3665 lbs
Base Price : $34,860

2003 BMW M5
394hp/368tq
4024lbs
Base Price : $70,400

Faster car : Cobra
Overall nicer car : BMW
Cheapest to modify : Cobra by far
Best results from modification : Cobra
Best value : Cobra, by far.

If I had the money for both: Cobra. But I like cobras. I really do.

If your willing to put more than five minutes into a search, you can find mods for the M5 very cheap. And what are ou comparing with for overall faster? take an M5, get a halfway decent exhaust/intake/header, AA Supercharger, then lets talk about whose faster, and who has better result from modifications. An we can also talk about handling. M5 is far better off the lot stock. Anyone can go fast in a straight line.

And even then, at the end of the day if the Cobra is faster, I drive home in a BMW, you drive home in a Ford.

If your willing to put more than five minutes into a search, you can find mods for the M5 very cheap. And what are ou comparing with for overall faster? take an M5, get a halfway decent exhaust/intake/header, AA Supercharger, then lets talk about whose faster, and who has better result from modifications. An we can also talk about handling. M5 is far better off the lot stock. Anyone can go fast in a straight line.

And even then, at the end of the day if the Cobra is faster, I drive home in a BMW, you drive home in a Ford.


But then if you get your german enginerred butt handed to you by a ford who's car is better?. It doesnt matter what the brand is it matters who is faster, and i dont think curves and turns matter in street racing (atleast that ive seen) its all about straight lines, i dont know where you live but down here in california we dont go rally racing through the local stater bros parking lot.

First off, yeah, it does matter what the brand is. A little word called quality, and then the brand matters. I'd rather drive a slow ass BMW then a fast POS Ford. And where I live, unless I go to redneck land (aka the strip), it is all but impossible to find a decent staright qurtere mile, so yeah, handling does matter.

Oh, and the muscle car is dead. Embrace technology, it is your friend.

First off, yeah, it does matter what the brand is. A little word called quality, and then the brand matters. I'd rather drive a slow ass BMW then a fast POS Ford. And where I live, unless I go to redneck land (aka the strip), it is all but impossible to find a decent staright qurtere mile, so yeah, handling does matter.

Oh, and the muscle car is dead. Embrace technology, it is your friend.


The muslce car will never be dead, it lives on forever and will always live on forever. If you would like me to prove it to you just come down to california.

And even then, at the end of the day if the Cobra is faster, I drive home in a BMW, you drive home in a Ford.

HUH a malibu is made by chevrolete, but chevrolete also makes the Zo6.
ford makes the escort, and also makes the cobra and ford gt.

the answer to your comment, ITS A COBRA!

If your willing to put more than five minutes into a search, you can find mods for the M5 very cheap. And what are ou comparing with for overall faster? take an M5, get a halfway decent exhaust/intake/header, AA Supercharger, then lets talk about whose faster, and who has better result from modifications. An we can also talk about handling. M5 is far better off the lot stock. Anyone can go fast in a straight line.

And even then, at the end of the day if the Cobra is faster, I drive home in a BMW, you drive home in a Ford.

Yea that's just what I want to do..... spend more money on a car I already paid $75,000 for!!!!!

Exhuast/headers/ Right S/C swap you could be at 700+RWHP in a Cobra. And I guarantee the mods where less than the M5's.

Anyone can go fast in a straight line.... why don't I see everyone up at the Dragway running 12's and lower then?

The M5 is far better off the lot stock........ well ya think skippy? Maybe the $70,000 dollar price tag vs the $35,000 price tag has something to do with that? Nahhhh your right!!!! what's price have to do with anything? The BMW M5 is shit compared to the Ford GT cause BMW sucks right?

If your willing to put more than five minutes into a search, you can find mods for the M5 very cheap. And what are ou comparing with for overall faster? take an M5, get a halfway decent exhaust/intake/header, AA Supercharger, then lets talk about whose faster, and who has better result from modifications. An we can also talk about handling. M5 is far better off the lot stock. Anyone can go fast in a straight line.

And even then, at the end of the day if the Cobra is faster, I drive home in a BMW, you drive home in a Ford.
are you joking?
mods for the m5 are cheap?

an active autowerke s/c for the e46 m3... 8600?
that's cheap?
WTF are you smoking?

http://www.activeautowerke.com/ProjectE46M3/default.cfm

lets see...
440hp in the m3, after spending 8600 on a s/c.
(granted i'm talking m3, not m5, but there's no m5 s/c on their site)

or 400+hp in a cobra, for under 1000?

think about it...
the kenne belle supercharger swap for the cobra is under 5k, and with STOCK exhaust manifolds, exhaust, it put down 600+ to the wheels.

so the cobra is still under 40k, let's say 50k total invested in the mustang, and you're in the 10's, or lower, and you've got a suspension that can handle.

what would it cost to get an m5, even an m3, into the 10's? and handle (i realize that it does already, but so does the cobra)...

hmm...

BMW ///M5 E39 of Autotrader (looked it up): 42,000
Dinan Full S5 upgrade package: 27,000
Total Cost: 89,000 for a car that dynos at 470whp. Thats 470whp up from a bone stock dynoed 334. And, if you buy the ///M5, then obviously, money isn't quite the issue.

Oh, and to answer your question on getting an ///M3 in the 10s? Probably not that much, after all, its a low 13 second car of the lot. I'll try to find the video of teh guy who simply has a cam replacemnt and runs a mid 12. I/H/E, Chip, Cams, Supercahrger, then yeah, youll be in the tens, get a suspension kit from Dinan, and yeah, youll also be able to handle.

And a Cobra is made by FORD, so no, it isnt a COBRA, its a FORD.

And finally, about the muscle car never dying....then why dont any car companies make muscle cars anymore. The Viper and 'Vette is a FAR cry from a muscle car, the ew GTO is the biggest let down I've ever seen, and the new Mustangs are hardly muscle cars. And Chevy stopped making Camaros/Trans Ams/Firebirds etc. So its not dead? Maybe not, but its about to close as dead as it can be. I bet you still think there is no replacement for displacement.

low 13s? so you have to drop more than 2 seconds? 2 seconds is a LOT buddy. Thats like goin from 300hp to 550. Almost doubling power. It'd take 600+ hp from a 4000lb M5 to get it into the 10s. Even with a motor and weight that is capable of running 10s, I highly doubt the m5's suspension and rear axle could properly put that much power to the ground.
Jesus, give me $89,000 and I'll buy a brand new cobra right off the lot, have it running 10s, then go buy another cobra and leave it stock for my daily driver with the change. And if you're concerned about handling(and the cobra already handles) I could spend the extra $40,000 on suspension and steering parts, and I'm sure the cobra would run circles around the M5. I'm not saying anything against the M5, after all, it is still an impressive car, but for the money, the Cobra is definately the better value.
$27,000 for a 40% increase in power? I'd be beyond pissed off if I had to pay that. If thats how much it takes, in order to get into the 10s you'd have to pay around $50,000 to get the 600hp neccesary!
Again man, I don't mean to put down the M5, I'd have one if I could afford it.. It'd be a nice daily driver, almost as fast as a cobra but with more luxury. but it aint the fastest car in the world, and since its a bmw(and as you said for M5 owners "money isn't quite the issue") the companies designing mods for these cars/motors can charge rediculous prices for them. The cobra definately very cheap for the performance you get, and the Mods for them reflect that. People who buy the cobra aint rich, but they want a damn fast car, so they're not gonna be willing to pay $27,000 for a 40% increase in power.
Okay, you've said its a FORD many times. I still fail to see what is wrong with being a FORD. A jag is a FORD, are jags bad cars? didnt think so. An Aston Martin is a FORD, is that a bad car? Volvo? Land Rover? Ford GT? Lincoln? Focus gets rave reviews, mustangs are high quality, the 4.6 is an extremely well engineered motor, Ford is not a bad company in any way/shape/form. I think lately they've been doing a damn fine job. They've stumbled in the past, but thats behind them, and it shows.

As for the muscle car, yes there are no longer any production muscle cars, so in that sense they are 'dead'. Camaros/trans/Firebirds/mustangs were NEVER muscle cars, not in the 60s, not in the 70s, never. Muscle car is an intermediate bodied car, not a small car like those. Camaro/mustangs are Pony cars. Viper and Vette, are sports cars, they're far from being intermediate sized cars. They can only seat 2 after all. If the GTO was actually a decent car, that could be a muscle car, but no. But the muscle car is hardly dead in the sense that they're completely gone. I know lots of people who have Torinos, Chevelles, GTOs, etc. And Cassiesman, please, please tell me what the replacement for displacement is. I'm dying to know. I'm sure engineers all around the globe want to know.

BMW ///M5 E39 of Autotrader (looked it up): 42,000
Dinan Full S5 upgrade package: 27,000
Total Cost: 89,000 for a car that dynos at 470whp. Thats 470whp up from a bone stock dynoed 334. And, if you buy the ///M5, then obviously, money isn't quite the issue.

Oh, and to answer your question on getting an ///M3 in the 10s? Probably not that much, after all, its a low 13 second car of the lot. I'll try to find the video of teh guy who simply has a cam replacemnt and runs a mid 12. I/H/E, Chip, Cams, Supercahrger, then yeah, youll be in the tens, get a suspension kit from Dinan, and yeah, youll also be able to handle.

I bet you still think there is no replacement for displacement.

27k in upgrades. 470whp.
if i spent 27k on a cobra, i'd have a full out road/race car that corners, and runs 10's with 600+ hp.

and 10k to spare.

89k for a car that dynos at 470whp.
or you could spend that 35k on the mustang, spend about 8k and dyno far higher than that.

hmmm...
easy to get an m3 in the 10's...
you sure?
show us.
come on...

cam swap for an m3 got it into 12's.
great.

swap a pulley on the mustang cobra and you're deep 12's.

IHE cams, chip, s/c for an m3 isn't going to guarantee you 10's.

i've yet to see it, and i've looked around.

no replacement for displacement... hmm...
nope.
there's no replacement for cheaply made power.

that's why the new m3 is going to have an 8 in it, right?
there's no replacement for wise spending. (granted, if it's wise/affordable to get the m3/5, go for it, god knows i would)

but anyways.

quit knocking on something that you're not ready to face, with cars that you don't know the potential of.

and to debunk your original statement again, 27k for Dinan upgrades is hardly cheap, as you said in your FIRST post... right?

And we are done here... Thanks for coming folks.